Wireless VoIP can fill mobile coverage gaps

SINGAPORE -- A U.S. company, Nuera Communications, has developed a system that allows wireless VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) calls to be made from a cell phone.

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Nuera's system was designed for operators to provide cellular coverage in areas where placing a base station may not be economical or practical, such as inside a building or underground parking garage, said Larry Greenstein, the company's director of product management.

A prototype of Nuera's system -- which includes a VoIP gateway, Wi-Fi access point, and softswitch -- was demonstrated this week at the CommunicAsia 2005 exhibition in Singapore. The system was demonstrated using a prototype V600 handset from Motorola that included support for Wi-Fi WLAN (wireless LAN) technology and the UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) interface for IP networks.

Nuera executives demonstrated how phone calls could be made and received using the prototype handset, which was wirelessly connected to a local access point. Phone calls from the handset were routed over the Internet from Singapore to the U.S., where the system is connected to the phone network.

Greenstein said the Nuera VoIP system will allow broadband service providers to offer VoIP services that can be accessed over Wi-Fi networks at home and then roam onto GSM networks when users leave their homes. In addition, the Nuera system can also be used with PC cards for mobile data services that roam between Wi-Fi and GSM networks, he said.

Trials of the prototype system are currently underway in Europe, Greenstein said. A commercial version of its VoIP system to be available during the second half of this year, he said. Pricing was not available.

CommunicAsia runs through Friday.