About the strengths and future image of WiMAX, area etc. I tried thorough interview with President Nozaka of UQ Communications

High speed communication service adopting "Mobile WiMAX" with downlink maximum of 40 Mbps and uplink maximum of 10 Mbps "UQ WiMAXAbout 1 year and 4 months passed since commercial service began in July 2009, but as of November 2010 the number of base stations exceeded 11,000 stations, as well as being released from major manufacturers 70% of the mobile laptops that are in use have become WiMAX built-in personal computers, and we have achieved remarkable growth.

Also, receiving increased trafficDo not impose band restrictions on users as those introduced by each companyIn addition to realizing high-speed communication as well as large capacity communication, a new rate planBy UQ Flat Annual Passport, usage fee will be the lowest in the industryCurrent situation is that we are continually moving forward toward full-scale dissemination.

And this time, the president of UQ Communications which develops "UQ WiMAX", Mr. Akio Nosaka with the strength of "UQ WiMAX" and the future image to be aimed, the optical fiber introduced in the general household where the company is planning to develop It is overwhelmingly superior"WiMAX 2" realizing downlink 330 MbpsAnd cases of using WiMAX abroad, thorough interview on the relationship with LTE and an area of ​​concern.

Details are as below.
It was Mr. Atsuo Nosaka, President and Representative Director of UQ Communications Co., Ltd. who did the interview.


GIGAZINE (hereinafter, G):
What do you think is "strength" not found in other companies of UQ WiMAX?

Mr. Akio Nosaka (Nosaka):
First of all I think it is speed. If you are always the fastest than the rest of the company, you can achieve the fastest wireless broadband in Japan. I think this is very big.

The second thing is that it is "an international standard". For example, in order to use the Internet,ISP (provider)Even if you join us, you can not use it in the USA. But in the case of WiMAX, since the terminal side conforms to the international standard, "WORLD WiMAXYou can use it as it is in America like ".

In other words, when thinking that "ISP can be used anytime and anywhere", I think that "This is a terribly global work", is not it? As an advantage, "Wiring is unnecessary" and various things are said, but if you say bigHigh speedWhenInternationality. I think that it is not inconvenient to concentrate on those two points.

G:
Next-generation vending machine with WiMAXAnd"New Narita Express" by JR EastI am impressed that WiMAX is being adopted actively in infrastructure aspects such as adoption of WiMAX, but do you have any idea that "I want you to adopt WiMAX service in such a field"?

Nozaka:
Our idea is that,I would like to make WiMAX a social public infrastructureIt is what it is called. Why I say, it is meaningless to use only radio waves for UQ Communications (from the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications) that is really rare, just for a specific company. You need to maximize efficiency and use it. In that sense I really want to tie up with the public 'infrastructure of society' railways and roads to support the nervous system behind the back.

"Next-generation vending machine with built-in WiMAX". High-speed real-time by using high-speed line,We have realized marketing that we have never had before, and sales are three times higher than beforeHas been reached.


Nozaka:
There is a digital vending machine of JR East Japan Water Business as one example of "mobility" that can be a big point "It can communicate anytime and anywhere", "Real-time property due to high speed" also plays a very important role I will.

Every year at Seta river near Lake Biwa in Shiga prefectureBoat race between the University of Tokyo and Kyoto UniversityAlthough it is done, this time for the first time we put in 4 fixed cameras that did not relay the moment of goal until last year. One of them was loaded on a ship and live broadcasted by streaming using a WiMAX line. Then there was a story that the close battle continued with winning or losing, and he got a great impression in the last goal scene ......

I think you would like me to put WiMAX on those things. If WiMAX is connected to the camera and connected, WiFi can be transferred to a photo frame at a location far away from the shutter. As we go through it, we will be doing business like "Carrying WiMAX on ambulances" now being done in Taiwan.

Before reaching the hospital when calling at number 119, the doctor can see the state of the affected part and injury with the real-time video, so when we arrive at the hospital, we are already receiving the acceptance structure. "Easily connecting anywhere at high speed" I think that social life will change as you use it.


A power grid that can control and optimize the flow of power from both the supply side and the demand sidesmart gridAlthough attention is gaining attention, it is more important to control electric appliances in the home and control electric appliances ahead of it rather than what ampere flowed to the electricity grid itself, to reduce electricity consumption, etc. In order to do it "important that you are connected" like WiMAX is important.

Therefore, although it is seriously tough, I believe that we would like to raise labor productivity by further increasing publicity and economic development, and to spread WiMAX to fields such as education and medical care.

G:
Although we may upload a movie actually filmed with interviews, it is certainly sometimes felt that it is "fast."

Nozaka:
In the meantime, it was a story when I came together at one outside meeting, but I was surprised to tell the director of TV Asahi that "I'm using WiMAX in the sharp at the work place." Because the TV station already has a fine camera and wireless station. But it seems to be WiMAX when it is steep. I was happy (laugh)

G:
"WiMAX 2"ButITUBy "4G (4 th generation mobile phone)"It was officially elected as. Please tell us your feelings.

Nozaka:
I think that it was good because it is a default route in a sense. Actually "WiMAX 2" and "LTE Advanced"It became 4G and it was convinced to everyone who did not know what" WiMAX 2 "was. In the past it seems that there was a feeling that LTE's name recognition is above, but it seems that it became possible to think that "Oh, it is the same kind of thing".

I showed you at CEATEC JAPAN 2010So, "WiMAX 2" is about to come to the stage of actually setting technical standards and making certification standards, but LTE is about to begin. It is necessary to have rivals, and there is a place like competing with each other if there is competition. In that sense, if I say it briefly (both WiMAX 2 and LTE Advanced were selected as 4G) "It was good". However, I am thinking that it is a future from the meaning of truly global standards.

A state of demonstration of WiMAX 2. WiMAX is about 2 years ahead of LTE.


G:
The other day, the Taiwanese government decided to encourage the WiMAX industry by citing public and private sectorsHowever, what impact do you think is there for the spread of WiMAX on a global scale?

Nozaka:
Because Taiwan is already considering WiMAX as an initiator of economic development in Ma Ying-jeou regime. This will increase employment as well as a new type of industry. That is the possibility of broadband wireless access, is not it? Actually the Japanese government is saying the same thing. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications(PDF file)"Way of light" conceptIt is, but nowOptical fibernot only,BWA (broadband wireless access)I am including it.

Then it is also America. We announced the National Broadband Plan in March of this year, which is supposed to raise GDP (Gross Domestic Product) using 4G of "WiMAX 2" and "LTE Advanced". So what Taiwan says is big in the sense that it will be carried forward. Asia's economy is one-sidedly like "we have Japanese technology and parts and finally we assemble in China".

G:
It seems that many users want to use UQ WiMAX in the basement, but what kind of initiatives are you currently doing?

Nozaka:
From November 1st in underground shopping areas throughout the countryThe UQ WiMAX user is now offering an option plan "UQ Wi-Fi" that can be used free of chargeBut underground is difficult. The metropolitan subway can improve the area, but I think that the Tokyo Metro and the underground shopping district are still going ahead.

Originally, cellular phones have a wide coverage area and Wi - Fi is a technology that covers spots. And WiMAX is a technology that is said to be a cousin of Wi-Fi either, so from my theory I think that you can do a lot of things with Wi-Fi and WiMAX collaboration.

The Wi - Fi spot is limited now, but I plan to combine it well. Sometimes the customer says "I would like to use WiMAX on the ground, but I really want to use it on the subway" from time to time, but it is certainly inconvenient to go out to the ground from the basement and use it.


G:
The Yamanote line which is the aorta of Tokyo is on the ground, but the subway Midosuji line which is the aorta of Osaka is underground, there are severe parts.

Nozaka:
So, I am doing experiments on how to pass radio waves in Osaka subway etc. I would like to try it there.

G:
At 'CEATEC JAPAN 2010'We demonstrated "WiMAX 2" with maximum downlink 330 Mbps in the world for the first timeWill WiMAX 2 be installed in products such as communication cards, personal computers, mobile routers as before?

Nozaka:
That's right. Because it is only the problem of chipset capability. IEEE 802.16m "WiMAX 2" is also spreading like the old WiMAX terminal which simply adopted IEEE 802.16e, and when noticing, the base station also changes to WiMAX 2 ..., fade out and fade I am planning to make it look like an inn.

Overview of WiMAX 2 specifications. While the current WiMAX is 40 Mbps downstream and 10 Mbps upstream, WiMAX 2 achieves downlink maximum of 330 Mbps and uplink maximum of 112 Mbps.


G:
By the way, does WiMAX 2 have backward compatibility with WiMAX (that can accommodate traditional services on new service compatible terminals)?

Nozaka:
For backward compatibility, we are saying "backward compatibility". Even if the base station of WiMAX currently has a downlink maximum of 40 Mbps, even if a base station of WiMAX 2 is made in it, the conventional terminal has a downlink maximum of 40 Mbps and the WiMAX 2 compatible terminal has a maximum downlink of 330 Mbps You can connect. Conversely, even when WiMAX 2 compatible terminals are connected to the conventional WiMAX base stations, communication at downlink maximum of 40 Mbps is possible.

It was held for the press in OctoberUQ Communications SalonSlide released at. It is very convenient that communication area is not narrowed even if WiMAX 2 is started by having compatibility.


G:
That is, at the conventional WiMAX and WiMAX 2 base stationsHandoverEven if you do, is there no problem in particular?

Nozaka:
There is no problem there.

G:
In overseas, "HTC Evo 4G"Although 3G and WiMAX combining smartphones are appearing, are there plans to appear in Japan as well?

Nozaka:
Mr. KDDIHybrid terminal of CDMA 2000 and WiMAXIs not it out? Because this is a combination of "area au" and "speed WiMAX", I think that it is a matter of time that such things come out of reasoning. Sprint also released "HTC Evo 4 G", it has been tremendously hit.

However, while mobile phone companies are adopting a vertically integrated model of "to do all the terminals and contents by themselves", UQ Communications adopts MVNO (virtual mobile body It is an idea that each MVNO's role is to provide a device itself because it develops a model and an open horizontal business model.

Would you like to release something like "HTC Evo 4 G" right now? It is said that if we think that it is more meaningful for us to do as UQ, and MVNO's are thinking about various things, there is also the possibility of getting out of those places It means that it is deaf.

Personally, I think that the thing called "UQ original terminal" will do something like that in order to get UQ's goodness well known to the world or do it a bit. Clearly saying that I wanted to do Skype much more quickly, because the president Tanaka went to KDDI and gave it out with KDDI (laugh) it would have to issue more plus alpha.


G:
Data communication service that can use both KDDI line and UQ WiMAXHas been launched, but here I think that we adopted a type of terminal that automatically switches networks according to the situation. Do you plan to release terminals that can use not only 3G but also LTE etc. that KDDI is planning to deploy like this terminal?

Nozaka:
In an extreme story, you can switch between multiple linesCognitive terminalIs not there any?

In the world today it is a reality that everyone is struggling how to reduce the traffic by only 10 times for iPad and iPhone. As the number of subscribers increased and the terminal became more sophisticated and the communication became a large capacity, it is because wireless access is weakly thoroughly.

Then, there is already an age that "How to reduce traffic while using Wi-Fi, WiMAX, LTE, 3G all" is not it? In order to realize that, the terminal side should be smart. Judge that you are in what area you are now.


Nozaka:
"WiMAX" and "LTE" are often compared as standards to compete with, but that is not the case. Our goodness is that it is the MVNO model of WiMAX, so it can be used by NTT Communications and NTT East / West Japan for example. Just because KDDI invests separately can not say that "only KDDI is useless".

There are meanings that we have entered in the open model by open model around there. If you say a bit more, there is a mission that you need to raise the efficiency to the maximum beyond receiving radio waves. I think that it is there. Why is "WiMAX v. LTE" criticized so funny and funny?

G:
If there are two standards, it may be that there are places where they are inevitably conflicting.

Nozaka:
Is that the giant versus Hanshin? (Laugh) But if we do it, the other party has not yet come up to the ring. Even so, I think that there is a presence.

Internationally, attention is focused on which standard India adopts. In India, mobile phones are spreading to 500 million units, 600 million units, but the Internet is not the most popular. Broadband internet. If you do not do it now (Wireless Broadband), India's productivity will not rise. Wait for two years here? Personally I think, though.

Is not India a rather strong West side influence like NOKIA (promoting LTE)? On the contrary, WiMAX has Intel chips, Samsung base stations ...... That is, because it is a flow of Pacific countries as a matter of fact. That's why it looks like 'GO WEST' or 'GO EAST'. In that sense, India will be in the middle of the West and the East.

G:
Certainly, if the metal network is not in place properly, it will be faster if you have already developed a base station for mobile broadband.

Nozaka:
"BSNL" and "MTNL" in India, which are NTT East and NTT West in Japan, have already deployed WiMAX business for homes without fixed lines. So it is also a strange place for us how to make such noise.

Everyone is not simply gathered in one place, so if everyone else does not want to lose opportunities, we will aim both of them. Is it also called "the presence of things not existing?" I do not buy it because I think that "better buyers" will come out just like "buying back". I think that I always have to prove that it is not simply "gathered in one place".


G:
Please tell me if there is something like "UQ WiMAX's ideal ideal image".

Nozaka:
As I mentioned earlier, I said "Does the doubles as a small", because what you can move can naturally also serve as a fix, so it is essential to not only move but also fix it An ideal image.

The appearance of "home appliances" that often interlocked with networks has been mentioned for a long time, is not it? I have come so far without making a hit, but in the future I should be able to do something like saying "base station" to manage them. I think that it is the ultimate ideal type to carry WiMAX on such a thing.

G:
I see. That means you want to base the life itself as a complete social infrastructure.

Nozaka:
That's what it says "in every scene."We are communicating the merit of built-in WiMAX personal computer at events etc.However, once you use it, everyone will be able to use it more and more, but is still the situation that "WiMAX personal computer what?"

"I know until the phrase cat and UQWhat is it. Even when I made a lecture in October, when I talk about a computer with built-in WiMAX, everyone gets excited at a subsequent social gathering. "It's easy to use, is not it? However, the general public does not understand at all. SoWe had an event with everyone in the publicThat's why. After that I think that we have to make something like Skype type or TV phone, which everyone jumps once, popular.


Nozaka:
And another important point is "medical care". Intel's support to support people's health management through collaboration of various medical equipment and health management servicesContinuous Health AllianceOmron's elderly care business, but smartphones with WiMAX entering for the deaf have appeared, so I will sign the sign.

Until now, even though there was an application for videophone calls, frame dropping was awful, so it did not become sign language, but that is what we can do, we are also sponsoring such competitions. While doing, various things gradually become understood. "Oh, you can be pleased with this kind of thing" I feel.

G:
I had an example of an ambulance before, but I thought that was amazing.

Nozaka:
Scenes where scores of seconds, seconds are required. It is tremendously important for such a time.

G:
Whether or not you can transmit detailed images is also important, but what's most important is how to effectively utilize real-time performance and its large capacity.

Nozaka:
For example, I understand that "intestines are coming out" or something difficult to understand in the plane becomes 3D, but it will definitely be the way from now on. It is no doubt that "BWA (broadband wireless access)" is a key word for every country in the future.

Indeed, countries like Japan must do globally. So in that sense I do not have a hesitancy, but I think whether it is the penetration speed and the physical strength of the company. Sorry to be such a story suddenly, but that is the point. After all it depends on how much UQ fan or WiMAX fans will be increased.

G:
Base stations are laid aiming at 15,000 stations during FY 2010I think, but what is the current laying situation?

Nozaka:
I came up to 10,677 stations at the end of September, so I think that the base station will go smoothly. I think that I want to manage up to 15,000 at the end of the fiscal year. Previously, it seems that the negative image about the area was very strong, but recently, the opinion that "what kind of thing can we use until now" is out.

We are implementing "TRY WiMAX" which can be tried for free for 15 days, but I'm thinking that I can offer "Retry WiMAX" which people who failed trying at the beginning trial again. However, because there is a problem of personal information, I can not use information on those who stopped trying it once, so is there something good wisdom? I think.

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G:
I also often did not use WiMAX at the new product announcement venue etc at the beginning of service, but the place to connect recently has increased really.

Nozaka:
It was because it maintained it properly (laugh)

G:
When I tried WiMAX at a hotel that was not in the area, there was no internet connection away from the station, there was also something I was saved.

Nozaka:
There is such a moving moment. I also think that it is necessary to collect such experiences and to put out something. Just decide on some keywords and collect experiences along that. I hope to do that kind of thing properly this year. By all means, thank you for your continuous patronage.

G:
Thank you for today.

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