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UK Bluetooth and GSM market leader sets up in Boston

Predicting growth in American Bluetooth and EDGE phone technology, UK wireless leader TTPCom has announced the opening of a new office in Boston, MA (USA) at the opening of CTIA's Orlando exhibition.

Describing itself as "the world leading independent supplier of technology for digital wireless communications," "TTPCom" said its new US office "will enable a rapid response to the engineering needs of our North American customers." In addition the company plans to use the North American facilities to assist in the rollout of EDGE technology.

For the user, EDGE offers three times the data rate and a better quality of service than GPRS, says TTPCom. It's a standard which re-uses much of existing GSM/GPRS network infrastructure, "making it an attractive alternative to CDMA 3G technologies for North American carriers who are focussed on high return on capital invested," it added. "A theoretical maximum data rate of 480kbits per second qualifies EDGE as a 3G technology, although practical implementations will have peak data rates of 240kbits per second and sustained data rates well in excess of 120kbits per second."

In other words, it provides a minimum of dual-ISDN data rates, and wireless speeds up to half ADSL broadband in good conditions.

TTPCom sees significant potential for EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technology in North America, according to Gordon Aspin, VP Operations. He said: "Our successful roll-out of GPRS technology has taught us the value of being close to the market, the carriers and the standards boards. We have strong relationships with the networks in North America and our new office will play a key role in conducting early interoperability trials of EDGE technology with them."

The company's US boss, Malcolm Burwell, said that feedback from this was a market in which it was vital to have good support staff on the ground in the area where customers lived. "Attendees at our Developer's Conferences have confirmed that by providing dedicated field support engineers and account managers close to our customers, we will be able to offer a much faster response to assist with their development programmes". The office will be located in Boston's Route 128 corridor "which is known for its vibrant technology community and as a prime European/North American air travel hub."

In the 6 months to September 2001 a third of TTPCom's worldwide revenues came from North America. In the region the company's customers include Intel, which has licensed TTPCom's technology for the development of GSM/GPRS baseband chipsets, Research in Motion and Novatel Wireless who are both shipping products using TTPCom's GSM/GPRS software.

For the operator, says TTPCom, EDGE trebles the capacity of their spectrum, giving the most efficient utilisation possible today. An EDGE network can support three times the number of users and preserve current data rates, or provide a user with three times the data rate.