Nortel and Telefónica O2 Czech Republic, most likely the largest provider of wireless voice and data services in the Czech Republic, have teamed to show how operators can use broadband wireless spectrum more efficiently.

Last week, the two companies successfully demonstrated Europe's first CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev A call in the Telefónica O2 Czech Republic network at 450 MHz radio spectrum. This broadband capability is expected to enable Telefónica O2 Czech Republic to deliver more IP wireless services such as mobile music and interactive 3D gaming, VoIP, and high-speed file transfers, and support real-time interactive access to services such as push-to-talk, mobile television and video telephony.

The call was enabled by a simple upgrade from 1xEV-DO Rev 0 to Rev A technology. Using the same 1.25 MHz channel, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev A provides both forward and reverse links with more capacity and higher data rates, with up to 3.1 Mbps in the forward link and 1.8 Mbps in the reverse link. These faster data rates combined with Quality of Service (QoS) and low latency enable the provision of 3.5G services such as wireless gaming, streaming audio and video, and high performance push-to-talk capabilities. In addition to the Nortel upgrade, the demonstration was achieved using an ADU-500A CDMA EV-DO Rev A wireless modem from AnyDATA.

Nortel CDMA 450 equipment creates networking efficiencies that help drive reduced capital and operating costs. The 1xEV-DO Rev A implementation only required one hardware addition - the Rev A channel card - on the Telefónica O2 Czech Republic network to enable the new service and maximize the operator's existing investment in 450 MHz spectrum and core network equipment.