Nokia has launched a public Unlicensed Mobile Access pilot over Wireless LAN in the city of Oulu, Finland. The trial, which is slated to last at least two months, tracks 50 families that have been supplied with Nokia 6136 mobile devices with UMA capabilities.
UMA technology makes it possible for users to seamlessly roam and handover between local area networks and wide area networks using the same dual-mode device. Instead of constantly communicating with a base station, UMA allows the phone to also make calls through WLAN internet networks. In turn, this will also make it easier and cheaper for operators to expand their area coverage by implementing WLAN hotspots instead of base stations.
The pilot project is a joint cooperation between Nokia, the DNA/Finnet group and the City of Oulu. The City of Oulu announced the Pan Oulu project last year which enables its citizens to receive free WLAN internet via hotspots around the city. http://www.nokia.com
