Nokia and Kineto Collaborating in UMA Technology for Fixed-Mobile Convergence

Nokia and Kineto Wireless will work together to address the area of convergence between fixed and mobile networks and services in selected key customer cases. The companies are currently engaged in UMA trials with major operators and will continue to collaborate on future network trials.

UMA, a 3GPP (3 rd Generation Partnership Program) standard, is an access technology that allows a seamless handoff of mobile voice and data from a wide area cellular network (such as GSM) to a wireless local area network (WLAN). The UMA standard defines how mobile operators can turn home, office and public wireless LANs into seamless extensions of their cellular networks. With UMA, operators can deliver high-performance, low-cost mobile voice, data and IMS services to subscribers over the broadband Wi-Fi access networks, dramatically increasing mobile service usage while decreasing costs for operators.

Under the terms of the agreement, Nokia will incorporate Kineto's UMA Network Controller into its network convergence solutions for wireline and wireless operators. As part of the multi-access solutions, this complements other elements in Nokia's powerful end-to-end network convergence offering, which includes the Nokia Unified Core Network for common service machinery, Operations Support Services (OSS), multimedia services, service and network integration, as well as world-class mobile devices.

Finnish operator Saunalahti will be deploying a number of Nokia's convergence solutions, including UMA technology from Kineto, to offer services like VoIP and rich multimedia to both mobile and fixed telephony customers.