Lucent, Sun Microsystems to Begin GPRS Mobile Internet Trial

<%=company1%> and Lucent Technologies have developed a comprehensive mobile Internet offer that integrates Sun's carrier-grade systems with Lucent's mobile general packet radio service (GPRS) network platform. It will be available for customer field trials this summer, initially in the Asia-Pacific region. The solution is designed as a turnkey, end-to-end system compatible with Internet Protocols (IP), affording GSM network operators a ready-made mobile Internet service capability. It will enable wireless operators to become Internet service providers (ISPs) or become hosts for ISPs wishing to extend services to their customers on the move.

The collaboration includes network function testing, interoperability testing, and staging to deploy core networks rapidly for GPRS to meet the expected explosion in demand for wireless data services. This collaboration leverages Sun's carrier-grade platform expertise in delivering solutions for the mobile ISP market.

Lucent's GPRS offer includes Sun processors, Lucent Cajun P330 switching system plus other data networking offerings from Lucent's new Enterprise Networks Group, backed by its portfolio of packet and optical networking products. Lucent already has publicly demonstrated high-speed GPRS data with Lucent Microelectonics-powered Samsung Electronics handsets, as well as voice over GPRS based on its PacketGSM system.

Last December, Lucent and Sun announced an alliance to create infrastructure needed to support next-generation Internet business applications. The agreement includes a commitment by Lucent to use as much as $500 million of Sun's carrier-grade next-generation Netra servers as the platform for Lucent's Flexent wireless network architecture.

Edited by Ellen Jensen