Nortel shows off new 2G/3G base station

Canadian equipment manufacturer Nortel Networks has unveiled a new high-capacity GSM/UMTS mobile base station which will lower 3G infrastructure costs and speed up rollouts. The company says its BTS18000 base transceiver station can handle up to 50% more voice and data subscribers per site than other similar dual-mode base stations. Nortel claims the BTS18000 will be especially useful in metropolitan areas, where its combined GSM and UMTS capabilities means operators can utilise the same antenna site for both technologies.