14 DAY TRIAL // Nokia and Finnish telecom operator Elisa carried out this week the world's first WCDMA/HSDPA data call on the 900 MHz band in a commercial network. The call was conducted in Elisa's live network in Finland, and the equipment included the Nokia Flexi WCDMA Base Station with a special solution for sharing the site's infrastructure of the existing GSM base station.
The call demonstrated a new possibility of enhancing the existing WCDMA 3G network. The 900 MHz band can provide a 2-4 times larger coverage area than the most commonly used 2 GHz band, thus reducing network deployment costs significantly, especially in the rural areas. It also improves the availability of 3G services indoors due to better radio signal propagation characteristics. Finland is among the first countries that have allowed WCDMA 3G operation at 900 MHz band.
Nokia Flexi WCDMA Base Station and Nokia Flexi Multiradio Combiner enable Elisa to share their existing GSM900 base station site, including base station cabinets, antenna lines and power feeders, with the WCDMA 3G network. Utilizing Nokia's solution, the network operator can provide broadband wireless type of services, such as High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), for end-users in a very cost-efficient way.
Nokia has also supported Elisa in launching the first HSDPA network in the Nordic Countries in April 2006.