Nokia-Siemens has just completed a call over a network technology called Circuit Switched over HSPA (CSoHSPA) that could potentially boost the capacity of existing HSPA networks and in turn pass on improved battery life to service subscribers. The core of this technique involves turning call information into data packets, effectively eliminating the need for a dedicated voice channel and allowing everything to run on data. With a simple software upgrade, networks would bestow up to 50% more talk time to their customers due to reduced battery use. Data is king in 4G technologies like WiMAX and LTE, but current networks still have this data/voice duality that are quickly becoming a relic. CSoHSPA is a pretty awesome development, and it could potentially extend the shelf life of 3G technology for just a little while longer before LTE comes trundling along.
[Nokia-Siemens via Engadget]