The wireless market is rapidly evolving and changing, but is it innovating fast enough? When this question was posed to Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDMA Development Group (CDG), he noted that the innovation in this space has been unparalleled in terms of smartphones, applications and wireless networks. When asked what one product or service was most needed in the market, LaForge believes it is the roaming hub concept. As for the effect of mobile ecosystems on mobile operators, LaForge noted the changes operators have to make with new demands in the market.

These questions were part of an interview TMC CEO Rich Tehrani (News - Alert) conducted with LaForge in anticipation of the upcoming ITEXPO West 2010. LaForge was asked about HD prevalence in the mobile market, to which he replied that this technology certainly has a place in the market. He also anticipates that mobile video chat or conferencing may become another popular app on mobile devices and YouTube (News - Alert) shows no signs of slowing down. As for the wireless operating system that will enjoy the most success, LaForge pointed to Android. When asked about the biggest challenge to a rapid rollout of LTE, LaForge pointed to the availability of spectrum.

In talking about the pressure the rapid adoption of the iPad and other tablets puts on networks to rollout 4G, LaForge believes the movement got a huge start with smartphones, but as tablets gain in popularity, the pressure will continue to intensify for better performance. Asked about net neutrality, LaForge highlighted that CDG believes it could have a negative effect on network operation and other aspects. As for the technology development with the greatest impact in 2011, LaForge pointed to the continued hybridization of wireless networks. At ITEXPO West, LaForge will host a Smart Wireless Workshop.

The full interview follows:

Is the wireless market innovating fast enough?

Over the past couple of years, we have seen unparalleled innovation in the wireless space.  

On the device side, you needn’t look any further than the explosive demand for smartphones to see that the entire mobile experience has improved dramatically.  Devices such as the Kindle, iPhone and Droid have shown consumers what 3G broadband networks can do in terms of mobile applications and services. 

With expansive online application stores, these devices sparked a new wave of innovation and are delivering on the promise of 3G.

The rapid rise of smartphone applications and features has resulted in increased signaling and network capacity constraints, which have also led to many wireless network innovations.  The radio network is being optimized and pushed closer to the mobile user in many different ways, such as femtocells, micro cells, Wi-Fi hotspots, etc. 

As a result, we’re developing smarter networks using a more intelligent network topology to keep up with the demand for wireless connectivity and services.

These evolutionary advancements to existing 3G CDMA networks will increase data download speeds, optimize network capacity and preserve circuit-switched voice services to serve both developed and developing markets well into the future. 

Developed markets are also looking at deploying a completely new technology innovation with LTE.  Wider-bandwidth 4G networks will drive new services and applications to take advantage of the increased spectral efficiency that LTE enables. 

What is the one product or service the wireless market is most in need of?

The CDG has always played a very active role in expanding international roaming on behalf of CDMA2000 operators, but there’s still a lot of ways to improve roaming.  One initiative we’re currently driving is the roaming hub concept, where bilateral operator roaming agreements are replaced with a single multilateral roaming agreement using a predetermined set of roaming criteria and pricing.  This “hub and spoke” concept simplifies and expedites the roaming agreement process and is already gaining interest in areas such as Eastern Europe and Africa, amongst both CDMA2000 and GSM operators.

How do mobile ecosystems consisting of devices and app stores, etc., impact mobile operators?

User behavior has changed quite a bit over the past three years as consumers have become accustomed to accessing thousands of popular applications from their 3G-enabled smartphones.  The increased use of multimedia, messaging, location-based services and social networking applications has been phenomenal.  What’s more dramatic is the impact that these applications have had on operator networks when the phones are in idle-mode (not actively being used by the owner).  Leading wireless companies have pegged this “signaling” impact on the network at being up to eight times that of a mobile data card.  As a result, operators have found it necessary to examine their core network architectures and optimize them for the substantial increase in signaling traffic.

The new usage behavior also has led to questions around pricing models.  In North America, where “all you can eat” models have been the norm, operators are now looking at new pricing structures based on usage, types of devices, etc., to maintain performance and sustain ARPUs.

How quickly will HD become prevalent in the mobile market? What impact will Orange’s early play have?

HD voice certainly has its place in the marketplace, but the improvement in voice quality comes at the expense of forfeiting network capacity.  I think that most operators at this point are more concerned with optimizing their existing 3G networks or deploying LTE to meet the demand for data. 

What are your thoughts on the viability of mobile video chat or conferencing?

Wireless network video conferencing has been available for nearly ten years.  Now that mobile video chat is coming to mobile handsets, we’ll see if that changes.  While a good portion of people may use it sparingly, over time, as the technology matures, it might grow to become yet another popular application on mobile devices.

How about mobile video entertainment such as YouTube, etc?The YouTube phenomenon is showing no signs of slowing down, and other mobile video sites, such as Hulu (News - Alert), have only increased its use and relevance.  More video content is being posted in mobile emails and social media applications, while Flash is being integrated into more mobile devices.  Mobile video entertainment appears to be on a continued path of growth.

Which wireless operating system will see the greatest success over the next three years?  Why?

The obvious up-and-comer is Android due to the extensive selection of suppliers and devices that use this new operating system.  It will likely continue taking market share from established operating systems such as Symbian, Blackberry and even iPhone.  Being open and technology-agnostic makes Android a very attractive option for manufacturers of both GSM and 3G CDMA handsets.  Plus, the ability to use the OS in tablets and other non-traditional connected devices, such as e-readers, only increases its value.  However, we clearly can’t count Apple (News - Alert) or RIM out, as we’re seeing continued innovation to preserve the appeal with their incredibly-loyal customers. 

What is the biggest challenge to a rapid rollout of LTE?

The biggest challenge facing LTE rollouts is the availability of spectrum, as LTE is optimized for larger amounts (such as 10 MHz or more) of clear and contiguous spectrum to deliver the performance that has been promised from the technology.  As with any new technology introduction, there will also be expected challenges with meeting deployment timeframes set out by vendors and operators.

How much pressure does the rapid adoption of the iPad and plans for tablets from other vendors put on wireless operators to build out their 4G networks?

Multimedia devices such as iPad and other tablets will increase the pressure that smartphones and other mobile computing devices have already been placing on 3G CDMA networks.  Smartphones are much more pervasive than tablets at this point, but as tablets grow in popularity they will obviously increase the pressure on operators for more capacity and better performance from both 3G and 4G wireless networks.

How does the continued growth in consumption of wireless data impact Net neutrality (News - Alert)?

The continued growth in wireless data usage only strengthens the CDG’s belief that the imposition of network neutrality or nondiscrimination regulations could have a negative effect on network operation, management, reliability, and security, and would thereby seriously compromise efforts to foster and promote innovation as well as investment.  Carriers should be able to employ reasonable network management techniques in order to maintain appropriate quality of service that consumers expect. 

What is the most exciting thing attendees will see at your booth?

The CDG will be hosting a Smart Wireless Workshop on Monday afternoon at the M2M Evolution Conference which will highlight some of the exciting M2M applications, connected devices and vertical markets that are taking advantage of 3G CDMA networks.  For more information, visit http://m2m.tmcnet.com/conference/west-10/w-10-smart-wireless-workshop.aspx.

What is the one technology development that will have the greatest impact in 2011?

The continued hybridization of wireless networks to include femtocells, pico cells, micro cells, remote radio heads, Wi-Fi (802.11n) and LTE will have the greatest impact in 2011, as operators seek to handle the ongoing rise in enterprise and consumer wireless data consumption.