The 21st PHS MoU Group General Meeting in Zhuhai, China











By Mr. Jun Okada, NetIndex Inc.

The 21st PHS MoU Group General Meeting and Seminar were held in Zhuhai, China for a period from January 30 (Tue.) to February 01 (Thu.), 2007.


Date
Event & Activity
Presented by
January 30 (Tue.)
10:00 OWG and PWG meeting
OWG Chairperson Mr. H. Yoshida
PWG Vice Chairperson Mr. K. Akatsuka
11:00 TWG meeting
TWG Vice Chairperson Mr. T. Sato
14:00 BWG meeting
BWG Chairperson Mr. S. Sato
15:00 NWG meeting
NWG Chairperson Mr. H. Kawai
January 31 (Wed.)
9:30 General meeting
Chairperson Mr. N. Horisaki
Vice Chairperson Mr. M. Wakao
14:00 PHS technical seminar
  1.PHS and wireless in China
  2.PHS overview: The single-chip solution
  3.Growth of W-OAM
  4.Application of W-SIM: Now and Future

Mr. Yan Yuxin at BDA China
Mr. Mark Tian at Atheros
Mr. Fujisawa at Netindex
Mr. Fujii at WILLCOM
February 1 (Thu.)
10:00 Free discussion on PHS Mou
Roadmap and the evolution of PHS
    


OWG and PWG Meeting

OWG chairperson Mr. H. Yoshida presided the meeting based on following agenda.
  1. The activity report in the first half Year of 2006.
    1. No particular progress is made since no particular support request was received from a system vendor or a carrier.
    2. Inquiry on problem facing the operating network in Chile (30,000 PHS subscribers) and Honduras (100,000 PHS subscribers), where the market of PHS is expanding quickly, is carried out. Reply from Chile is received and we're dealing with their problems at present.

  2. The activity plan in the second half Year of 2006.
    1. Continuously looking into the possibility to communicate with and provide support to carriers in Central /South America.
    2. Similar inquiry process will be adopted to carriers and system operators in other countries/areas including Southeast Asia, where PHS market has potential to keep growing. Support will be provided according to their feedback and demand.


PWG Vice Chairperson Mr. K. Akatsuka presided the meeting based on following agenda.
  1. The acitivity report in the first half year of 2006.
    1. SWG2: Media Promotion: Newsletter
      We continued to hold SWG2 meetings monthly to edit articles of newsletters and renew the Website.
      We delivered the newsletters bimonthly. (Articles were placed on Website.)→ The latest issue: No. 65, and the current subscribers: approximately 1,700.
    2. SWG2: Media Promotion: Website Renewal
      We enriched the webpage for Next Generation PHS (in cooperation with NWG).

  2. The activity Plan in the Second Half Year of 2006.
    Since we could work on only the small part of activities planned in the beginning of 2006, we'll accelerate to proceed with the rest in the second half of 2006.
    1. SWG2: Media Promotion through Newsletter: To continue to issue newsletters and increase the number of its subscribers.
    2. SWG2: Media Promotion through Website: To enhance the promotion for Next Generation PHS.
    3. SWG3: Produce the fourth edition (English version) of PHS MoU Group Guidebook: To issue a revised edition including the development of PHS (Advanced PHS, Next Generation PHS) → Enhance the group activity by recruiting new members.
    4. Others Methods: To create a promotion video of the PHS development: To newly set up an ad-hoc SWG to create visual tools for appealing the future PHS development (Migration plan). → Distribute DVD, and publish it on the website.

TWG Meeting

TWG Vice Chairperson Mr. T. Sato presided the meeting based on following agenda
  1. The activity Report of the First Half Year of 2006
    1. TWG meeting was held on August 22 in Hanoi-Vietnam
      Ad-hoc 13 or Turbo PHS Ad-hoc approved a technical document as TI document, numbered TWG-102-02-TI and titled "Air Interface Specification Improvement For PHS MoU".
      Approval of the Internet browsing specification as TS in the general meeting, numbered E-BA1.00-01-TS and titled "Minimum Interoperable Browser User Agent Specification".
      A new ad-hoc was approved and established to discuss the air interface standards of PHS packet; the ad-hoc 14 was named as "Packet Data Extension".
    2. Technical document TWG-007-01-TI was updated to include the introductory explanation pages.
    3. TWG meeting was held on October 31 in Nanjing-China.
      Ad-hoc Group 14 or Packet Data Extension Ad-hoc reported the detailed specification of packet data. The report was discussed and approved as TI at the meeting.

  2. The activity Plan of the Second Half Year of 2006
    1. Meeting schedule of second half of year of 2006
      TWG in late Jan. in China:
      General Meeting in late Jan. in China.
      Other activities will be planned.
    2. Technical specifications:
      The research about request for existing TR/TS documents will be achieved.
      The research about request for new standardizing will be achieved.
      The Technical Road Map will be made by collaborating with other WGs.

  3. The Technical Roadmap

    4. TWG showed participated members the roadmap of PHS technology. And we discussed about The Technical Roadmap of PHS. This discussion concluded to continue last day in 1st Feb, 2007.
BWG Meeting

BWG Chairperson Mr. S. Sato preside the meeting based on following agenda.
  1. The activity Report of the First Half Year of 2006
    1. BWG Meeting was held during the General Meeting held in Vietnam on August 22 and 23.
    2. Discussion on how to push forward the process concretely was carried out based on the demand to standardize packet transmission. Standardization activity was started in hope to complete the specifications by the end of the year.
      BWG has taken charge of strategic promotion of the above-mentioned issue. A concrete introduction of PHS was conducted during the 2nd meeting of working group of Japan-India ICT Forum, which was held on September 7, 2006. Various application methods of PHS were introduced to related government organs and industrial parties.
    3. Discussion about strategies to spread packet transmission plan in China was carried out on BWG meeting held in Nanjing, China on November 1. There is no challenge presented concerning government policy issue.
      How to support the application of packet such as contents introduction, and how to solicit the merit of packet to the public is recognized as the key issue at present.
    4. Similarly, an agreement concerning the way to respond to the request of co-operation with DECT Forum was reached on Nanjing meeting from a PHS MoU Group point of view.
      Since the request presents no visible advantage to PHS MoU Group, the conclusion was made that a positive correspondence is not necessary.
    5. PHS outskirts information were collected and analyzed.
      It seems that Chinese first 3G license is to be issued by the 1st quarter of the year of 2007, although there're strong inclination that China could further postpone the issuance.
      WiMax in China is not discussed eagerly, due to the concentration of resources on 3G. But I am planning to carry out systematic comparison between WiMax and PHS in the coming BWG meeting, since it is expected that WiMax, as a competing technology to PHS, is to become a menace to us sooner or later.

  2. The activity Plan of the Second Half Year of 2006

    3. Supporting activities related to PHS are carried out by Business Working Group to spread and popularize PHS technology in the world.
    Enforcing necessary market investigation to further expand PHS overseas, in particular to expand packet transmission in China, and supporting MoU group activities by consolidate requests accordingly. Strengthening activity related to value-added services.
NWG Meeting

NWG Chairperson Mr. Kawai presided the meeting based on following agenda.
  1. The activity Report of the First Half Year of 2006.
    1. ITU Report
      NWG provided information concerning to Next Generation PHS for ITU-R WP8A conference in Geneva, September 2006.
      The BWA document including Next Generation PHS had been approved in WP8A as Draft New Recommendation (DNR) and passed through SG8 conference with slight amendments. BWA recommendation will be approved officially at around spring 2007.
    2. Sub Working Group 1 - Technical Standardization of Next Generation PHS:
      SWG1 Meeting was held for 6 times on October 6, October 20, November 2, November 17, December 1 and December 15 respectively.
      Review and Redesign to the specification of physical layer in TS Ver01 Rev01.
      Work-out the specification of physical layer for Rev02.
    3. Sub Working Group 2 - Field Trial Test on Next Generation PHS:
      SWG2 Meeting was held for 3 times on October 20, November 17 and December 15 respectively
      Confirmation for the purpose of activity
      Testing configuration and evaluation methods
    4. The second NWG Meeting was held in ZhuHai, China, January 30, 2007
      Report to NWG members from SWG

  2. The activity Plan of the Second Half Year of 2006.
    1. To hold NWG Meeting to upgrade Next Generation PHS Standard at the period of January 2006, April 2007, July 2007, October 2007. (4 times a year)
      The 4th NWG Meeting will be held in Japan, April 2007.
      Demonstration of Next Generation PHS filed trial with cooperation of Willcom.
    2. To perform field trial test of Next Generation PHS at the period of January to September 2007.
    3. To investigate and analyze other Broadband Wireless Access systems continuously.
    4. To input some information of Next Generation PHS to ITU-R WP8A for PDN Report "CHAR BWA", which is expected to become DN Report at Jun 2007 conference.
    5. To work out and insert documents of Next Generation PHS at the part of BWA in LMH (Land Mobile Handbook) of ITU-R WP8A.

  3. Arraycom re-introduced about OFDMA technology for being asked by Mr. Kawai
General Meeting

Opening:
General Meeting was started by PHS MoU Group secretariat Mr. Sugiura.
Mr. Sugiura introduced all participated the members of PHS MoU Group secretariat.
PHS MoU Group Chairperson Mr. Horisaki presided the meeting based on the following agenda:
  1. Address from Chairperson
    PHS MoU Group Chairperson Mr. Horisaki made a welcome speech.


  2. Silent Condolence for Mr. Nishio, the passed-away PWG Chairman.
    Mr. Nishio who had serviced PHS MoU Group as PWG chairman over 3 years passed away in August 25 last year.
    All of PHS MoU members prayed for his soul rest in heaven with silent condolence.


  3. Opening Speech
    A greeting letter from the absent PHS MoU Group Vice-Chairperson Dr. Sam Endy was read byby Mr. Mark Tian of Atheros on opening ceremony.



  4. Guest Speech
    Ms. Bai Mai (Chief engineer of Zhuhai branch, Guangdong Telecom) made a guest speech.
    Mr. Pat Chen (CTO of UTStarcom Inc. ) made a guest speech.


  5. Attendance
    63 participants (including 24 proxy voters) from China, Taiwan, U.S.A and Japan attended this time to obtain technical or business information and to promote good fellowship each other.


  6. Approval
    1. Approval of the agenda
      The agenda of the 21st PHS MoU Group General Meeting was approved.
    2. Approval of the minutes
      The minutes of the 20th PHS MoU Group General Meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam was approved.
    3. Approval and introduction of new members
      The following 6 companies were formally approved to become a member of the PHS MoU Group.
      (1) GCT Semiconductor, Inc.
      (2) MobileMAX Technology Inc.
      (3) Atheros Communications Inc.
      (4) Shanghai Wingtech Electronics Technology Co., Ltd.
      (5) Altel Co. Ltd.
      (6) Group Sense Limited.


  7. General Report
    1. FY2006 General Activity Report
      The statuses of general activity in FY2006 were reported.
    2. FY2006-2007 Financial Report
      The statuses of revenue and expense for a period from July 1, 2005 to December 31, 2006 were reported.


  8. Working Group Activity Report and Plan
    Activity result and plan of each WG were reported.
    1. Business WG Chairperson Mr. S. Sato reported the activity result and plan of BWG.
    2. Technical WG Vice Chairperson Mr. T. Sato reported the activity result and plan of TWG.
    3. Promotion WG Chairperson Mr. Akatsuka reported the activity result and plan of PWG.
    4. Optimization WG Chairperson Mr. Yoshida reported the activity result and plan of OWG.
    5. Next Generation PHS Ad-hoc WG Chairperson Mr. Kawai reported the activity result and plan of NWG.

  9. Status of ITU-R concerning BWA
    Mr. Kamimura,OWG Vice Chairperson reported the status of ITU-R concerning BWA.


  10. The election of PWG Chairperson
    Mr. Akatsuka was nominated and approved by all members as PWG Chairperson.
    Mr. Ochiai was nominated and approved by all members as PWG Vice Chairperson.
Free discussion on PHS Mou Roadmap and the evolution of PHS
Free discussion on PHS MoU Roadmap and the evolution of PHS was held among participated members on February 1st, 2007.