Cellular, VoIP Convergence Trials Set For Sweden

Ericsson said Wednesday that it and cellular operator TeliaSonera will conduct trials of technology that converges cellular and landline telephone technologies.

In particular, the companies said in a statement that they will test Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) technology. That technology aims at enabling seamless handoffs between cellular and wireless LAN systems. That, in turn, enables a single phone to be used for both cellular and wirelessVoIP calls.

In particular, the system, which TeliaSonera is calling Mobile@Home, is aimed at home users, the companies said.

"We believe that the UMA concept will be an important part of our future offerings since UMA combines the flexibility of mobile service with the higher data speeds of broadband and the convenience of one handset," Hakan Dahlstrom, TeliaSonera's vice president for networks and technology, said in a statement.

The companies did not say how long the trial would last or when the service would be offered widely to TeliaSonera's customers.Ericsson rival Nokia also has been conducting UMA tests.