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Reliance Info eyes pre-paid users
SUMALI MOITRA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2004 05:54:58 PM ]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=612387
KOLKATA: Reliance Infocomm said on Monday it was aiming at a 50 per cent nationwide share of all new additions in the pre-paid segment in the GSM and CDMA arenas combined in the current financial year.
The firm, which launched its pre-paid service in early February, said it currently had a 30 per cent share of all new add-ons in the pre-paid arena countrywide. Company officials said the firm was adding four lakh pre-paid subscribers every month, with the rate of addition being the highest in West Bengal and Kolkata telecom circles.
The company said it had added 70,000 pre-paid customers to its subscriber base in West Bengal and Kolkata circles combined in the last two months. The firm has 4.5 lakh users — post-paid and pre-paid combined — in these two circles.
Reliance Infocomm head (marketing) Kaushik Roy said the firm hoped to meet its pre-paid target for 2004-05 by further lowering the entry barrier for availing its services and offering more value-added products to customers.
Reliance Mobile to promote films
April 12, 2004 18:38 IST
http://inhome.rediff.com/money/2004/apr/12ril.htm
Reliance Infocomm would enter into promotion of films, theatre and other entertainment events in a big way to give a fillip to its 'Showtime' sub-brand of RelianceIndia Mobile under the R-World platform.
Announcing this in Kolkata on Monday, Kaushik Roy, marketing head of Reliance Infocomm, said that with a subscriber base of 7 million across the country, R-World had already emerged as a major channel which could be used for entertainment purposes.
He said that unlike GSM operators, Reliance Infocomm, which uses CDMA technology for mobile telephony, was well poised to provide these kinds of value-added services to the subscribers.
Asked about the usage rate of R-World, Roy said that out of 7 million subscribers, 70 per cent were occasional users, adding that the balance 30 per cent were hardcore users of the service.
Roy said that R-World, which was a free service at the moment, might be charged depending upon the content which was to be provided by third parties.
Reliance Infocomm also announced tie-up with a Bengali film production house to promote Warish, slated for release on April 14.
About improving the video service on R-World, Roy said the company would shortly introduce E-Video.
He said that once E-Video was launched, the transmission quality on R-World would improve substantially.
Asked about the response of Reliance pre-paid, he said that the company was adding nearly 450,000 subscribers per month.
Roy said the company would also promote regional films, as well as English feature films through R-World.
About R-connect, Roy said that nearly 300,000 subscribers were using this service for Internet surfing.
R-World is based on Java and was being used for providing multi-media services
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A Standard Approved By 3GPP2
CDMA2000 Continues to Deliver Enhanced High-Speed Data Capabilities
http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/news_releases.mhtml?d=55613
COSTA MESA, Calif., April 12, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) reported today that CDMA2000(r) 1xEV-DO Revision A has been approved by the 3GPP2 Technical Specification Group (TSG-C). Revision A is optimized for packet data service, and supports peak data rates of 3.1 Mbps on the forward link and up to 1.8 Mbps on the reverse link. The high data rates on the reverse link and low data latency will enable operators to deliver rich multimedia services, such as video telephony, and will enhance user experience.
"CDMA2000 technology continues to evolve to provide unparalleled speed and efficiency," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "With CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A, carriers will be able to further differentiate their services through a broad range of new, innovative wireless data offerings. Today's announcement is yet another milestone for CDMA2000 and we are extremely pleased with the progress 3GPP2 and the CDMA industry is making in delivering advanced technologies to meet the evolving needs of wireless communications."
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Release A is an enhanced version of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Release 0, which delivers up to 2.4 Mbps data speeds and has been commercially deployed since 2002. There are nine CDMA2000 1xEV-DO commercial networks in Asia, North America and Latin America today, with four more scheduled to be deployed in 2004. CDMA2000 1xEV-DO already delivers the highest data rates in commercial networks (average data rates of 300-600 kbps) and supports advanced data applications such as MP3 transfers and video conferencing, TV broadcasts, video and audio downloads.
Demand for advanced CDMA2000 1xEV-DO services is growing rapidly; the number of users reached 4.38 million at the end of 2003. In Korea, SK Telecom's CDMA2000 1xEV-DO base represents 25 percent of its CDMA2000 users after less than two years of service. In January, Verizon Wireless announced the nationwide expansion of its CDMA2000 1xEV-DO network after the successful introduction of its CDMA2000 1xEV-DO services in the San Diego and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas in October last year.
CDMA2000 subscriber statistics and deployment information are available on the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org
About the CDG
The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA technologies. The more than 100 member companies of the CDG include many of the world's largest wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers. The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support. Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA-related matters. For more information about the CDG, please contact the CDG News Bureau at +1-714-540-1030, or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
CONTACT: CDG News Bureau
Ricca Silverio
(714) 540-1030
rsilverio@bockpr.com
Intel Unveils New Mobile Processors
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/tech/200404/kt2004041217492211780.htm
By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter
Intel Corporation will roll out next-generation processors and accelerators designed for wireless broadband access this quarter.
Intel Korea, the world's top chipmaker's affiliate here, on Monday unveiled the PXA27x family of processors and 2700G accelerators geared specifically toward mobile handheld equipment.
The two devices combine to provide cell phones or wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs) with enough computing power for seamless video conferencing for as long as one and a half hours and DVD-quality video playback.
In Korea, the high-end devices will be mostly incorporated into mobile PDAs as the chips for the nation's code division multiple access (CDMA) standard are mostly procured from the U.S.-based Qualcomm.
Such companies as LG Electronics and Pantech Group, however, plan to use the processors and accelerators for export items, especially for the Europe-dominant global system for mobile communications (GSM) phones.
On the strength of the PXA27x processors, which improve battery life significantly by saving power, people will be able to operate three-dimensional games and advanced video on the move through their mobile handsets.
The chips, which were formerly code-named ``Bulverde'', are also equipped with security features to offer such services as trusted boot or secure storage of private information.
The 2700G accelerators, which speed up the computing process, will materialize advanced video and graphic capabilities to enable full screen video at full frame rates without compromising battery life.
The PXA27x processor family is currently available in sample quantities with mass production slated for some time this quarter and priced at $32 in 10,000 unit quantities according to the company. The 2700G accelerators have a suggested price of $17 for 10,000 units.
voc200@koreatimes.co.kr
04-12-2004 17:51
BSNL Plans Expansion of Mobile Network
Monday, April 12, 2004
http://www.voicendata.com/content/vndtoday/104041202.asp
BSNL is planning an expansion of its cellular service network, informed SD Saxena, member of BSNL board and finance director. He added that the company planned to add about 25 million more lines to its existing mobile network. Nokia, Motorola, Alcatel, Nortel, and Ericsson have already submitted their bids to supply the equipment for this expansion.
According to him, the company which gets the contract would have to supply 11 million GSM lines worth Rs 5,000 crore. The company would float another tender for 14 million CDMA lines later this year.
He also mentioned of BSNL"s initiative to build an information highway under the National Internet Backbone Program. The "highway" would be completed in two years with an investment of around Rs 4,000 crore, he said.
CNS
Seoul allows subsidies for PDA phones
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2004/04/12/200404120016.asp
A new subsidy for mobile communication equipment is expected to go into effect as early as April 15, lowering the prices of personal digital assistant phones and W-CDMA multimedia handsets by 25 percent and 40 percent, respectively, according to government officials yesterday.
Under the financial assistance program designed to generate fresh demand for these markets, PDA phones with 2.7 inch and larger displays and W-CDMA third-generation devices will retail for 500,000 won to 600,000 won.
As Korea's tech-savvy customers are likely to opt for the PDA handsets under the subsidy, the market is expecting a boom.
Price competition between the combination mobile handsets/handheld personal computers and conventional cellular phones is likely, with some mass-market PDA phone models to be priced lower than high-end mobile phones.
More than two-thirds of mobile phone users said they would consider purchasing PDA phones if prices fall, according to a market survey last week. Market research firm IDC Korea estimated a 60 percent rise in sales to 392,000 PDA units this year in a separate survey.
However, analysts say the influence on the W-CDMA market will be limited since the U.S.-standard mobile service is expected to mature only by the end of the year.
Only about 1,100 W-CDMA cell phones have been registered since KTF and SK Telecom, the country's largest wireless carriers, launched the services last December. By comparison, the country's mainstream third-generation mobile platform, CDMA2000 1x EV-DO, has more than 5 million subscribers. There are about 30 million cell phone users in Korea.
KTF, the second-largest carrier that is witnessing rising subscriptions to its "Netspot Swing" wireless LAN service, welcomed the government's decision and is expected to provide the most generous assistance packages to new PDA phone users.
Rivals SK Telecom and LG Telecom showed a lukewarm response, worrying about massive subsidy costs of up to 200,000 won per PDA phone.
Domestic handset makers are gearing up to capitalize on the increasingly lucrative PDA phone market and are unveiling new models.
LG Electronics Inc., the nation's second-largest mobile phone maker, last week launched a 2.8-inch multimedia PDA phone, sporting a megapixel built-in camera and camcorder feature that allows users to record up to an hour of footage.
Samsung Electronics Inc., the nation's top electronics maker, plans to release a new PDA phone model by the end of June. But Samsung's 2.4-inch liquid crystal display model is not eligible for subsidy.
(smkim@heraldm.com)
By Kim Sung-mi
2004.04.12
Samsung to Cut Reliance on Qualcomm
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200404/kt2004040817221011910.htm
By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter
Samsung Electronics looks to be less dependent on Qualcomm in mobile handset production, a senior company official said on Thursday.
The electronics giant's president Lee Ki-tae, who is in charge of the telecommunications network sector, made the statement during a press meeting held at Samsung headquarters in Seoul, on Thursday.
The San Diego-headquartered Qualcomm holds almost all major patents for the code division multiple access (CDMA) standard and has raked in high royalty for the use of its technology.
``It is not proper to take issue with the contract conditions we sealed when we were a minnow player, based on our newly gained clout in the market. But we have something to check out (in the Qualcomm contract),'' Lee said.
Qualcomm came under fire here after the U.S. chip maker was known to have favored Chinese firms compared to Korean rivals through preferential contract terms and conditions.
Through its exclusive reports on March 27 and April 6, The Korea Times revealed Chinese firms have benefited from lower royalty rates _ 2.65 percent for local sales and as low as 5 percent for export _ as well as savoring better venue of Singapore with no up-front license fee.
In comparison, Qualcomm imposed lofty royalty charges _ 5.25 percent for domestic sales and 5.75 percent for export _ to Korean players with $5 million to $7 million prepaid lump-sum license fee and sole venue of San Diego court, the home turf of Qualcomm.
Lee said Samsung has yet to fix a specific roadmap regarding the CDMA patent negotiation, but the period will be after Qualcomm's patents for source technology phase out.
``When Qualcomm's basic patents expire, we will be able to re-negotiate with Qualcomm regarding CDMA royalty on the back of our own improved patents,'' Lee said.
It will be around 2007 when Qualcomm's most basic CDMA patents will expire as those rights were registered in the early 1990's and the patent period is 17 years, according to Hwang Tae-kyung, an official from the Information and Telecommunications Intellectual Property Association, the institute for Korea's cell phone makers.
Regarding the recent concerns over the inundation of foreign-made cell phone parts, Lee flatly downplayed it as just a rumor, saying ``Samsung procures more than 70 percent of locally-manufactured parts in handset production.''
Lee also predicted the personal digital assistant phone will be one of the most common mainstream gadgets in the market, although the exact schedule is hard to forecast.
``We will set forth further effort to develop competitive PDA phones. Eventually, PDA phone will carve out around 25 percent of handset market. I expect most office workers will snap up the gear,'' Lee said.
Nokia Signs USD24 Million GSM/GPRS Expansion Deal with IDEA Cellular; IDEA Selects Nokia as Sole Supplier for GPRS Network
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Apr/1029803.htm
HELSINKI, Finland --(Business Wire)-- April 8, 2004 -- Nokia and IDEA Cellular Limited (IDEA) have signed a USD24 million agreement for the supply of Nokia GSM/GPRS network equipment and multimedia services nationwide in India. With this deal, Nokia becomes the sole supplier of IDEA's GPRS network.
Deliveries have begun and the project is scheduled for completion before the end of 2004.
We appreciate Nokia's deep understanding of the business and its approach in providing flexible solutions. Nokia's global leadership in GSM/GPRS and its proven technology roadmaps put IDEA at the forefront of providing high quality and innovative mobile services to our customers, says Mr. Vikram Mehmi, CEO, IDEA Cellular Limited.
IDEA now operates in the 11 circles across India. Nokia will expand IDEA's GSM network for the Delhi and Andhra Pradesh circles, while extending the present GPRS core of Delhi to four circles - Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Nokia has been working with IDEA since 1996, providing turnkey services for the operator's GSM infrastructure over this period.
We are happy that IDEA has selected Nokia as the sole supplier of their GPRS network. Through this agreement, IDEA's data network capability will be enhanced to handle the expected growth in data services whilst ensuring a smooth and efficient GSM evolution path, says Mr. Ashish Chowdhary, Country Head, India & South Asia, Nokia Networks, Asia Pacific.
Together with Nokia, IDEA is well-positioned to provide high-quality mobile services to its fast expanding customer base as the Indian mobile industry grows at unprecedented rates, adds Mr. Chowdhary.
Under the GSM/GPRS expansion deal, Nokia will supply the complete range of Nokia GSM/GPRS equipment such as Base Station Subsystems, Switching SubSystems, GPRS Core Network, Short Message Service System, Multimedia Messaging center expansion and Nokia download solution. They will also provide the Nokia Connect Site base station, which is part of the Nokia Connect GSM solution for new growth markets. Nokia is also providing an extensive set of services including IP planning support, network element installation & commissioning well as maintenance services.
About IDEA Cellular
IDEA is a leading cellular operator in the country, with a subscriber base of over 3.3 million across the country. With the acquisition of Escotel, IDEA Cellular has enhanced its footprint to cover around 60% of India's population and over 65% of the potential telecom-market. IDEA now has presence in 11 circles across the country. A few days back IDEA-Maharashtra became the first ever circle in the country to hit One Million subscriber mark.
IDEA was the first and only company to bring the concept of Cellular Jockey and offer Music Messaging to all its subscribers. IDEA also launched Global SMS for the first time in the country, which allows the users to send and receive SMS from over 540 networks and 170 countries across the technology platforms like GSM, CDMA, TDMA and Satellite Phones.
IDEA Cellular Ltd. is a three-way-equal joint venture between Tata, Birla & AT&T, with its headquarters in Pune. Its recent financial closure with a project cost of Rs. 5,000 crore was the largest ever in the Indian telecom history. IDEA has the distinction of being the first company to demonstrate next generation EDGE technology (a 3G technology) for its Delhi circle recently
About Nokia
A market leader in the cellular industry in Asia Pacific, Nokia provides innovative, industry leading and market-relevant technology and products to around 20 diverse markets in the region.
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia is dedicated to enhancing people's lives and productivity by providing easy-to-use and secure products like mobile phones, and solutions for imaging, games, media, mobile network operators and businesses. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on five major exchanges.
Notes to Editor
The Nokia Connect GSM Solution is an integrated solution that combines optimized network infrastructure, network management systems and operator services. Combined with Nokia entry-level terminals, the Nokia Connect GSM Solution allows operators to realize savings in CAPEX and OPEX and offer handsets and services tailored precisely for entry-level mobile phone customers.
Significant savings can be achieved through use of Nokia ConnectSite 10 and Nokia ConnectSite 100 base stations, which utilize a shelter-less installation concept. Shelter-less means that the base stations are located close to the antenna masts, avoiding costly on-ground installations.
The solution consists of reliable and robust network elements:
-- Complete site solutions based on shelter-less Nokia ConnectSite 10 and Nokia ConnectSite 100 base stations, including auxiliaries, transmission and site services. Shelter-less means that the base stations are located close to the antenna masts, avoiding costly on-ground installations.
-- Nokia Connect Base Station Controller for expandable capacities and enhanced functionality.
-- The scalable Nokia GSM core network, including MSC, HLR and the INAP-based Nokia Connect Prepaid service.
-- A centralized Nokia Connect Network Management System for reduced need for site visits.
Vodafone K.K. Unveils V401T With High-quality TV Screen; New Handset Can Record Up to 12 Minutes of TV programming
http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=7049
Tokyo, Japan, Apr 7, 2004 - (JCN Newswire) - Vodafone K.K. announced today after late April it will offer the V401T by Toshiba, a new handset that features a built-in analog TV tuner. The V401T represents Vodafone K.K.'s second analog TV tuner handset after the V601N by NEC was launched in December 2003.
With the V401T, customers can enjoy television broadcasts on a high-quality QVGA (320 x 240 pixel) screen. They can also record up to approximately 12 minutes of TV programming with the recording function and save still images with a capture function.
In addition, to prevent overuse, Limit Mode allows customers to set rules of usage for the V401T, such as limits on when the handset is used, restrictions on the amount of voice calls and mails to designated parties, and caps on call times and the number of mails sent.
Main Features of the V401 (Manufactured by Toshiba)
- Built-in analog TV tuner
The V401T features an analog TV tuner that makes it easy to view TV shows while on the move. Simple operations allow customers to turn the TV on and alternate between vertical and horizontal views with just the touch of a button. In addition, users can enjoy watching TV without worry as the V401T can confirm received calls or e-mails quickly while it is in TV mode. To prevent disturbing those nearby, the V401T comes bundled with a stereo earphone/microphone*1 with attached TV antenna that allows one to listen to TV audio even while the handset is closed. In addition, one can also listen to FM radio*2 broadcasts with the analog TV tuner.
*1: TV and FM radio audio is monaural.
*2: FM radio subject to noise based on usage environment.
- Large-size 2.2-inch QVGA Super Fine Poly-silicon LCD for comfortable TV viewing
The V401T's main display features a large-size 2.2.-inch QVGA Super Fine Poly-silicon LCD. Customers can enjoy TV visuals on the high-quality screen capable of displaying at a rate of approximately 30 frames per second, making for smooth TV viewing enjoyment.
* TV reception varies on strength of signal and in some cases TV visuals or audio may encounter static or not be
received.
- Recording and capture functions for saving memorable scenes from TV shows
The V401T comes with a recording function capable of recording a maximum of approximately 12 minutes of TV programming, making it possible to enjoy repeated viewings of memorable scenes. In addition, one can save a maximum of 9 TV still images by using the capture function.
*Images recorded with capture mode cannot be set as wallpaper or sent as mail attachments.
- Limit Mode to prevent overuse
Limit Mode allows customers to set rules of usage for their V401T. With "limit access" one can set restrictions on phone, mail and web usage and with "limit time" usage times can be set. "Limit usage" allows one to cap call times and the number of mails sent. One can also restrict TV and FM radio use with "limit time".
About Vodafone K.K.
Vodafone K.K., formerly J-PHONE Co., Ltd., is a leading mobile operator in Japan with over 14 million customers and a subsidiary of Vodafone Group Plc, the world's largest mobile community. The Tokyo-based company offers a wide range of sophisticated mobile voice and data services including Vodafone live!, which provides e-mail and internet access to 86% of its customers, and Sha-mail, the pioneering picture messaging service first introduced in November 2000 that now has over 11 million users. In December 2002, Vodafone K.K. launched Vodafone Global Standard, the world's first commercial 3G W-CDMA service based on 3GPP international standards. Vodafone Global Standard offers its customers fast data speeds in Japan and roaming on 122 networks in 85 countries and regions as of March 12, 2004. For further information, please visit the Vodafone K.K. home page at: www.vodafone.jp/scripts/english/top.jsp
Contact:
Matthew Nicholson
Vodafone K.K. Public Relations
Tel: 03-6403-1000 (+81-3-6403-1000)
Email: matthew.nicholson@vodafone.com
Vodafone K.K. Reaches Milestone of 15 Million Subscribers; Movie Sha-mail Subscribers Surpass 3 Million
http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=7047
Tokyo, Japan, Apr 7, 2004 - (JCN Newswire) - Vodafone K.K. announced today that it had over 15 million subscribers atthe end of March 2004. The achievement comes 10 years after offering services in April 1994(formerly as Tokyo Digital Phone Co., Ltd.) and represents an increase of 5 million subscribers approximately 2 years and 11 months after reaching the 10 million mark in April 2001.
In addition, at the end of March 2004 Vodafone K.K. had over 3 million subscribers with handsets compatible with Movie Sha-mail, a video messaging service that enables customers to send and receive video clip attachments of up to 10 seconds*1. The milestone was reached after surpassing the 2 million mark in June 2003, representing a 1 million increase in approximately 9 months. The achievement also comes 2 years after the Movie Sha-mail service launch in March 2002.
Vodafone K.K.'s subscriber growth is attributable to the following:
- Vodafone live! mobile internet service and its rich content offerings
- Spread of Sha-mail and Movie Sha-mail communication services that use camera phones
- Wide choice of discount services like Vodafone Happy Bonus and Family Discount, which offer savings on monthly charges, and 8 price plans that offer free call allowances
- 3G service based on 3GPP*2 compatible W-CDMA and international roaming that covers
approximately 98% of overseas destinations originating from Japan
- A sales and after-service network of approximately 1900 Vodafone shops nationwide
- Spread of the Vodafone brand in Japan.
With its "passion for customers", Vodafone K.K. will continue to work on products and services to offer enriched communications.
*1 When using PDC Movie Sha-mail handsets capable of up to 30KB file attachments such as the V6 series and J-SH53. Other Movie Sha-mail handsets are capable of sending video clip attachments of a maximum 5 seconds with audio.
*2 3rd Generation Partnership Project: Project group involved in setting specifications for IMT-2000 Third Generation Mobile Communications System.
About Vodafone K.K.
Vodafone K.K., formerly J-PHONE Co., Ltd., is a leading mobile operator in Japan with over 14 million customers and a subsidiary of Vodafone Group Plc, the world's largest mobile community. The Tokyo-based company offers a wide range of sophisticated mobile voice and data services including Vodafone live!, which provides e-mail and internet access to 86% of its customers, and Sha-mail, the pioneering picture messaging service first introduced in November 2000 that now has over 11 million users. In December 2002, Vodafone K.K. launched Vodafone Global Standard, the world's first commercial 3G W-CDMA service based on 3GPP international standards. Vodafone Global Standard offers its customers fast data speeds in Japan and roaming on 122 networks in 85 countries and regions as of March 12, 2004. For further information, please visit the Vodafone K.K. home page at: www.vodafone.jp/scripts/english/top.jsp
Contact:
Matthew Nicholson
Vodafone K.K. Public Relations
Tel: 03-6403-1000 (+81-3-6403-1000)
Email: matthew.nicholson@vodafone.com
"Mobile penetration (CDMA and GSM) is growing too and soon will overtake fixed line connections and with the adoption of a single telecom license for all services, India has anyhow cleared the last major hurdle holding back growth in the telecom sector. So the sky is the limit," said Nayak.
By HETAL ADESARA
http://www.indiantelevision.com/special/y2k4/sms_elections.htm
(Posted on 7 April 2004)
"This is Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Five years ago you gave me a chance to serve you. In these years, our country has come a long way... But there are still a lot of things to do. A new age has to be found in India - an age where there is no poverty, no unemployment... Let's get together and realise our dreams."
That was the prime minister's speech, not spoken on a podium in front of a crowd... but into the ears of many a mobile phone subscriber.
A lot of brouhaha has already been created around the kind of monies that the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has been spending on this political ad campaign. Innovation is the buzz word here and politicians are clear about their agenda - to get maximum eyeballs, or in this case, votes!
What it does bring out load and clear is just how ubiquitous the mobile has become as an effective tool to get the message across. And while it was the direct call that was used to get the prime Minister's message across the communications tool of choice for most marketers when we talk mobile is the short message service (SMS) technology. Contests, downloads, information, trivia... all at the press of a button. Mobile phones are becoming ever more pervasive as technology gets cheaper by the day!
And there is plenty of that going around as regards the upcoming general elections. Politicians and various news channels alike are using SMS to seek and influence viewers' opinions.
Reliance's Mukesh Ambani's mobile agenda
Among the oplitical parties, the BJP has left its rivals way, way behind in terns of techno-savvy media management. The BJP's e-campaign has stormed into millions of Indian homes using the country's vast telecom network, e-mail, mobile phones and even spots on popular TV channels. BJP call centers have been set up and details collected of the 72 million phone connections in the country (46 million fixed lines and 26 million mobile phones). The party has been using the Reliance and BPL subscriber base to play a message by the PM seeking votes over the phone. The e-campaign also would allow voters with mobile phones to download ring tones of BJP's anthem and photographs of Vajpayee.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Bharat Uday (India Shining) Yatra
While Reliance's database is being used by BJP to send out messages from the PM, Reliance officials were apprehensive to talk about a "sensitive issue like this" and refrained from offering a viewpoint when contacted by indiantelevision.com. Recently a PIL was filed against the Ambanis' owned company on the grounds that using a personal and private facility as public media by a political party was equal to unwanted infringement on the privacy of their communication apparatus. A visibly disgruntled Reliance subscriber Anand Jaisingh said, "I have been getting five calls a day since the last three days with Vajpayee's messages on my Reliance phone. It's ok once or twice but five to six calls in a day is atrocious and it's quite irritating listening to the PM's long message." These calls can be traced to a Delhi based landline number and are likely to be coming from the BJP call centers.
The Congress on the other hand, has identified 48 media centers, both urban and rural, from where viewpoints on radio, television, print, Internet and other media would be disseminated. SMS and telephone calls would also play an important role, where the Congress would use a variety of leaders including some from the senior team like Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjea. But unlike the BJP, the Congress would be using this medium respecting the privacy of an individual.
Say Tata to politics
Tata Teleservices however, has refrained from sending out SMS messages on behalf of any political party. The company's president Amit Bose said, "However, we believe that our customers have the right to information and during the elections we will facilitate election related queries through SMS service. The regular rate of two rupees per SMS for information will apply."
Hutchison Telecom's vice president - corporate marketing Harit Nagpal takes a far stronger stand on the matter. "We believe that unsolicited communication including SMS invade the privacy of our users and is tantamount to spamming. We do not have tie-ups with any corporate or political bodies for sending bulk messages to our subscribers and do not intend to do so for any consideration," Nagpal states.
The PM's phone calls have also been doing their rounds on the BPL Mobile subscribers base. The calls like in the case of Reliance have been coming from a Delhi landline number. BPL Mobile officials too, refused comment on record. While the telecom companies may not be directly involved in doing PR for the PM, nevertheless their services are being used and the BJP's purpose is being served.
To sum it up, political telemarketing with maximum use of technology and minimum manpower has been at its peak in elections 2004.
News channels onto SMSing in a big way
News channels are also using the SMS service to keep viewers abreast with the latest happenings. Almost all news channels - NDTV, Star News, Aaj Tak, Sahara and Zee News are using the interactive medium for various polls, contests, trivia et al. NDTV has a wireless service - SMS 6388, on its website and a whole range of activities are being planned on that for the elections informs NDTV Media chief executive Raj Nayak. "The idea is to provide the user easy access to the latest results, news and other relevant information and what better way of doing it than receiving it as an SMS from a television channel like NDTV, reputed for its in depth election coverage," says Nayak.
NDTV on an SMS spree with 6388
NDTV uses Lifetree ASP (Application Service Provider) to run the SMS service and the responses to these activities have been phenomenal, Nayak says. "There has been an amazing interest that mobile phone users have shown in all the interactive services offered on 6388. Be it sending feedback on our channels or accessing the latest scores or news on 6388." The idea behind SMS service is to provide instant access to the latest news. With NDTV's tie-ups with all the telecom operators, this unobtrusive news-on-demand service can be accessed at any point of time from anywhere in the country. So as people get more and more techno savvy, a whole lot of activities can be expected from telecom companies, general entertainment and news channels alike.
Zee News: What's your political agenda?
Zee News is keeping its SMS plans for the polls under wraps for the present. "For the elections, we haven't come out with anything definitive till now. Though an initiative is in the offing, we cannot talk about it at present," said Zee News editor Alka Saxena.
SMS savvy Star News
Star News also has a SMS service Star 7827 wherein a comprehensive SMS contest, logo and ringtones downloads, trivia, poll etc is already being done through its website for the Indo-Pak ODIs. As far as the elections are concerned Star News' brand manager Keertan Adyanthaya said, "We are planning a series of polls using the medium of SMS on Star News during the elections. We used SMS polls during the State Elections in November. The polls will focus on current topics and will give people an opportunity to let their opinion be heard instantly." The recent cricket contest which got approximately 30,000 responses has led Star News to come back with similar activity for the General Elections.
Says Adyanthaya, "We are expecting a whole lot of excitement around the elections and have a wide range of programming which is centered around our property – Kaun Banega Pradhan Mantri. The SMS polls will be used largely to support the same."
SMS... easy access to news, anywhere, anytime
For many news channels (unlike Dr Prannoy Roy's NDTV) this will be the first time they will be covering the general elections and no doubt it will be the most important event of this year, both in terms of their individual futures as well as getting increased viewer interest in their channels.
Says TV Today Network manager (marketing) Rajesh Sheshadri, "In light of the elections, we have planned a series of programs and segments for capturing the elections in their entirety. Most of the offerings will provide viewers with the opportunity to participate and opinionate on the elections. Some of this may be in the form of contests while others may involve eliciting viewer opinions, feedback and comments as part the content."
For the India - Pak ODIs, Aaj Tak and Coca Cola had partnered to set up a prediction-based contest wherein viewers had to predict results or match related outcomes. Winners of the contest received prizes sponsored by Coca- Cola. Other notable tie ups that the channel has done are the ones with Electrolux for the ICC World Cup and Reebok for Sachin Tendulkar's birthday. "These contests have elicited tremendous a response from viewers. The World Cup contest alone saw more than a million responses within a month. A testimony to the success and popularity of contests as a whole are the nearly 10 million responses we have received from our viewers within a short period of 10 to 11 months. For the elections, there are various paid brand sponsorships of election programming. Apart from that, we may have other forms of marketing tie-ups and these discussions are still on in this regard," says Sheshadri.
Mobile users across the country can also express their opinion on various critical issues affecting the country as well as access news on the go by sending an SMS to Aaj Tak on 2424 from their mobile phones. Also Airtel subscribers nationally can receive Aaj Tak news alerts on payment of a nominal fee of Rs 30 a month. Reliance subscribers, maenwhile, can view live Aaj Tak news on their handsets. The charges are as per the rates levied by the various mobile service providers and no extra charges levied on these SMSes. Its technology at its best!
The moot objective of all news channels seems to be to move from a unilateral dissemination of news to a more interactive format that allows viewers to be more involved thereby participating in the entire process as opposed to being mere spectators.
"The rapid growth in the telecom industry has tremendously increased the base of mobile users in the country, and it is no longer an elitist gadget as it used to be a couple of years back. The current mobile users base in the country is 31.4 million and the same is growing at an extremely fast pace and our aim is to target this base through our initiative," says Sheshadri.
In the news channels' race the four channels of the Sahara Parivar are definitely not left behind. Sahara Samay Rashtriya's Arup Ghosh said that the issue polls prepared by DRS Polls are already on air and the prediction polls will start on the channel from 10 April, opinion polls on Muslim factor and daily polls from 15 April and Sahara will wind up with the Exit Poll on the day of counting.
The SMS services technology is being outsourced by Sahara Samay Rashtriya. Said Ghosh, "It is not only an SMS service alone. Our polls are different as our own people along with DRS people will be going out and getting the answers."
Sahara Samay's (regional) head Prabhat Dabral said, "We have a contest in which we ask viewers to respond to questions related to the elections. The first correct answer gets a cash prize."
SMS is only one of the various media (and a cost effective one too) that is being used by news channels to stay connected to their viewers. More often than not, the only cost that a channel has to incur is to create the contest and put it on air. With the penetration and growth rate of wireless telephony far outstripping that of any other form of communication, a lot of synergy between this medium of communication and news channels can be expected in the near future.
SMS news for people on the move
As far as the target group for SMS related activities such as NDTV's 6388, Aaj Tak's 2424 and Star News' 7827 are concerned; by virtue of the medium being used to send out information or interact; it is for people who are on the move and want instant access to updates, be it cricket scores, stocks or election updates. With mobiles no longer remaining a luxury item, SMS related activities are a part of the regular mobile subscriber's life.
Mobile technology has completely revolutionised how information is accessed, handled and viewed in our society. At some level, the quantum and quality of impact of this technology on the world, is as fundamental as the coming of the Internet. The time is not far when the mobile will be a one stop medium that will give people access to everything that they want. "Mobile penetration (CDMA and GSM) is growing too and soon will overtake fixed line connections and with the adoption of a single telecom license for all services, India has anyhow cleared the last major hurdle holding back growth in the telecom sector. So the sky is the limit," said Nayak.
(Additional inputs by Anjan Mitra)
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Nokia Issues Q1 Warning On New-Phone Disconnect
BY MIKE ANGELL
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
http://www.investors.com/editorial/general.asp?v=4/7
Finland's Nokia, the world's largest cell phone maker, surprised analysts Tuesday by warning that first-quarter sales would miss estimates.
The news sent Nokia (NOK) shares tumbling 19% to a three-month low of 17.21, just a month after it hit a two-year high above 23.
But analysts remained bullish on the wireless field, and even on Nokia. IBD's 61-stock Telecom Equipment group, in which Nokia is by far the largest company, rose a fraction.
The company, however, conceded it lost market share as some of its higher-priced devices failed to take off.
"The mobile phone market is volatile, and there's always shifts in share," said American Technology Research analyst Albert Lin. "Investors got excited last year when it looked like Nokia was taking market share. Now, they react in the opposite direction when it looks like Nokia's losing market share."
Lin, though, noted that Nokia's market share remains twice that of No. 2 Motorola, (MOT) roughly 35% vs. 16%. He said he's not worried about Nokia long term, "but it's getting tougher for them because other tier-one players are getting stronger."
Multimedia Products Lagged
Nokia and rivals have ridden a wave of industry optimism as cell phone sales have risen since mid-2003. Early this month, the 3GSM, CeBit and CTIA trade shows presented their most upbeat outlooks since 2000.
Nokia said first-quarter sales would be $8 billion, down 2% from the year-ago quarter and $400 million shy of its earlier forecast.
The company said it will earn 21 cents a share, in line with its earlier estimate of 21 to 23 cents.
Nokia said phone sales were weaker than expected overall. It said the same of its new multimedia business. This covers hybrid products like the phone/video game player N-Gage. Nokia said its other main business, network gear, did better than expected.
Nokia said Europe and Asia bought fewer of its phones than expected, especially of the pricier models.
And it said in the U.S. and Europe it lost sales to rivals that had more phones in the $100-$300 price range that consumers favored.
"While our product portfolio in the first quarter was not at its strongest," said Chief Executive Jorma Ollila in a statement, "we believe that during the year we will see improvement as we bring new products to market."
'An Inflection Point'
Nokia said cell phone shipments overall rose 25% in the quarter to 125 million. But it said its shipments rose only 19% to 44.7 million. It had expected 47 million.
Analysts said the also-rans are stronger than ever.
"You'll never see Nokia dominate like they did in the late-'90s," said Tom Carpenter, an analyst with Hilliard Lyons. "It's a real inflection point. The competition is so magnified."
Motorola recently released its first camera phone. It's being sold by Cingular and AT&T Wireless. (AWE) Carpenter said the Motorola phone appears to be selling well.
In Europe, where Nokia has its biggest market share, Germany's Siemens AG (SI) is working to revive its cell phone business. Carpenter said Siemens is sacrificing profit margin in order to take market share from Nokia.
And Asia's Samsung, Sharp (Sharp) and NEC (NEC) are doing better in Europe, Carpenter said. Samsung, which mostly makes phones for the CDMA standard popular in the U.S., now is making more phones for Europe's dominant GSM standard. NEC and Sharp are making phones for the newer 3G networks now common in Europe.
Why are they gaining share? Carpenter said it comes down to style and technology.
With some variations, Nokia uses a fairly common candy-bar design, he says. Customers, he said, want to upgrade to something different.
"Nokia's lineup has grown stale," Carpenter said. "Their camera phones aren't as sleek as Samsung's. Nokia's lineup looks the same as it did five years ago."
Carpenter said Nokia also ignored the CDMA market too long. CDMA is used by about 200 million people vs. the billion or so who use GSM phones. But CDMA is growing faster, and CDMA phones sell at higher prices.
Nokia is counterattacking. It recently introduced a new CDMA phone with its first flip-open design in five years.
Analyst Lin said it's hard for any cell phone maker to consistently come out with new phones at the right time.
"It takes three years to recoup an investment in a new model," Lin said. "Some models today may pay off in higher sales and higher margins in years to come. But it's hard to say what will happen in the short term."
Makers seek local handset standards
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-04/06/content_1403138.htm
www.chinaview.cn 2004-04-06 10:39:00
BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Mobile Manufacturers Forum, whose members are the world's top 11 handset makers, said yesterday that it hoped to persuade the Chinese government to adopt the international handset safety standard by the end of this year.
"We have negotiated with the related bureau recently and we hope it will kick off the new standard soon," said Michael Milligan, MMF's secretary general.
The criteria include whether mobile phone usage will result in cancers as well as whether handsets affect users' brain activity and sleep.
The MMF says all handsets produced by its members comply with the standard, authorized by the World Health Organization.
China has no specific standard in this sector, causing consumer concerns about the health problems associated with talking through handsets.
The Ministry of Information Industry, the state-level information technology authority, is considering issuing a new standard, according to local reports.
The ministry was not available for comment yesterday.
"It is not necessary for people to worry about the problems now, at least about our members' products," said Zhou Chongguang, MMF's science adviser and a 30-year veteran in this sector.
"The influence of the handsets is limited whether they are global system for mobile com-munications(GSM) or code division multiple access(CDMA) handsets."
MMF's members include Nokia, Motorola Inc, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, Siemens AG and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Co.
MMF aims to attract more players to target the world's biggest mobile market by subscriber population.
The ministry reported recently that the Chinese mobile population had reached 282.32 million by the end of February, with a penetration rate of 20.9 percent.
Ningbo Bird Corp, China's biggest handset maker, said it met MMF in Beijing last week and had some interest in joining it.
(Shanghai Daily)
Trial test on TD-SCDMA network planned
By Chen Zhiming (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-04-06 08:43
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-04/06/content_320937.htm
Four field trial test networks for TD-SCDMA (time division synchronous code division multiple access), the home grown third generation (3G) of wireless telecommunications standard, will undergo construction at the end of this month in Beijing and Shanghai, sources said.
Analysts believe it could be a signal indicating that the Chinese Government is speeding up its trial tests on all 3G related standards in China so as to roll out its 3G licenses early next year.
This was echoed on Saturday by an agreement reached by members of the TD-SCDMA Alliance in Shanghai.
According to the alliance, the core network and access equipment for field trial test networks in Shanghai will be mainly provided by Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Co Ltd (Datang Mobile) and ZTE Corp, while facilities in Beijing will be provided by Datang Mobile, China Putian Corp and Nortel Networks.
All those facilities will be ready as of April 20.
"Two trial test networks in Shanghai will be constructed by China Telecom and China Satcom and the other two in Beijing by China Netcom and China Railcom," said Yang Hua, secretary-general of the TD-SCDMA Alliance dedicated to promoting the standard.
TD-SCDMA, the homegrown standard, is the only standard that has been adopted by all the six major domestic telecom operators as they consider 3G technology.
Both China Mobile and China Unicom are reportedly set to build a TD-SCDMA testing network in May.
Sources said the trial test networks run by China Mobile and China Unicom will be provided by Huawei Technologies and Siemens.
According to Yang, the test will be organized by the 3G TEG (China 3G Technical Trial Expert Group) and RITT (Research Institute of Telecommunications Transmission) under the China Academy of Telecommunications Research with the Ministry of Information Industry (MII), who are responsible for testing equipment, terminals and systems for all three 3G standards, including European-backed Wideband CDMA, US-based Qualcomm Corp's CDMA2000 and China's TD-SCDMA.
According to the MII's blueprint, the field trial test for TD-SCDMA is set for May 20 and will finish at the end of September.
Reliable sources said that China will likely finish its testing of all 3G-related technologies this year, which may result in 3G licences being issued early next year.
"The trial test is a process enabling us to find and digest problems to ensure the success of the technology," said Yang.
"In the past year, we've seen accelerated development of our TD-SCDMA technology."
Last week, Datang Mobile announced the launch of the first TD-SCDMA handset, DTM8001.
The new handset features high speed data transmission of 144 kilobits per second, video telephone, multiple media services and location based services.
"The advent of the terminal is a breakthrough as far as the TD-SCDMA handset is concerned," Yang said.
He said more and more handset makers are manufacturing handsets supporting the TD-SCDMA system.
Sources from Datang Mobile said there are more than 10 terminal makers producing TD-SCDMA phones.
"We are going to launch two new TD-SCDMA handsets at the end of this year," said an official with Datang Mobile, who refused to be named.
As one of the internationally recognized 3G standards, the Chinese Government has allocated 155MHZ frequency resources to support the domestic standard.
Last year, the government spent a total of 600 million yuan (US$72 million) to boost the standard.
The Handset as "Very Powerful Computer"
Qualcomm CEO Irwin Jacobs says the cell phone's future is "data, video, position location, photography, and more"
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2004/tc2004046_7077_tc121.htm
At an age when many CEOs would be retired and camped out on the golf course, Qualcomm's (QCOM ) Irwin Jacobs, 70, is just hitting his stride. The cellular-phone standard he developed, CDMA, is catching fire throughout the world. And demand for Qualcomm's chips, which power 90% of the CDMA devices sold, is so high that Qualcomm has upped its sales and earnings forecasts three times in the last year (see BW Online, 4/6/04, "Why Qualcomm Keeps Ringing"). Advertisement
At a recent interview in his San Diego office, Jacobs discussed the challenges and opportunities facing Qualcomm -- No. 17 in the latest BW50 rankings -- with BusinessWeek Los Angeles Correspondent Arlene Weintraub. Following are edited excerpts from their conversation:
Q: Some chipmakers have set their sights on entering the CDMA chip market, most notably a consortium of Texas Instruments (TXN ), Nokia (NOK ), and STMicroelectronics (STM ). How significant is that threat?
A: They haven't won any notable customers, but it's probable they'll gain some share. We'll work hard to compete with them. We have a few challenges.
Look at the device we call the cellular telephone. It's really becoming a very powerful computer. We need to support the use of the phone above and beyond voice -- data, video, position location, photography, and more. That means extending the range of technical areas in which we're experts. We need to continue to lead the community in terms of introducing those capabilities.
Q: Qualcomm continues to invest heavily in research and development -- almost at levels more typical of tiny startups. Why?
A: There's always a balance in deciding how much to invest in R&D vs. quarterly profits. We're in a field with a great deal of potential for future growth. We need to make sure we're well positioned by continuing to support R&D. That's the path we're on.
Q: After a slow start in India, where CDMA services were launched last year, business is picking up. What happened?
A: The government decided to allow CDMA operators to offer normal cellular service, rather than limited-mobility service. That encouraged [the CDMA carrier] Tata to gain licenses to cover more of India than they originally planned. That raised the whole competitive level in India. Plus, the economic situation in India has been improving. A lot of jobs are going there. All of this has combined to help cell-phone sales.
Q: In January, Verizon (VZ ) decided to roll out Qualcomm's technology called EV-DO, which provides high-speed wireless data on laptops and cell phones at speeds comparable to DSL. What do you predict will be the impact on the industry?
A: The other operators are going to have to figure out how to match it. They need to be able to offer higher rates of data. This will encourage them to move more rapidly.
Q: You're on a quest to get CDMA into Vietnam, and you toured the country recently. Why is Vietnam attractive to you?
A: The first thing that strikes you in Vietnam is the preponderance of motor scooters. The streets are just packed with them. You see relatively few bicycles. That means people have enough income to buy expensive devices. If they can do that, we think they'll certainly be able to buy mobile phones.
Q: It took you many years to convince government officials in China to let CDMA into that country. What were the toughest hurdles there?
A: We first tried to set up a joint venture with one of the government factories, but we could never agree on what Chinese law was. Our lawyers said one thing, the Chinese government said something different. We could never work our way through the issues. The other challenge was finding the right organizations with which to communicate.
Q: What did you learn that you're now applying to Vietnam and other target countries?
A: First of all, patience. Secondly, you have to work with the government regulators to understand what the issues are and how to work through them. And you have to work with the local manufacturers to help them build up hardware and software capabilities. We've since increased the number of Qualcomm people we have working in each country. We need to have a presence in these countries.
Q: Much of your job at Qualcomm has been to evangelize CDMA to carriers around the world. Does that come naturally to you?
A: No. My poorest grade in college was public speaking. But I learned as I went along. One thing I always did was allow people to hear and see CDMA. I invited them to come in and kick the tires. Try it out.
Q: Two of your four sons, Paul and Jeff, work in the business. What are the pros and cons of working with family?
A: The great advantage is that you get input that others might not be willing to give you. The disadvantage is that you can't appear to be partial. It causes my sons problems in that many people think they've advanced because of their relationship rather than their quality.
Q: Do you think about retiring?
A: I don't have a timetable. I'm still having fun, and I think I'm making positive contributions. The whole wireless area just keeps expanding. I still find that very exciting.
Q: When you first introduced CDMA as an alternative to the prevailing cellular standard, GSM, you had a lot of skeptics. People thought you were overhyping its capabilities. Did you ever have doubts?
A: It was frustrating to see those claims. There were even a couple of professors at Stanford who said that CDMA violated the laws of physics. I used to joke that CDMA works well everywhere in the U.S. except within a 20-mile radius of Stanford. I believed all along that if the technology had the advantages we said it had, ultimately it would be recognized.
Now when I give talks to management students, I tell them the most important thing they can learn is that businesses never develop as rapidly as one plans on. Better be prepared for the long run.
Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, April 05, 2004
Bird seeks funds to expand CDMA
Shanghai-listed Ningbo Bird Corp, China's biggest handset manufacturer, will raise more than 600 million yuan (US$72.29 million) through selling additional shares to invest in its code division multiple access business.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200404/05/eng20040405_139430.shtml
Shanghai-listed Ningbo Bird Corp, China's biggest handset manufacturer, will raise more than 600 million yuan (US$72.29 million) through selling additional shares to invest in its code division multiple access business.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission, the stock market regulator, approved the firm's move on March 2 on its Website.
The Ningbo-based company will sell an additional 32 million yuan-denominated A shares on the Shanghai stock market soon. But it declined to reveal the exact time for the sale.
"We will inject the proceeds from this share sale to strengthen our CDMA business," said a pubic relations official identified as Zhao at Ningbo Bird yesterday.
Hearing the news of the CSRC's approval, Ningbo Bird's share price rose 1.07 percent to hit 20.76 yuan yesterday.
Ningbo Bird's share sale plan is seen among handset makers as a step to carve out a bigger share of the growing China's CDMA market, the second largest in the world by number of subscribers.
China United Telecommunications Corp Ltd, the only CDMA mobile operator in the country, said in its annual financial report this week that it had attracted 16.91 million CDMA subscribers by the end of 2003.
"The production capacity of CDMA handsets in China is limited at present and that's the reason why Ningbo Bird wants to expand in the sector to target the potential market," said Zhu Min, an analyst at Analysys International, a local information technology consulting firm.
Zhao with Ningbo Bird said its CDMA handset sales reached 400,000 units last year while its global system for mobile communication, or GSM, handset sales reached 11 million in the period.
Compared with GSM phones, the CDMA handsets allow users to enjoy more features of digital services, such as stock information, online game and multi-media functions.
CDMA handset sales only account for 14.5 percent of the whole Chinese handset market now, according to Analysys.
Nokia Oyj, the world's largest handset maker, launched its first CDMA handset at the start of the year in China since its entry into the country.
The launch of the CDMA handset enabled Nokia to regain the No. 1 position in the Chinese handset market at the end of last month after ceding itself to Motorola Inc in 2000, said CCID Consulting Co Ltd, a research arm under the Ministry of Information Industry.
Source: Xinhua
Reliance launches intl roaming services
April 05, 2004 16:25 IST
http://inhome.rediff.com/money/2004/apr/05ril.htm
Reliance Infocomm has launched international roaming services that would allow Reliance IndiaMobile customers to roam internationally on GSM networks across 300 mobile networks in 172 countries.
The facility would be initially offered through Reliance WebWorlds -- Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Pune -- with other major locations being covered over the next few weeks, S P Shukla, president, wireless products and services, Reliance Infocomm, said in a release on Monday.
A monthly rental of Rs 99 would be charged for the service and charges for the calls made or received while roaming shall be as levied by the foreign network selected by the customer as per the standard global roaming norms, he added.
A roaming deposit would also be charged depending upon the creditworthiness of individual customers for availing this service, he said.
It is for the first time that a global roaming facility has been made available by a CDMA operator on GSM networks on such a large scale, Shukla claimed.
Thanks Eric. Why would the phone manufacturer buy from VIA and pay the higher royalty?
China's low royalty rate was based on their using chips from Qualcomm so I thought? Who is VIA and how can Unicom use phones without a Qualcomm chip and still get their low royalty rate?
VIA aims to capture 30% of the PC chipset market and ship 800,000 phone chips in China
http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/Article.asp?datePublish=2004/03/31&pages=A2&seq=2
Staff writer, Ningbo; Esther Lam, DigiTimes.com [Wednesday 31 March 2004]
VIA Technologies is positive about China sales this year, expecting to take 30% of the PC chipset market and ship 800,000 phone chips, according to the person responsible for the company’s Greater China sales.
In addition to existing clients such as Legend QDI (a business unit of Legend Group) and China Greatwall Computer Group, leading PC makers in China, including Tsinghua Tongfang, Founder Electronics Group and Legend Group will adopt VIA’s chipsets in their products in the third quarter of this year, according to the source. China sales contributed 10-15% of the company’s revenues in 2003, but this is expected to rise if VIA achieves its goal to capture 30% of the PC chipset market in China this year.
VIA has received orders totaling 200,000 chips from Eastern Communication (Eastcom) for CDMA mobile phones and Guangzhou Post and Telecom Equipment (GPTE) for public phones, said the source. Eastcom is one of the top five handset vendors in China and GPTE supplies public phones to China Unicom. VIA expects the total shipments of chips to these markets will reach 800,000 units this year.
China makes its first 3G mobile phone
The first China-made 3rd-genaration (3G) mobile phone was unveiled as Datang Mobilecom announced on March 30 that the world's first TD-SCDMA was successfully developed.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200403/31/eng20040331_139059.shtml
The first China-made 3rd-genaration (3G) mobile phone was unveiled as Datang Mobilecom announced on March 30 that the world's first TD-SCDMA (Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) was successfully developed, which marks a great breakthrough in the terminal research and development and a step forward of China-made 3G mobile phone toward large-scale commercial use.
Presently, there are thee mainstream standards for 3G mobile phone: European Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), the US Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA 2000) and China-proposed Time Division - Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA). Previously, the former two have had successful example in commercial use and do not lack compatible terminal mobile phones while the China's version of 3G Datang advocates was almost zero.
Currently, the second round of outfield test organized by the Ministry of Information Industry is to begin. In May 2004, TD-SCDMA will undergo examination.
A sample though, the mobile phone is a breakthrough of "zero" for the world in TD-SCDMA. In September 2003, Chongqing University of Post and Telecom developed a sample of the so-called "first TD-SCDMA mobile phone" , which, as experts said, was a interim product based on the current 2G mobile phone web. Therefore, the first China-made 3G mobile phone just made its debut.
Sources say there are tens of domestic and foreign companies participating in TD-SCDMA mobile phone as the prospect of commercial use for 3G TD-SCDMA turns brighter. The breakthrough of this 3G mobile phone in terminal bottleneck will greatly speed up the TD-SCDMA terminal industrialization.
As learned the TD-SCDMA mobile phone self-developed by Datang Mobilecom will be adopted in the upcoming second round of outfield test and mass production is probable in the first half of 2005.
By People's Daily Online
Japan Mobile-Phone Operator May Pull Out of Hong Kong Firm's U.K. Unit
Kyodo News International, Tokyo Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/national/8313312.htm
Mar. 30--TOKYO - NTT DoCoMo Inc. is in talks with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. on selling its 20 percent stake in the Hong Kong conglomerate's third-generation (3G) mobile phone unit in Britain, a Japanese business daily reported Tuesday.
The deal would make the Hong Kong company the sole owner of Hutchison 3G UK Holdings Ltd., known as Hutchison 3GUK. It offers 3G cell phone services in Britain based on the W-CDMA format, the same format NTT DoCoMo's FOMA 3G services use in Japan.
Hutchison 3GUK has declined to introduce NTT DoCoMo's i-mode Internet service so the major Japanese mobile phone carrier appears to have concluded the firm is no longer worth its investment, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said in its Tuesday evening edition.
NTT DoCoMo said in a statement that the company has been in various talks with Hutchison, but nothing has been decided at this point.
"We have been maintaining good relationships with Hutchison Whampoa and Hutchison 3GUK," the company said.
In July 2000, NTT DoCoMo acquired a 20 percent interest in Hutchison 3GUK for some 186 billion yen. The book value of the investment has been lowered to about 39 billion yen as the joint venture was late in launching its 3G service, the newspaper said.
The Financial Times reported earlier this month that NTT DoCoMo was close to agreeing to sell its 20 percent stake in Hutchison 3GUK and that NTT DoCoMo and Hutchison were aiming to reach an agreement by the end of this month.
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To see more of Kyodo News International, go to http://www.kyodonews.com
SK Telecom Living Testimony to Korea's Mobile Growth
By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter
SK Telecom, Korea's leading mobile carrier, will announce on Monday its new vision to evolve into a genuine world wireless powerhouse, marking its 20th anniversary and standing tall as a living testimony to Korea’s breathtaking growth in mobile telecommunications.
Newly-elected president Kim Shin-bae, who took the helm in a March 12 shareholders' meeting, is expected to stress nurturing next-generation growth engines to further propel the mobile giant's expansion.
It is the third time SK Telecom declared its vision following ``Move 21'' in 1995, just after the company acquired the Korea Mobile Telecommunications Corp. (KMT) and ``Vision 2010'' in 2000.
The new vision will be about SK Telecom's target of evolving into a genuine colossal in the global mobile market by fostering a flurry of converging services and by aggressively tapping overseas markets.
During the 10 years after privatization, SK Telecom has played the role of global leader in the code division multiple access (CDMA) technology and set the trend in the local mobile telephony market.
As a result, SK Telecom accounts for over 50 percent of the nation's 34 million cell phone subscribers and boasted an upside of 9 trillion won in annual sales as of the end of last year.
From Minnow to Juggernaut
It was on March 29, 1984, exactly 20 years ago today when Korea's first-ever wireless telephony company _ Korea Mobile Telecommunications Services _ came into existence as an affiliate of Korea Telecom Authority (now KT).
The company started with only 32 staff members and a capitalization of 250 million won. In the first year, the start-up recorded just 390 million won in turnover with in-car telephone services.
In 20 years, however, the minnow player has expanded by leaps and bounds to the unarguable top wireless operator in Korea and one of the leading mobile carriers in the world.
Last year, SK Telecom netted 1.94 trillion won in profit on 9.52 trillion won of sales. As of the end of February, the company retained 18.48 million subscribers, carving out 53.41 percent of the total market.
The CDMA technology, offspring of the U.S.-based chip maker Qualcomm, is building blocks in SK Telecom's success story, as the company continued a streak in launching the world's first commercial CDMA services at every level.
After kicking off the CDMA services in 1996, SK Telecom surprised the world twice afterwards by embarking on CDMA2000 1x in 2000 and EV-DO (evolution data optimized) two years later.
The technological edge propelled the company to the rapid growth. From 1 million subscribers in 1995, the customer base has extended ever to 5 million in 1998 and 10 million just a year after. The company seeks to break through a 20-million plateau soon.
To pave the way for the scheme and beyond, SK Telecom has tried to find out new growth momentum especially as the conventional voice-call market shows signs of slowing down of late.
Promising Businesses
On the strength of its core competency in the telecom network, SK Telecom eyes several convergence services like portable Internet, mobile financial offerings and wireless broadcasting.
The company has been pioneering in mobile finance through the Moneta brand, which includes a credit card function and mobile bill services, and launched mobile banking services in a full-fledged manner early this month under business alliance with Woori, Shinhan, Chohung and Hana banks.
As an eventual form of a finance-telecom fusion drive, SK Telecom is looking to upgrade handsets to personal information centers by integrating credit cards and communication cards to Moneta-enabled phones.
SK Telecom has also been at the forefront in landing the pocket multimedia era through the satellite digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), which allows handset carriers to enjoy broadcasting on the move through their handheld receivers.
The company launched a satellite for the DMB on March 13 and plans to kick-stark the mobility-specific broadcasting from this July through its affiliate TU Media for the first time in the world.
Get Connected With This New Crop of World Phones For Verizon (And Maybe Sprint)
Activities: Tips and Resources
Author: Sascha Segan
March 31, 2004 -- Up until now, Verizon Wireless and Sprint PCS subscribers have been locked out of enjoying the power of world phones. Available from Cingular, T-Mobile, Nextel and AT&T, world phones let you bring your mobile phone and US phone number to practically anywhere on earth.
Right now, Verizon phones work in Canada, Mexico, and South Korea; Sprint phones work in Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, most of the Caribbean, and much of Latin America. But if you're going to Europe, you have to rent or buy a second phone for the duration of your trip.
That's all about to change, thanks to some announcements at the CTIA Wireless trade show last week. Both Samsung and Motorola announced the first phones that bridge the technologies used by Verizon and Sprint, known as CDMA, and the GSM technology used in Europe and much of the rest of the world. Both phones are targeted to the hard-core business traveler, but frequent leisure travelers who want to use their phones in Europe should also take notice.
The Samsung SCH-A790 will be the first to hit the market, and we hear Verizon will be the carrier. It's a beefy black flip-phone that looks a little like what Darth Vader would use if he were a CEO. It sports a bright color screen, a camera that takes and sends 640x480 pictures, and it can be used as a computer modem, but the big selling point is that it works in over 100 countries. Expect it to appear in May. Samsung isn't announcing a price, but if we were to guess, we'd pick the $200-300 range.
Sometime this fall, that Samsung model will be joined by the Motorola A840, a super-phone with a one-megapixel camera (good enough for 3x5 prints), expandable memory, a built-in MP3 player and the ability to make calls almost anywhere in the world. Motorola hasn't announced which carrier it's working with yet, so that phone could appear on either Verizon or Sprint.
There are still a few mysteries surrounding these phones, and Verizon and Samsung don't appear to be ready to pull back the curtain yet. If you're interested in taking your phone overseas, though, keep your ears out for answers to these questions:
How much will roaming calls cost? Right now, Verizon and Sprint let you rent a second handset when you go to Europe, and they both charge around $1.50/minute for calls. That's expensive, but in line with other carriers' roaming rates. We expect that's around what calls will cost from the new worldphones, too.
Can the phone be unlocked? Most US phones come 'locked' to one carrier. If you can get your phone unlocked -- which is permitted by some carriers -- and travel to Europe or Asia, you can insert a prepaid chip that gives you a local phone number and much lower calling rates, sometimes up to 90% below what your US carrier charges for local calls. If the worldphones can't be unlocked, buying a cheap European phone for long trips may still make sense.
These two phones are a great step forward for anyone who travels abroad frequently, especially to Europe. They help you stay connected with home without the complication and confusion of renting a phone -- whether that outweighs the potential cost of calling on these phones, on the other hand, is up to you.
Do you have a question or comment on this article? Send us a signal on our Tips and Resources Message Boards
HK Hutchison Rails Against Govt Plans For New 3G License
HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. (0013.HK) Managing Director Canning Fok Monday launched a broadside against government moves to auction a new third-generation license using part of the conglomerate's spectrum, arguing the plan was unfair and discriminatory.
"This whole situation is unfair," Fok said. "At the time when 3G licenses were handed out, there was never an indication that there would be a fifth license. If there were, we would have reconsidered our investment."
In a move still subject to a consultation process, the Office of the Telecommunications Authority said a couple of weeks ago it would auction a new mobile phone license next year after retrieving two licenses from existing 2G mobile phone operators and 3G licensees Hutchison and CSL. The government has proposed that the new licensee operate in the CDMA-2000 standard of 3G popular in Japan and Korea, rather than the W-CDMA standard Hutchison has been pushing worldwide.
Fok added that, in fact, the loss of Hutchison's CDMA spectrum would come just as the conglomerate plans to expand its investment in the network. He also left open the possibility that the CDMA network could be used to create a CDMA 2000 3G network.
"We've invested a lot into the CDMA network, and we planned to invest more well before the end of last year," Fok said. "We would even consider shifting that network toward CDMA 2000. We're considering legal action."
Fok added that the government's decision to revoke its license was against the norm of international license renewal worldwide.
"Generally, licenses aren't revoked unless the operator hasn't invested in the network - we have," he said.
The spectrum that the new CDMA 2000 license to be auctioned will take up will come from a CDMA license Hutchison holds, as well as a TDMA license held by CSL, which the government argues has been "underutilized."
To illustrate that point, the government said Hutchison's CDMA network had just 40,000 subscribers last year, down from 280,000 in 2000, while CSL's TDMA network had only 30,000 down from 140,000.
"Consumers preferred GSM, because it had roaming capabilities," Fok said. "But in the past few years, (mainland mobile operator) China Unicom Ltd. (0762.HK), made CDMA roaming available, so the prospects for CDMA are better."
Fok declined to divulge how much Hutchison has invested in its CDMA network, but noted that it has spent enough for a capacity of half a million subscribers.
Hong Kong now has four 3G licensees, who forked out HK$100 million in a 2001 bidding for the privilege of providing the high-speed network. They are Hutchison, the only 3G operator in Hong Kong so far, CSL, owned by Australia's Telstra Corp. (TLS), SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings (0315.HK) and Sunday Communications Ltd. (SDAY). SmarTone, Sunday and CSL have all said they will roll out their networks before the year end.
Last week, officials from CSL, Sunday and Hutchison said a fifth 3G license in an overcrowded telecom market like Hong Kong would hurt the long-term growth of the overall industry.
The progression from CDMA, or Code-Division Multiple Access, to a CDMA2000 license doesn't require a change of networks; going from Global System For Mobile Communications, or GSM, to W-CDMA does.
Unicom plans video streaming on CDMA 1X
By Li Weitao (China Business Weekly)
Updated: 2004-03-29 15:20
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-03/29/content_318955.htm
China Unicom, the country's No 2 cellular operator, plans to soon launch a video streaming service over its CDMA 1X network, which is widely considered as a sign that the CDMA technology is taking on the competing GSM and GPRS in the data business.
The firm hopes to start the service in the year's second half, said Wang Yingpei, an official in charge of Unicom's value-added business.
Wang made the remarks last week during the "3G Application Summit Forum 2004" in Beijing.
Most experts believe such streaming should be carried over 3G (third-generation) CDMA 2000 EV-DO networks.
CDMA 1X is considered a 2.5G technology. It is faster than 2G CDMA, but slower than CDMA 2000 EV-DO.
After numerous trials, Unicom determined there were no technical difficulties in delivering the streaming service over its existing CDMA 1X networks, provided "right" mobile phones support the functions, Wang said.
Unicom's division in Guangdong Province has reportedly launched a video streaming trial that enables users to watch football matches and Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV's programmes.
The streaming service is expected to extend CDMA 1X's competitive edge over GPRS, which is offered by Unicom's arch rival, China Mobile.
CDMA 1X has been gaining increasing traction since its launch last year.
CDMA 1X offers faster downloading speed and richer applications compared with GPRS.
Unicom will also launch a "mobile banking service" in May, in partnership with China Construction Bank.
Users will be able to access all banking services, with the exception of withdrawing cash, over their cellphones, Wang said.
The fast-growing CDMA technology is helping reshuffle China's telecoms industry, especially the manufacturing sector, said Frank Meng, president of Qualcomm China.
Qualcomm, the US wireless giant, is the major developer of the CDMA technology.
The Chinese market is becoming saturated with GSM phones, and a production glut is looming, Meng told China Business Weekly on the forum's sidelines.
Demand for CDMA phones, however, is increasing rapidly, due to the rich applications based on the CDMA standard, he added.
CDMA also provides Chinese handset makers with tremendous opportunities to crack overseas markets, especially as CDMA is becoming more popular, he said.
CDMA last year was the fastest-growing cellular technology in the world, indicates CDMA Development Group.
Globally, 42 million new CDMA subscribers were recruited last year, which raised the total to 188 million.
The year-on-year growth rate last year for CDMA subscribers was 29 per cent, compared with the industry average of 20 per cent.
"Qualcomm is committed to helping Chinese manufacturers to expand overseas."
The US firm is offering the latest chips and technical support to Chinese makers at the same time as it assists manufacturers elsewhere in the world, Meng said.
The 3G CDMA 2000 EV-DO is also growing rapidly in the world.
By February 29, there were 5.9 million CDMA 2000 EV-DO subscribers.
In contrast, the number of users of the 3G WCDMA -- upgraded from the GSM and GPRS -- had reached only 3.5 million despite the earlier deployment of WCDMA commercial networks.
The 3G wireless technologies are already mature, Meng said.
The Chinese Government has yet to award operators with licences to build 3G networks, due in part to concern 3G is not mature.
"If you say 3G is not mature, that is because one standard is not mature," he said.
During the forum, Rosalie Nelson, an analyst with consulting firm Ovum's Asia-Pacific operations, poured cold water on the WCDMA technology, which has dominated the European markets.
It is widely believed China Mobile, the world's largest cellular operator based on the number of subscribers, will adopt the WCDMA standard to roll out its 3G services once it receives a 3G licence.
"WCDMA is not a stable technology, although vendors will say it is," Nelson said
Nokia to launch 40 devices in 2004
Friday, March 26 2004
http://www.electricnews.net/frontpage/news-9405423.html
by Anthony Quinn
in association with
delivering pioneering applications
Mobile giant Nokia is to extend technological mobility into new areas of life and business, according to the company's CEO.
Latest ENN headlines
Nokia to launch 40 devices in 2004
Can technology protect us?
Computing power to become a commodity
A convergence of the mobile communications, information technology and media industries is creating opportunities for Nokia to develop new products and services in the areas of mobile games, multimedia and enterprise solutions, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jorma Ollila told assembled shareholders at an AGM in Helsinki.
The Finnish mobile firm is to launch about 40 new mobile devices this year, the same as in 2003, promised Ollila. "Our product portfolio will continue to be very competitive and will offer mobile devices that change the way we work, play and stay connected to the people and information that matter to us," he said.
Nokia is to continue to focus on expanding mobile voice, driving consumer mobile multimedia and on bringing extended mobility to companies, he told the AGM.
Nokia reached strategic milestones during 2003 by attaining the number one market position in the United States in mobile phones and the number one position in GSM mobile phones in China, according to Ollila. "We also significantly increased our global CDMA handset market share," he added.
In the gaming industry, the company is to continue building the N-Gage brand in 2004 and will launch several "interesting" games which cannot be played with traditional gaming devices.
In his speech, Ollila also reviewed the 2003 annual results. Nokia's main business areas Nokia Mobile Phones represented approximately 80 percent of the company's net sales in 2003. Nokia Networks' share was 19 percent. Operating profit at Nokia Networks was down 4.2 percent for the full year ending 31 December 2003.
Nokia's total net sales amounted to EUR29.5 billion, 1 percent less than in 2002. Sales were muted by the continued weakness of the US dollar, according to Ollila. At constant currency rates, Nokia sales would have grown 7 percent, he claimed. However, Nokia's operating reported profit grew by 5 percent to EUR5.011 billion. The Nokia board also proposed a dividend of EUR0.30 per share for 2003.
Five years ago, Nokia had a vision of a coming digital convergence, Ollila told gathered shareholders. "Now, this vision is a reality," he said. "Our industry has progressed on many fronts and now, the enablers are in place for the recovery of mobility."
"Mobility will significantly change our lives and the way we do business. With our strategy and our new organisation, we are well positioned to take advantage of the next growth phases in our industry as well as offer the benefits of mobility to consumers, businesses and the global community," he said.
Nokia recently unveiled the Communicator 9500, its first mobile phone with Wi-Fi capabilities, at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, France
Qualcomm "outperform"
http://www.newratings.com/new2/beta/article_400811.html
Thursday, March 25, 2004 7:39:12 AM ET
RBC Capital Markets
NEW YORK, March 25 (New Ratings) - Analyst T Michael Walkley of RBC Capital Markets reiterates his "outperform" rating on Qualcomm (QCOM). The target price is set to $77.
Shares of Qualcomm, a leading manufacturer of advanced communications systems and products, are currently trading at $61.59.
According to RBC Capital Markets' research note published this morning, the company is currently witnessing robust CDMA handset sales trend across all its markets, with the exception of China. Qualcomm expects healthy CDMA sales and the robust demand for EV-DO and MSM5100 chips to significantly boost its earnings and revenues for the current quarter, the analyst says. RBC Capital Markets expects the 3G segment to post healthy results during the current year.
According to RBC Capital Markets, the company's supply of CDMA handsets continues to be short of the global demand. The analyst expects the company to improve its CDMA handset inventory levels in the near future. RBC Capital Markets believes that the company's stock offers significant upside potential in the long-term.
The EPS estimates for 2004 and 2005 are $1.77 and $1.93, respectively. The P/E estimates for 2004 and 2005 34.80x and 31.91x, respectively.
RBC Capital Markets reiterates its "outperform" rating on Qualcomm.
© 2004 New Ratings
Qualcomm pushes integrated approach, preps performance boosts
By Robert Keenan
CommsDesign.com
Mar 22, 2004
http://www.commsdesign.com/news/tech_beat/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=18401355
Latest Headlines
ATLANTA, Ga. — Bucking the design approaches of other cellular baseband chipset providers, Qualcomm said at this week's Wireless 2004 showcase here that its will continue to push forward with the development of single-chip IC's that that blend application processing and traditional baseband processing ICs in the same piece of silicon.
To handle demanding applications like MPEG-4 and MP-3, most of today's chipset vendors have relied on two-chip processing solutions. Qualcomm, however, has remained committed to integrating all processing tasks in the same piece of silicon. "Fighting integration isn't a great idea," said Sanjay Jha, president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies.
"Our competition can't match us on integration," said Luis Pineda, vice president of product management at Qualcomm.
Currently, Qualcomm's mobile station modem (MSM) devices blend several digital signal processor (DSP) cores, memory, a GPS block, a microprocessor core, and blocks for audio, video, and imaging. And, through its announcement today with ATI, Qualcomm is now providing a 3G graphics engine in its baseband ICs.
In addition to touting its integration capabilities, Qualcomm also used today's Wireless 2004 showcase to discuss the performance capabilities that it plans to provide in the next revs of its MSM baseband devices. According to Jha, Qualcomm will move its camera processing capabilities to the 2- to 4-megapixel level in 2003 and to the 4- to 6-megapixel level by 2005.
To complement its upgraded camera processing capabilities, Qualcomm is also upping the video performance of its MSM devices. The company currently supports 15-frame per second (fps) resolution in its chipsets. Going forward, however, the company will support 15-fps CIF resolution in 2005 and 30-fps VGA resolution in 2005, Jha said. "You will have a camcorder in your phone by 2005," he added.
Qualcomm is also looking to make big steps in increasing the clock rate of its embedded ARM processor core. According to Jha, MSM chipsets released this year will deliver a 250 MHz clock rate while devices launched in 2005 will achieve a clock rate between 500 MHz to 1 GHz.
But, in making the move to higher clocks, Qualcomm is running a risk of increasing overall power consumption in its baseband processor chipsets. Jha admitted that power consumption does become a concern as you turn up the clock rate on the ARM processor core. However, by tapping advanced processes, such as 130 and 90-nm, and dedicating a team to CPU design, Qualcomm feels it can handle power concerns. In fat, Jha said power consumption for a 1 GHz core could hit the 0.2-mW/MHz range.
Qualcomm's 6550 device will be launched in the second quarter of 2004. The first member of its MSM 7xxx family will start sampling in the fourth quarter of 2004, Pineda said
MSN and QUALCOMM Introduce MSN Mobile Services for BREW-Enabled Phones
Tuesday March 23, 12:01 am ET
Solution Enables Popular MSN Hotmail and MSN Messenger Services on the Go
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040323/sftu050_1.html
ATLANTA, March 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MSN, a world leader in delivering Web services to consumers, and QUALCOMM Incorporated, pioneer and world leader of Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, today announced MSN® Mobile services enabled with QUALCOMM's BREW(TM) solution. MSN Mobile services for the BREW solution will enable consumers to access MSN Hotmail® and MSN Messenger services in a rich and familiar way via select mobile handsets.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
"The MSN goal is to enable customers to access the people and information that matter most anytime, anyplace. To do this, we're working to deliver a great consumer experience by providing rich and familiar MSN Mobile services," said Brian Arbogast, corporate vice president of MSN Communications Platforms at Microsoft Corp. "By working with QUALCOMM and its BREW solution, we've been able to develop advanced MSN Mobile services that can easily be ported to a range of handsets, enabling us to potentially introduce more and more people to rich MSN Mobile services."
"QUALCOMM is thrilled to team with an established, leading communications provider such as MSN. This collaboration further validates the BREW system as a great choice for companies to offer their branded content to operators around the world," said Gina Lombardi, senior vice president of marketing and product management for QUALCOMM Internet Services. "It has been wonderful working with the MSN team on these exciting wireless initiatives. MSN Mobile services for BREW is an exciting new application that we expect will benefit existing MSN subscribers as well as attract new users."
Today, there are more than 170 million active MSN Hotmail and 120 million MSN Messenger customers worldwide. Mobile operators that deploy MSN Mobile services for BREW could tap into this existing customer base to deliver mobile Web services such as these:
-- MSN Hotmail. MSN Hotmail for MSN Mobile enables consumers to access
their inbox online and offline and receive personalized alerts for
designated e-mail messages.
-- MSN Messenger. MSN Messenger for MSN Mobile enables consumers to remain
visible online to their contacts even without an active data
connection, receive alerts on their handset when their contacts want to
communicate via instant messaging, and carry on simultaneous or
multiparty conversations concurrently.
QUALCOMM's BREW system provides products and services that connect the mobile marketplace value chain, which includes application developers, publishers, content providers, device manufacturers, operators and consumers.
Publishers and developers worldwide are generating revenue from BREW-based applications and content, and 24 manufacturers have offered more than 120 BREW-enabled device models to consumers. BREW is successfully enabling the commercial wireless data services of many successful operators, including Verizon Wireless, ALLTEL, Cellular One, MetroPCS, Midwest Wireless and U.S. Cellular in the United States; China Unicom; KDDI in Japan; KTF in South Korea; Hutchison Wireless CAT in Thailand; Telstra in Australia; VIVO in Brazil; BellSouth Chile, BellSouth Colombia, BellSouth Ecuador, BellSouth Panama and BellSouth Peru; Movicom in Argentina; Telcel in Venezuela; Verizon in the Dominican Republic; Verizon Wireless Puerto Rico; and Pelephone in Israel.
About QUALCOMM
QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2003 FORTUNE 500® company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market® under the ticker symbol QCOM.
About MSN
MSN attracts more than 350 million unique users worldwide per month. With localized versions available globally in 38 markets and 18 languages, MSN is a world leader in delivering Web services to consumers and ad sales to businesses worldwide. The most useful and innovative online service today, MSN brings consumers everything they need from the Web to make the most of their time online. MSN is located on the Web at http://www.msn.com/ . MSN worldwide sites are located at http://www.msn.com/worldwide.ashx .
About MSN Mobile
MSN Mobile extends the familiar MSN experience to mobile devices, providing a convenient way for customers to stay in touch with the people and information most important to them. MSN works with more than 60 mobile operators in 25 countries to deliver a range of MSN Mobile experiences and solutions, including broad short message service (SMS) and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) services, rich client solutions for feature phones, and advanced experiences with Pocket MSN on Windows Mobile(TM)-based devices.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including QUALCOMM's ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of CDMA components on a timely and profitable basis, the extent and speed to which CDMA is deployed, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended Sept. 30, 2002, and most recent Form 10-Q.
NOTE: Microsoft, MSN, Hotmail and Windows Mobile are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
QUALCOMM is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. BREW is a trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Microsoft Corp
SK Telecom¡¯s New CEO Vows to Search for Next Cash Cow
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200403/kt2004032317591811880.htm
By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter
Korea's biggest mobile operator SK Telecom looks to become a genuinely global powerhouse by diversifying its business portfolio through convergence services and globalization, the firm's newly-elected president said on Tuesday.
Kim Shin-bae, who took the helm of the mobile giant following the March 12 shareholders' meeting, made the remarks at his first press meeting at the Plaza Hotel in downtown Seoul.
``We will find new sources of revenue in convergence services and global businesses as the conventional cash cow of the voice call market shows signs of stagnation,'' the 49-year-old said.
Kim picked the blastoff of the satellite for digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), which took place March 13 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as the cornerstone of the cross-business fusion drive.
``The convergence era started with the launch of the satellite. We will play a role as a trendsetter in the new era by establishing a win-win partnership with other telecom outfits or related firms,'' Kim said.
As part of such attempts, Kim said, SK Telecom will set forth further efforts to join hands with fixed-line giant KT in the initiation of the satellite for DMB, which enables one to enjoy multimedia broadcasting on the move.
Negotiations between the two sides broke down in the lead-up to the satellite takeoff, led by SK Telecom. Currently, KT seeks to launch a separate mobility-specific broadcasting service from 2006 by firing its own satellite.
As the other major axis of SK Telecom's reinvigoration plan, Kim said the outfit will make its presence felt through aggressive inroads to global markets.
``We will accelerate sales of third-generation networks and platforms as well as forging strategic alliances with global juggernauts to wade into markets across the world,'' Kim said.
Backing up Kim's statement, SK Telecom on Tuesday announced it exchanged a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Verizon Wireless, the U.S.-based cell phone colossal, to cooperate in such sectors as the code division multiple access (CDMA) 2000 1x EV-DO (evolution data optimized) and roaming services.
On top of the service export and global alliance, Kim said, SK Telecom will strength its handset-manufacturing affiliate of SK Teletech's overseas marketing.
SK Teletech has depended on its parent company up to now and has been recognized as a relatively small player against Korea's high-profile cell phone providers like Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.
Kim said, however, SK Telecom will enhance SK Teletech's position at home and abroad, for instance, by establishing factories in China.
voc200@koreatimes.co.kr
03-23-2004 18:01
TI rounds out base station offering, with synthesizer, modulator
By Robert Keenan
CommsDesign.com
Mar 23, 2004
http://www.commsdesign.com/news/product_news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=18401357
ATLANTA, Ga. — Texas Instruments is moving forward in its quest to capture more elements in the base station signal chain, announcing two I/Q modulators and an RF synthesizer on Monday (Mar. 23) for GSM, CDMA, UMTS, and time-division synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA) designs.
The TRF3701 and TRF3702 in-phase/quadrator (I/Q) modulators are based on designs TI used in its handset architectures, said Zatil Hamid, product marketing manager at TI. These modulators accept inputs from baseband to 250 MHz. The signals are then upconverted to 1.5 GHz by the TRF3701 or up to 2.5 GHz by the TRF3702
Both devices support a +7-dBm output power level and a -156-dBm/Hz noise floor. The chips run from a 5-V supply and deliver a 145-mA supply current.
In contrast to the I/Q modulators, the TRF3702 PLL synthesizer can generate frequencies from 100 MHz to 2.4 GHz. By offering a wide operating range, designers can port this synthesizer to various base station platforms by simply swapping out the voltage-controlled oscillator, Hamid said.
The PLL synthesizer sports a -91-dBc/Hz phase noise for a 900 MHz carrier and a -84-dBc/Hz phase noise for a 1960 MHz carrier. Reference spurs range from -90 to -100 dBc.
The I/Q modulators are delivered in a 16-pin QFN package The PLL synthesizer is offered in a 16-pin TSSOP or 20-pin RGP package
KT Launches Single-Phone Service
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/tech/200403/kt2004032318173011810.htm
KT, Korea's dominant telecom company, said on Tuesday that it will introduce a new phone service that allows cordless voice and data transmissions, in its latest effort to counter a slump in sales.
The phone incorporating Bluetooth technology will allow consumers to exchange e-mail, pictures and other data with wireless devices, according to a spokesman at KT.
Customers will be able to use the phone, commercially named ``DU,'' like a fixed-line telephone at home and also like a cell phone outside using mobile networks, the spokesman said.
The service enables subscribers to send or receive calls through both traditional fixed-line and code division multiple access (CDMA) networks using a single terminal, manufactured by Samsung Electronics, the spokesman said.
KT will begin commercial operation of the service in mid-June.
03-23-2004 18:19
Qualcomm to Adjust 3G Technology
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/tech/200403/kt2004032318182212350.htm
Qualcomm, a U.S. developer of telecom technologies, plans to adjust its wireless Internet platform to work with South Korea's homegrown software for downloading images and music onto cell phones, the company's senior executive said on Tuesday.
``We are modifying our BREW technology to be compatible with Korea's WIPI standard,'' said Peggy Johnson, president of Qualcomm's Internet Services division, in an interview with Yonhap News Agency.
Qualcomm will roll out the WIPI-compatible wireless Internet platform within a couple of months, Johnson added.
The platform allows users to download applications, such as games, ring tones, entertainment and various information, onto their cell phones via the Internet.
San Diego, California-based Qualcomm, which owns core patents in code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile-phone technology, has pushed to sell its own wireless platform called BREW, or binary runtime environment for wireless, around the world.
03-23-2004 18:20
Sprint may have broadband surprise
By Bruce Meyerson
ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/business/8254492.htm
ATLANTA - The promise of high-speed wireless Internet service edged closer to reality for a larger swath of the nation Monday with a series of somewhat vague announcements at the annual cellular industry trade show.
AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless both delivered scraps of new detail about their plans to roll out true broadband speeds in at least some cities by year's end.
But more intriguing, equipment maker Samsung revealed the likely North American deployment of another broadband wireless network technology later this year by an undisclosed cellular company.
While the South Korean firm was tight-lipped about which carrier might launch the technology, known in the industry as EV-DV, the announcement was enough to prompt some educated, if not anxious, guesswork that it might come from Sprint.
Sprint reiterated Monday that it is still evaluating technologies, though it most likely will go with an EV-DV rollout by 2006.
The potential rollout would add fuel to a wireless arms race being waged by the major U.S. carriers since the fall.
The long-awaited services are intended to provide wireless downloads to a laptop between five and 10 times quicker than a dial-up connection over a regular telephone line.
Because the signals can cover an entire city, the new cellular services could provide stiff competition for Wi-Fi, which is much faster, but only carries for about 300 feet.
At $80 per month, the high-speed cellular services may be a bit pricey as a replacement for a home broadband connection such as DSL or cable modem.
But the added mobility could prove especially attractive to business users, who pay as much as $30 a month to connect with Wi-Fi at coffee shops, book stores and airport lounges.
In addition to improving laptop connections, cellular companies hope snappier data services will finally make Web surfing on a phone or handheld computer appealing, boosting sales of the multimedia handsets and services that were on display at this week's show.
Only two national cell phone companies in the United States use the "CDMA" technology standard on which EV-DV is based -- Verizon Wireless and Sprint Corp.
Since Verizon Wireless has already committed to a related technology called EV-DO, Samsung's announcement of a possible North American rollout by late fall or early winter was seen as a strong indication that Sprint may bring out EV-DV earlier than expected.
Since Sprint has generally introduced new services only when its entire network is upgraded, a launch of EV-DV could mean that Sprint will offer its customers national broadband capabilities before its rivals.
By contrast, AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless have chosen to introduce their next generation of technologies market-by-market.
On Monday, Verizon provided the first update on its January announcement that it planned to extend its rollout of EV-DO, which so far is available in Washington and San Diego. The service will be available across 30 percent of its market by year's end, executives said.
The company also announced where a major chunk of the $1 billion it is investing in the upgrade will go: $525 million to Lucent Technologies and $167 million to Nortel Networks.
AT&T Wireless, meanwhile, announced that Motorola, NEC and Nokia will deliver multimedia handsets for use with the "UMTS" technology it is deploying in four cities later this year.
Qualcomm (QCOM ): Maintains 5 STARS (buy)
Analyst: Kenneth Leon, CPA
http://yahoo.businessweek.com/investor/content/mar2004/pi20040322_7728_pi010.htm
Qualcomm announced Monday a global license agreement with UTStarcom, a global leader in Internet Protocol access technologies with a major presence in Asia. UTStarcom will pay royalties on wireless equipment that uses CDMA2000, WCDMA, or TD-SCDMA systems. S&P takes note of TD-SCDMA, in particular, since Qualcomm is in discussions with China's domestic suppliers on its legal claim to receive royalties when TD-SCDMA becomes commercial in 2005 or 2006. Last week at an analyst meeting, Qualcomm said it was confident that its patents cover TD-SCMDA. S&P's 12-month target price remains $80
I wonder how all this good news will effect the stock price??
QUALCOMM and UTStarcom Sign CDMA Subscriber Unit and Infrastructure License Agreement
Monday March 22, 7:30 am ET
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040322/lam025_1.html
SAN DIEGO, March 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM - News), pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, and UTStarcom, Inc. (Nasdaq: UTSI - News), a global leader in IP access networking and services, today announced the companies have signed a commercial CDMA subscriber unit and infrastructure license agreement. Under the terms of the worldwide royalty-bearing agreement, QUALCOMM has granted UTStarcom a patent license to develop, manufacture and sell subscriber and infrastructure equipment for use in CDMA2000®, WCDMA (UMTS) and TD-SCDMA systems. The royalties payable by UTStarcom are at QUALCOMM's standard rates and are the same irrespective of CDMA standard for which the subscriber and infrastructure equipment are sold.
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"QUALCOMM is pleased to enter into this agreement with UTStarcom, an industry leader in providing cost-efficient wireless communication solutions globally. QUALCOMM's CDMA technology and strategy enables UTStarcom to extend its existing wireless solutions to carriers throughout the world," said Marvin Blecker, senior vice president and general manager of technology licensing for QUALCOMM. "QUALCOMM continues to build on its leadership and expertise in developing and delivering end-to-end 3G solutions for all markets that enable broad product segmentation, product differentiation, and enhanced wireless applications and services."
"UTStarcom firmly believes in the future of 3G CDMA and we are pleased to work with QUALCOMM to help grow the worldwide 3G CDMA market," said Taher Behbehani, vice president of business development and strategy at UTStarcom. "This license agreement broadens UTStarcom's global wireless position, complements our existing 3G products and technologies, and opens up an attractive suite of applications that are synergistic with our Personal Access System (PAS) services in high-growth, developing worldwide markets."
UTStarcom is a global leader in IP access networking solutions and international service and support. The company sells its wireline, wireless, optical and switching solutions to operators in both fast growth and established telecommunications markets around the world. UTStarcom enables its customers to rapidly deploy revenue-generating access services using their existing infrastructure, while providing a migration path to cost-efficient end-to-end IP networks. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Alameda, California, the company has research and design operations in New Jersey, China and India. For more information about UTStarcom, visit the company's Web site at www.utstar.com.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2003 FORTUNE 500® company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market® under the ticker symbol QCOM.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the Companies' ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of CDMA components on a timely and profitable basis, the extent and speed to which CDMA is deployed, change in economic conditions of the various markets the companies serve, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the companies' SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 28, 2003, and most recent Form 10-Q.
QUALCOMM is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA USA). All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For further information, please contact: Emily Gin, Corporate Public Relations, +1-858-651-4084, publicrelations@qualcomm.com, or Bill Davidson, Investor Relations, +1-858-658-4813, ir@qualcomm.com, both of QUALCOMM; or Jeannette Bitz of Engage PR, +1-510-748-8200 ext. 207, JBitz@engagepr.com, for UTStarcom; or Chesha Kamieniecki, Investor Relations of UTStarcom, +1-510-749-1560, ckamieniecki@utstar.com.
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Source: QUALCOMM Incorporated
C.H. Robinson Selects QUALCOMM's OmniOne Mobile Communications System
Monday March 22, 7:31 am ET
CTIA Booth #3931, Hall B4
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040322/lam061_1.html
ATLANTA, March 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM - News), a leader in providing wireless data solutions, today announced that C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (Nasdaq: CHRW - News), one of North America's largest third-party logistics companies, has selected QUALCOMM's OmniOne® mobile communications system as its wireless workforce solution. C.H. Robinson will be enhancing its logistics operations with QUALCOMM's mobile communications solutions, allowing contract carriers to receive load assignments and send shipment status updates via an OmniOne system-enabled mobile phone. QUALCOMM's OmniOne system allows data to be easily integrated with a carrier's dispatch and back-office systems, helping to increase productivity and reduce the number of missed loads.
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"By implementing QUALCOMM's OmniOne solution, we expect to see immediate benefits for our company as well as our customers and carriers," said Mark Walker, vice president of transportation at C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. "The system will help our contract carriers to work more productively while on the road, and will enable us to communicate information with greater efficiency, saving time and money while improving customer service."
"We are proud to be enabling the wireless workforce for the transportation industry with a prestigious partner like C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.," said Chris Wolfe, president of QUALCOMM Wireless Business Solutions. "C.H. Robinson has very high service standards, and we are pleased that they have selected QUALCOMM's OmniOne solution for their contract carriers to realize better efficiencies throughout their third-party logistics operation."
OmniOne is a low-cost transportation application for mobile phones that provides trucking companies, affiliate fleets and subcontractors a powerful, portable communications tool that enables drivers and dispatchers to receive and send assignments, status updates and other information. OmniOne seamlessly integrates with QUALCOMM's OmniTRACS® and OmniExpress® systems as well as other back office systems, features two-way data communication, data integration, store-and-forward guaranteed messaging, and other services such as directions.
The OmniOne application is designed to run on QUALCOMM's BREW(TM) solution. The BREW system enables the development and monetization of advanced applications and content, allowing operators and OEMs to differentiate their products and services and increase revenues.
Founded in 1905, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., is a global provider of multimodal transportation services and logistics solutions, serving over 16,000 customers through a network of 158 offices in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. C.H. Robinson is one of the largest third-party logistics companies in North America, with 2003 gross revenues of $3.6 billion.
QUALCOMM is the industry's global leader in providing high-value wireless data solutions with a Network Management Center that processes more than seven million transactions each day. QUALCOMM has shipped over 500,000 QUALCOMM mobile systems to businesses in more than 39 countries on four continents.
QUALCOMM Incorporated ( www.qualcomm.com ) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2003 FORTUNE 500® company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market® under the ticker symbol QCOM.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including extent and speed to which OmniOne, OmniTRACS and OmniExpress products are deployed, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 28, 2003, and most recent Form 10-Q.
QUALCOMM, OmniOne, OmniTRACS and OmniExpress are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. BREW is a trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For further information please contact: Jennifer Briscoe, QUALCOMM Wireless Business Solutions, +1-858-658-5715, jbriscoe@qualcomm.com, or Emily Gin, Corporate Public Relations, +1-858-651-4084, publicrelations@qualcomm.com, or Bill Davidson, Investor Relations, +1-858-658-4813, ir@qualcomm.com, all of QUALCOMM Incorporated
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Source: QUALCOMM Incorporated
Applied Innovation Introduces AIbadger-RFM for Cell Site Radio Frequency Monitoring
< back
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=SVBIZINK3.story&STORY=/www/story/03-22-2004/00...
Solutions Demonstrated in Booth 3069 at CTIA Wireless
at the Georgia World Congress Center March 22-24, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Applied Innovation Inc.
(Nasdaq: AINN) today introduced AIbadger-RFM, its new solution to monitor
radio frequency (RF) devices at remote cell sites. Through automated testing,
AIbadger-RFM recreates the user voice and data experience at the cell site
level to provide network managers with key RF performance information.
Gerard B. Moersdorf, Jr., President, CEO and Chairman of Applied
Innovation said, "AIbadger-RFM extends Applied Innovation's ability to provide
intelligent wireless site management solutions to our customers. We're excited
to release a flexible product that helps wireless service providers solve a
network management issue they have been faced with for some time. We took a
new approach by looking at the challenge at an operational-level instead of
trying to solve it with a spectrum analyzer-based solution. This innovative
thinking produced a very cost-effective alternative for our customers as they
strive to improve quality while deploying advanced data services to their
customers."
Taking a more proactive approach to managing the performance of base
station elements, such as RF path integrity, improves network availability by
allowing critical maintenance to be performed before an outage occurs. With a
powerful scripting engine and flexible hardware design, AIbadger-RFM allows
technical support staff to remotely connect to a problematic cell site to
recreate the customer experience. Because of its cost-effectiveness,
AIbadger-RFM can be placed at every cell site, giving customers improved
quality of service and network managers a comprehensive view of their
networks.
Strategically placed at the cell site, AIbadger-RFM gives wireless service
providers access to all sectors and RF carriers using low loss coupling
techniques. It performs automated, non-intrusive performance tests for voice
calls, data calls including 3G and RF path integrity. In doing so, it
recreates the customer experience and alerts the network operations center of
deviations from normal cell site activity. This can be done as either a
scheduled or user-initiated action. If initiated by the user, it's performed
via an easy-to-use Web browser interface. The initial AIbadger-RFM product is
available for CDMA (code division multiple access) applications and will be
followed with a model for GSM (global system for mobile communications) users.
Applied Innovation's existing AIbadger product line is currently deployed
throughout Tier 1 wireless service providers' networks. AIbadger improves
network quality and availability, while driving operational efficiencies,
reducing operating expenses and assuring revenues critical to customers'
success.
RF monitoring will be part of live demonstrations exhibited by Applied
Innovation in Booth 3069 at Cellular Telecommunications & Internet
Association's (CTIA) Wireless 2004 show on March 22-24, 2004.
About Applied Innovation
Applied Innovation is a network management solutions company that
simplifies and enhances the operation of complex, distributed voice and data
networks. Building on a deep knowledge of network architecture, elements and
management, Applied Innovation delivers unique hardware, software and service
solutions that provide greater connectivity, visibility and control of network
elements and the systems that support them.
Applied Innovation, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, is traded on NASDAQ
under the symbol AINN. For more information, please visit the Company's Web
site at http://www.AppliedInnovation.com