Once a champion of a pure CDMA2000 world, wireless concern
QUALCOMM (Quote,
Company
Info) has been shifting its strategy of late.
The San Diego-based firm is preparing to conduct technology
trials with China Unicom to develop its hybrid CDMA (define)
version of GSM (define)
technology -- GSM1x.
GSM1x is QUALCOMM's CDMA2000 1X solution for GSM operators in any
band to combine the benefits of CDMA2000 1X and GSM-MAP. The
technology takes an existing GSM-MAP network, maintains all key
features and services with an overlay of CDMA2000 1X using a
SIM-enabled dual-mode GSM/CDMA handset, facilitating both GSM and
CDMA global roaming.
Using China Unicom's CDMA2000 1X wireless network, the companies
say the goal is to let China Unicom's GSM subscribers get access the
high-speed data services of and accelerate the commercial
availability of GSM/CDMA dual-mode handsets.
"This trial is a significant step in the progression to the next
generation of wireless services and demonstrates a cost and spectrum
efficient means of providing current GSM subscribers with the
benefits of CDMA2000 1X," QUALCOMM chairman and CEO Dr. Irwin Mark
Jacobs said in a statement.
The tests are building on QUALCOMM's combined
WCDMA and GSM trials in North America last year. The company has
been working
hard to keep its CDMA technology in the minds of handset
manufacturers and developers; an arduous task given GSM's prevalence
in Europe and now in Asia.
Currently, China Unicom is the second largest wireless service
provider in China with an installed base of over eight million CDMA
users and 60 million GSM users. The GSM1x trial will look at the
technical feasibility of GSM1x technology as an option that will let
China Unicom's existing GSM subscribers take advantage of enhanced
CDMA2000 1X services, while preserving the existing GSM service
layer and SIM-based subscription.
The GSM1x trial is being conducted in the city of Suzhou in the
Chinese province of Jiangsu and is scheduled to begin in the second
quarter of calendar year 2003.
The trial will be conducted in several stages. The initial stage
will demonstrate CDMA2000 1X data service with a GSM core network
and provide an environment to perform testing of dual-mode
GSM/CDMA2000 1X handsets. The following stage will have an expanded
scope, including various roaming scenarios between CDMA and GSM
networks.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
