Rural WCDMA - Aiming for nationwide coverage with one network, one technology, and one service offering

WCDMA is quickly establishing itself as the dominant technology for global third-generation mobile systems (3G), giving operators the means of delivering advanced communication and broadband services to mobile and fixed users alike. These services are already a commercial reality in many cities and urban centers around the world. And now, with the broadband capabilities made possible by high-speed packet access (HSPA), 3G is set to bring cost-effective coverage to rural areas as well. For the first time, end users in rural areas will thus be able to obtain true, cost-effective fixed and mobile broadband services with international roaming capability. A 3G network is more than an enhanced mobile telephone network. In addition to voice service, it also delivers video telephony, mobile smallscreen television, a wide range of data services, and broadband internet connectivity for fixed and mobile users. This multiservice capability (and associated revenue streams) is what makes rural 3G an attractive and strategic investment for mobile operators, because they need only deploy and manage one network based on one technology that delivers a homogenous service offering at unprecedented cost levels.