VODAFONE TO TRIAL HSPA PLUS

Vodafone Group Plc 12 February 2008 12 February 2008 VODAFONE EYES HSPA+ AS A KEY TECHNOLOGY TO HEAD THE MOBILE BROADBAND RACE Vodafone is to trial HSPA+, an evolution of today's radio access HSPA technology, to assess its potential to deliver even higher data rates through the upgrade of existing network equipment. Vodafone will work alongside Ericsson, Huawei and Qualcomm to trial Release 7 HSPA+ (also known as HSPA Evolution) which has the potential to handle data even more efficiently than today's HSPA technology. The initiative will help to establish whether HSPA+ is capable of delivering data throughput rates of up to 28.8 Mbps compared to the 14.4 Mbps maximum offered by today's HSPA networks. If successful, the technology has the potential to extend the life of today's HSPA infrastructure still further. HSPA+ technology is designed to offer higher throughput than HSPA through its use of multiple antennae on both base stations and handsets (Multiple Input Multiple Output) as well as the deployment of a complex modulation technique called 64-QAM HSDPA. Both features will require new advanced devices compliant to 3GPP Release7 standard. The project builds on early technical assessments that Vodafone has already carried out where the MIMO version of HSPA+ recorded high data throughput rates for users in a simulated urban macrocellular network. Last year Vodafone launched a 3G broadband service based on High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) with downlink peak rates of up to 7.2Mbps in selected hotspots within some key markets. Vodafone plans to carry out software upgrades to more of these selected hotspots to deliver up to14.4Mbps from the end of the year as part of the existing HSPA roadmap subject to device availability. 'These trials will help us to ascertain whether HSPA+ voice and data capacity enhancements will be able to leverage existing UMTS assets, including radio spectrum, to prolong the lifespan of current UMTS networks still further,' said Steve Pusey, Global CTO of Vodafone. 'It will complement the exploratory work we are carrying out into more long-term next generation wireless technologies such as LTE.' - ends - For further information: Vodafone Group Investor Relations Tel: +44 (0) 1635 664447 Media Relations Tel: +44 (0) 1635 664444 Notes to Editors HSPA+ technology (HSPA Evolution) refers to a new set of features predominantly driven by the 3GPP Release 7 standard that support the evolution of HSPA towards higher user throughput and improved support of packet services. The two flagship HSPA+ features are 64QAM (higher order modulation) and MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) which raise the possibility of supporting high peak data rates of up to 28.8 Mbps on the downlink. The quoted theoretical maximum rates include capacity set aside for technical administration which could reduce the net theoretical maximum rate available to the end user About Vodafone Vodafone is the world's leading international mobile communications group with operations in 25 countries across five continents and over 252 million proportionate customers at 31 December 2007, as well as 40 partner networks. For further information, please visit www.vodafone.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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