NTT DoCoMo Accepting Proposals for Super 3G Equipment

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Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo, Inc. has started accepting proposals from suppliers for development of equipment for Super 3G base stations and handsets.DoCoMo will select one or more suppliers for each of these categories around October 2006 and aims to complete the technology with the selected suppliers before the end of 2009.The Super 3G standard is expected to provide superfast downlink data rates of over 100Mbps and uplink data rates of over 50Mbps, low-latency data transmission, and improved spectrum efficiency.Super 3G features highly advanced versions of high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) and high-speed uplink packet access (HSUPA), which are W-CDMA packet transmission technologies standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The 3GPP, a telecommunications standards body, has been in discussion to standardize Super 3G under the name Long Term Evolution (LTE).DoCoMo, aiming to secure prolonged and efficient use of 3G spectrum resources, is an active member in the LTE discussions. DoCoMo believes Super 3G will allow the company to make a smooth transition to 4G in the future.The 3GPP plans to release LTE's final specs in 2007, but has completed most of the basic system designs at its June meeting. DoCoMo is thus set to begin developing equipment for practical application of the Super 3G technology.