Hughes
Announces
Agreement
with
SkyTerra
and
TerreStar
to
Implement
GMR1-3G
Satellite
Air
Interface
on
Chipset
for
Wireless
Handsets
April
2,
2009
Hughes
Network
Systems,
LLC
announced
an
agreement
to
develop
and
implement
software
that
will
power
the
satellite
capability
in
SkyTerra's
and
TerreStar
Network's
next-generation
integrated
device
chipsets.
This
software
will
enable
the
GMR1-3G
satellite
air
interface
standard
to
run
side-by-side
with
cellular
standards
in a
commercially
available,
software-defined
radio
(SDR)
chipset
being
developed
for
SkyTerra
and
TerreStar
Networks
by
Infineon
Technologies
AG.
With
the
software
being
developed
by
Hughes,
a
single
SDR
chip
solution
can
be
readily
programmed
to
operate
on a
variety
of
cellular
standards
such
as
GSM,
GPRS,
EDGE,
WCDMA,
HSDPA,
and
HSUPA,
while
also
providing
satellite
connectivity
via
the
global
GMR1-3G
standard.
This
can
revolutionize
the
cost,
power,
and
size
of
satellite-enabled
wireless
handheld
devices.
SkyTerra
and
TerreStar
both
are
developing
landmark
integrated
satellite-terrestrial
communications
networks
and
services.
“We
are
excited
to
work
with
Hughes
on
the
development
of
software
to
enable
a
single,
integrated
satellite-terrestrial
chipset
for
burgeoning
mass
market
cellular
devices,”
said
Drew
Caplan,
chief
network
officer
for
SkyTerra.
“It
opens
the
door
to
enable
advanced
generations
of
combined
satellite
and
cellular
devices
that
can
operate
on
virtually
all
digital
cellular
standards
globally,
at
low
incremental
cost.”
Dennis
Matheson,
chief
technology
officer
at
TerreStar
Networks,
added,
“The
combination
of
GMR1-3G
and
terrestrial
wireless
on a
single
SDR
platform,
coupled
with
our
existing
development
work,
will
enable
a
family
of
handsets
that
can
operate
throughout
North
America
on
our
planned
network.
The
added
flexibility
of
the
SDR
technology
will
permit
these
devices
to
operate
on
today's
standards,
while
ensuring
an
easy
upgrade
path
for
use
on
4G
networks.”
“Hughes
is
proud
to
be
associated
with
SkyTerra
and
TerreStar,
both
innovative
mobile
service
providers
, in
developing
the
software
for
this
integrated
cellular
phone
chipset,”
said
Graham
Avis,
vice
president
and
general
manager
of
mobile
satellite
terminals
for
Hughes.
“We
share
in
their
vision
to
deliver
universal
wireless
services
to
consumers
and
public
safety
markets
utilizing
the
best
of
satellite
and
cellular
technologies.”
