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ASTRI partners with telecom leaders to showcase pre-4G technology at World Expo

(Hong Kong, 24 May 2010) Visitors of the Shanghai World Expo can get a glimpse of the convenience and benefits that 4G wireless network technology could bring by watching high definition (HD) live video broadcast delivered at the Expo Sites or on boat trips along Huangpu River.

ASTRI (Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute) and Innofidei were the chip providers who help to bring this unique mobile broadband experience to visitors with the world’s first TD-LTE (pre-4G technology) dongle they jointly developed being used in the TD-LTE showcase network set up by China Mobile at the Expo.

The TD-LTE showcase network which is also the first in the world provides coverage in major pavilions, outdoor areas of the Expo Sites and as far as Huangpu River. Expo visitors can experience mobile HD video monitoring, mobile HD video conference, HD live video streaming and other Internet browsing applications at exceptional high speed of 70Mbit/s.

ASTRI and Innofidei completed a large amount of interoperability tests (IOT) with major TD-LTE infrastructure providers in the Expo, including Motorola, Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell and ZTE. The TD-LTE multiple data cards outdoor IOT that ASTRI completed with ZTE was to ensure that top quality TD-LTE services could be provided during the Expo. Reporters from all over the world can enjoy the convenience of high-speed wireless data transmission empowered by the TD-LTE infrastructure set in place by the aforementioned infrastructure providers in the Expo pavilions.

LTE (Long Term Evolution) is considered a pre-4G wireless network technology. Comparing with 3G technology, it has much higher transmission rate and better performance. Maximum transmission rate of LTE mobile phone is a dazzling 326Mbps. LTE mobile phone works very well even the user is moving at 350km/h, inside a high speed train for example. With LTE, user can experience a high speed and ubiquitous coverage of internet. It brings mobile internet to a new level of satisfaction.

LTE is endorsed by most of the major mobile carriers in the world for seamless migration from 3G towards 4G mobile communications. In China, TD-LTE which is a version of LTE, is likely to be chosen by the Chinese government as the next generation cellular standard in China. It has tremendous market potential.

"We are delighted to see that ASTRI has made another important breakthrough and the world’s first TD-LTE dongle it developed with Innofidei has attracted much attention in the industry,” said Dr Cheung Nim-kwan, CEO of ASTRI. “We will continue to partner with industry’s leading companies to develop TD-LTE and LTE FDD core technologies, to serve the high-tech industries in Hong Kong and the mainland, and to promote further deployment of LTE in the global market."

ASTRI is a pioneer in the development of LTE, through years of dedicated R&D efforts and collaboration with global industry players, it has made some important accomplishments. At the Mobile World Congress 2009, ASTRI became the first in the industry to demonstrate HD video streaming over TD-LTE with MIMO. Four sets of demonstrations were done with picoChip, Innofidel, Agilent Technologies and Rohde & Schwarz.

At the P&T/Wireless & Network Comm China Exhibition 2009, ASTRI and ZTE jointly completed the first cross-vendor TD-LTE over the air IOT. At ITU Telecom World 2009, ASTRI and ZTE jointly held demonstration of TD-LTE wireless HD video transmission.

In April 2010, ASTRI and Innofidei jointly released the world's first TD-LTE terminal baseband chip which supports 20 MHz bandwidth. In the same year, Innofidei was chosen by China Mobile to supply TD-LTE baseband chipsets for data card and CPE terminals in support of the Shanghai World Expo TD-LTE trial deployment.

An ASTRI seminar entitled ‘4G Wireless Technology and Trends’ will be organised on 28 May 2010 at the Hong Kong Science Park. Please click here for more information and free registration.

Dr Cheung Nim-kwan (right), CEO of ASTRI taking a closer look at the Dongle. Standing next to him is Dr Henry Ye, R&D Director in charge of the TD-LTE project.

The world’s first TD-LTE Dongle

Pre-4G wireless technology makes HD video streaming possible