Nokia Siemens Networks and Qualcomm have conducted the industry’s first interoperability test of the new 3GPP standardized Release 8 Fast Dormancy feature. 
This new standard allows operators to take advantage of smart network features such as Cell_PCH without worrying that individual handset settings will ignore network controls. The test was conducted at Nokia Siemens Networks’ Smart Lab in Dallas using the company’s Flexi Multiradio Base Station and Radio Network Controller and Qualcomm’s QSC7230TM smartphone optimized chipset.
Fast dormancy capabilities are being developed to address network signaling overload issues. Because smartphones are often always-on”, the proprietary approach to preserving battery life has been for devices to rapidly disconnect from the network once information is sent or received. This is Fast Dormancy. The problem for operators is that the constant making and breaking of connections causes a huge increase in signaling traffic, which wastes network resources and can mean fewer smartphones are able to connect.
Nokia Siemens Networks said Cell_PCH solves this problem by putting phones into a battery-preserving idle state, but maintaining a connection identity on the network. Up until now using Cell_PCH in multivendor networks has been a challenge as no other vendor employs the standard technique, despite all smartphones having built-in Cell_PCH capability. This test shows how smartphones can act dynamically, exploiting Cell_PCH on Nokia Siemens Networks’ smart networks or adjusting to Fast Dormancy on other vendors’ traditional networks.
The test showed that operators with multivendor networks can benefit from Nokia Siemens Networks’ uniquely deployed Cell_PCH functionality that prolongs mobile device battery life and handles signaling up to 50% more efficiently. Nearly 100 operators worldwide have already deployed Nokia Siemens Networks’ Cell_PCH functionality.
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