Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Star Wireless ready to roll by July end
By APARNA JOSHI
Indiantelevision.com Team
(26 June 2004 2:00 pm)
http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k4/june/june213.htm
MUMBAI: Star's wireless services, thus far known by short code 7827, is to ready roll out in a charged up avatar by the end of July.
Radio City COO, Sumantra Dutta who now dons the additional hat of Star India's newly created wireless business development division, told indiantelevision.com today that 7827 will be leveraged in the coming months to provide a range of services including exclusive content from the Star stable, mobile gaming (custom made Kyunki... games, to give an example) as well as help lines and info services.
The marketing campaign for the envisaged next big revenue spinner in entertainment is likely to break in the next three weeks. "It's a good business for a broadcaster like us with television and radio content to get into, because we have the ability to talk to 200 odd million people on a daily basis, and are able to communicate about the 7827 service for tones, downloads, a whole range of service," says an enthusiastic Dutta.
7827 has been around for two years, but is going to be leveraged like nothing seen before in the next two weeks. Dutta says the decision to give 7827 a focus in terms of making a separate division for it was taken towards the beginning of the year, when it was realised that it would work. An internal project team worked on the concept for India mid 2003, with representations from Star management teams in different markets China, India, Taiwan and the Middle East, of which Sumo Dutta was a part, and where it was decided that SMS was going to have a huge business potential. A couple of months ago, says Sumo, he was given the charge of a separate division to set up to look into this business.
Star Wireless, as it is being termed, will work totally on and feed off television and radio, because the content and the ability to talk to the masses is available only through these media, which can keep reinforcing the message. There will be a large amount of non Star content that Star Wireless will provide, says Dutta
The other content offered could be linked to best deals, astrology, traffic, medical emergencies, logo downloads, wallpapers, mobile phone gaming... the list is endless.
Star Wireless will operate on a revenue share basis with cell operators in the country, all of whom have been tied in, except for BSNL, with whom talks are in progress and with Reliance for the CDMA front. "We are helping further their business," he points out, by "developing the culture of SMSing and driving mass SMSing."
Importantly, Star has the wherewithal to educate the masses about how to SMS via the airwaves, as well as push the services.
The positioning of the revamped version of 7827 will be that it is the short code of choice for the masses, and the communication in the campaign currently being worked on is that '7827 has arrived.'
The initial set of services will focus on the exclusive content that Star has. "You can interact with our shows on TV and radio, play games, contests, which in itself is a big offering," says Dutta.
The Star Wireless team will comprise just a dozen key people, because a lot of the business, as Dutta says, will be done on alliances with multiple partners.
The biggest investment apart from that in infrastructure and people will be in airtime, to educate the masses about the use of 7827, a process that will go on for a few months initially.
Talking about the growth of the division, Dutta says Star plans to target a large subset of the 200 million TV viewers who happen to be mobile phone owners. In the next six months, at least 30 per cent of the market will be cornered by 7827, and by the end of the July fiscal next year, 50 per cent of the market.
Star Wireless will not intervene with programming in any way, although Sumo says internationally the business does help ratings go up. It will help in brand recall, increase interactivity and involvement.
It will move towards a monthly subscription parameter, but right now, Star is focusing on developing mass usage of services that are offered, to check which are feasible and then put the more used ones into a package, says Dutta.
Jeff Hultman Joins Funk Ventures Advisory Board
Former CEO of AirTouch Cellular (now Verizon Wireless) joins the advisory board of private equity and venture capital firm Funk Ventures
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2004/6/emw136802.htm
Canoga Park, CA (PRWEB) June 26, 2004 -- Private equity and venture capital firm Funk Ventures announced today that Jeffrey Hultman, former CEO of AirTouch Cellular (now Verizon Wireless), has joined its advisory board.
The firm’s advisory board was established earlier this year to help Funk Ventures hone the strategies of its various business units based on the expertise of a group that comprises knowledgeable and successful executives in industries most influential to its business.
“We are tremendously excited to have Mr. Hultman join our advisory board,” said Funk Ventures CEO and Chairman Andy J. Funk. “His background in the wireless and telecommunication markets is unparalleled and his participation as an active advisor to Funk Ventures provides the company with an invaluable resource”.
As Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Hultman grew AirTouch Cellular to over $1 billion in revenues. He partnered with Qualcomm to create CDMA technology as an industry standard and led the determining effort in winning the West German D2 license to compete against the Bundespost as the nation’s second cellular service provider. At Dial Page, Mr. Hultman raised over $50 million in private equity, executed 14 acquisitions, and let a successful IPO. He also worked with Motorola to develop IDEN technology, sold off Dial Page’s paging operations for $187 million to MobileMedia Communications and completed a stock merger with Nextel Communications valued at $850 million.
About Funk Ventures
Funk Ventures is a multi-faceted private equity firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm’s business segments span from venture capital and investment banking to real estate and business services. The firm’s venture capital arm, which makes value-add investments in promising companies in the technology, wellness and education markets, is complemented by an investment banking unit which provides access to outside capital to private and emerging companies. Funk Ventures also develops and invests in real estate and runs a business services unit that provides professional and advisory services to its clientele and portfolio companies.
For more information, visit www.funkventures.com or call (818) 716-0413. Funk Ventures is a registered trademark of Funk Ventures, Inc.
Qualcomm "peer perform"
Friday, June 25, 2004 11:48:04 AM ET
Bear Stearns
http://www.newratings.com/new2/beta/article_437604.html
NEW YORK, June 25 (New Ratings) — Analyst Wojtek Uzdelewicz of Bear Stearns issues a "peer perform" rating on Qualcomm (QCOM.NAS).
Shares of Qualcomm, a global provider of CDMA technology based digital wireless telecom equipment and related services, are currently trading at $68.66.
Most popular stories:
Taser International "market perform," estimates raised 06/25/04
Credit Suisse "buy" 06/25/04
Novell "neutral," target price reduced 06/25/04
Akzo Nobel upgraded to "hold" 06/25/04
Order growth of global tech durable goods likely to slow down 06/25/04
more...
According to Bear Stearns’ research note published this morning, Qualcomm’s business momentum is progressing in-line with expectations in the current quarter. The analyst mentions that the overall CDMA market trends have remained marginally sluggish in 2Q04, as compared to the previous quarter. However, Bear Stearns expects the company’s overall average selling price to remain sequentially flat in 3Q FY04, since the European WCDMA orders are likely to offset weakness in the Japan and Korea CDMA markets.
The analyst expects Qualcomm to benefit considerably in the near term from the upcoming WCDMA orders from Vodafone, Telecom Italia Mobile and T-Mobile. The company is unlikely to exceed the earnings estimates in the remaining quarters this fiscal year, Bear Stearns says.
The EPS estimates for 3Q FY05 and FY05 are $0.54 and $2.35, respectively.
Bear Stearns issues a "peer perform" rating on Qualcomm.
LG Glows Over Sales Report But Faces Battery Recall
[This story updated at 6:30 p.m. EDT, June 25, 2004]
By Karen Brown
June 25, 2004
news@2 direct
http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=document&doc_id=134203&verticalID=34&vertic...
It's a case of good news, bad news for LG Electronics. While the handset maker is glowing about an analyst report placing it on top of the U.S. CDMA mobile phone sales list, it also is dealing with a battery recall issued by Verizon Wireless.
Earlier this week, LG got a big boost in the prestige department from analyst firm IDC, which named it the top-selling brand of CDMA phones in the U.S. market and third place overall for the first quarter of 2004. IDC numbers indicate LG sold 3 million units in the quarter, claiming a 26.8 percent share of the U.S. market.
But on the downside, LG today is dealing with the announcement Verizon is recalling about 50,000 LG cell phone batteries after several incidents where the packs exploded or overheated. The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s alert states that some of the batteries "may be counterfeit." An LG spokesman says all of the batteries in question are counterfeit.
Verizon voluntarily notified the Consumer Product Safety Commission of the problems with the phone batteries, sold between August 2002 through November 2003.
Not all of the batteries sold in that time frame are affected -- the target power packs have label codes "AEMLLL 02220," "AEMMHH 02220," "AEMLLL 02X25H" or "AEMMHH 02725." The batteries in question apparently do not have a safety mechanism that prevents them from overheating if they are overcharged. In most of the 18 cases reported, the result has been property damage -- either in burned car seats or possessions. One or two of the incidents involved personal injury, and "they were very, very minor," said Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney.
"We are still doing an investigation, but we are working from the premise that these are counterfeit batteries that were somehow introduced into our distribution channel," she said. "We are investigating exactly where those came from. We have already stopped doing business with the supplier of the battery."
Verizon only works with major manufacturers, but it isn't uncommon when dealing with large handset orders for these manufacturers to tap sub-contractors, Raney added.
Verizon customers who find their batteries are on the recall list are advised not to use the handset until the battery is replaced. To do so, they can call Verizon Wireless at 888-351-2121 between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday or log on to the company's Website at www.vzwshop.com/lgbattery.
Globalstar increase ARC coverage
Phones make big difference
ARC news
http://www.rallysportnews.com.au/cms/A_101825/article.html
Globalstar has brought rallying into the telecommunications spotlight delivering another winning instalment to the Globalstar Australian Rally Championship. Globalstar has had a positive impact on the national series, introducing its benchmark Mobile everywhere service and its new dual mode CDMA/Satellite Qualcomm mobile phone to competitors, team managers, emergency service crew and other personnel involved in the series.
Never before have all these groups have access to mobile phone communications in the middle of some of the most remote forests throughout Australia. With just one handset the new mobile phone uniquely uses Code Divisional Multiple Access (CDMA) and Satellite communications technology provides 100% Mobile everywhere coverage over Australia’s landmass.
The package valued in excess of $40,000.00 includes a total of 18 new Qualcomm GSP1600’s and free access fees for the championship events.
“Rallying is a sport that is run in remote areas throughout Australia and finding effective communications for the event organisers, competing teams and the emergency services crews involved in the sport has, until now, been quite difficult. Introducing the Mobile everywhere technology into the championship not only improves the communication systems within the events, but also demonstrates the strength of the technology in a demanding environment” Globalstar Managing Director Peter Bolger explained.
The technology is a godsend for Motorsport Safety and Rescue (MSR), the emergency services provider for the championship. MSR Director Geoff Becker says the new phones, which are used as the primary source of communication, are just what the doctor ordered.
“The Globalstar phones have been a godsend. They have given us 100% communication at all times and when you’re doing the sort of job we’re doing, that’s vital. “The phones have increased our flexibility within the emergency teams and improved the confidentiality of the incidents we deal with. Communication between our First
Intervention Vehicles (FIVs) and our doctor is better because we’re can discuss sensitive information confidentially, rather than over the radio networks we have previously used. That confidentiality from a medical point of view is essential.
“And because we have people at the start of every stage, the phones also act as a back up for the event, in case there are problems with the radio communications,” Becker explained.
Globalstar plans to deliver the remaining mobile phones to event officials at the next round of the championship, the Subaru Safari Tasmania which takes place this weekend (June 25-27) in the forests near Hobart. Subaru Safari Tasmania event Director Brian Richardson is pleased the Mobile everywhere technology is heading south and says a phone that provides 100% coverage could well have applications for a range of wider industries within Tasmania.
“We’re very pleased with Globalstar’s involvement in the championship but the real strength of their involvement in the Globalstar ARC is the provision of technology that solves a significant communication problem. The phones not only give us convenience of effective communication but for guys like Geoff Becker and the MSR Team, it seems the Globalstar phones are a necessity. I think there will be a lot of people very interested in what this new technology has to offer,” Richardson said.
The Globalstar crew hits the Subaru Safari Tasmania next week in the lead up to the two day event which is run in the forests south of Hobart. Subaru Safari Tasmania is the third round of the Globalstar ARC and as the third round of six, is a vital event in the championship. The event kicks off on Friday night at Parliament House in Salamanca Place
http://www.rallysportnews.com.au/cms/A_101825/article.html
LogicaCMG wins Rs 25 cr Tata Tele deal
The contract involves the implementation of CDMA -based next generation Short Messaging Solution Centre (SMSC) for Tata Teleservices.
Thursday, June 24, 2004
http://www.ciol.com/content/news/2004/104062405.asp
BANGALORE: LogicaCMG has won a Rs 25 crore ($6 million) contract from Tata Teleservices to implement a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)-based next generation Short Messaging Solution Centre (SMSC) for Tata Teleservices Ltd. (TTL), one of the leading mobile telecoms operators in India.
Tata Teleservices will implement the SMSC to enhance its capability to offer reliable short messaging services (SMS) to subscribers. The company's growing subscriber base will benefit from the improved quality of service in messaging services, in addition to its existing voice services.
Tata Teleservices selected LogicaCMG's SMSC as it offers flexible and completely scalable solutions to meet various operating requirements. LogicaCMG's ongoing technical support offered for TTL's existing Unified Messaging Solution (UMS), implemented in February 2003, was also an important factor influencing the decision.
Mr. S. Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, Tata Teleservices, said, "We are aggressively promoting our services across all our circles in the country under the 'Tata Indicom' brand. Short Messaging Services (SMS) is one of the most popular offerings amongst our customers in the fast-growing and competitive mobile telecommunications market. This implementation will position us to launch new, value-added SMS services that differentiate us from our competitors."
Kannan Ramaswamy, managing director for LogicaCMG in India and SAARC commented, "The contract with Tata Teleservices is of great significance to us as it strengthens our presence in the CDMA messaging market. Customers in India will enjoy immediate benefits as our partnership with Tata Teleservices takes effect in the coming months. LogicaCMG has a proven track record for delivering critical messaging solutions that deliver significant return on investment for operators, whilst maintaining a quality end-user experience," he added.
CIOL Bureau
Samsung to Sell CDMA Java Phone to China Unicom
http://www.telecomskorea.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=220&Itemid=2
Thursday, 24 June 2004
Samsung Electronics said June 24 that it will export Java phone (SCH-X859) to China, the first of its kind in the country’s CDMA market.
The Java phone, jointly developed by Samsung and China Unicom, is likely to be the first mobile phone that embraced a Java platform named “Unija”.
Samsung expects its SCH-X859 to be a representative CDMA handset of the Chinese market as China Unicom selected it as a strategic model in expanding CDMA market.
By Seong-ju Lee
Upgrade your Treo's battery
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tue Jun 22, 2004 - 10:29 PM EDT - By Michael Ducker
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://treocentral.com/content/Stories/351-1.htm
PdaParts.com (formally GetHighTech.com) now has instock an internal replacement battery for the Treo 600 that they claim will boost battery life by 25%-35%. The battery is a high capacity Lithium-Ion 3.7volt, 2000 mAh internal battery, and works with both GSM and Sprint Treos. The replacement battery costs $49.99.
This battery is a do-it-yourself upgrade. Taking apart your Treo 600 will void its warrenty, and should only be done by someone who knows what they are doing. That said, PdaParts.com does provide an illustrated step by step guide to installing the battery, and they also sell the hard to find Torx screwdrivers for $9.99, and a tool to open the Treo's plastic case for $4.99. (This is the hardest part of opening any PDA - you can snap the the plastic tabs that hold the case together, or you can worse, rip cables that are near the edge of the case.)
The claims of 25-35% more battery life seem slightly extreme, given that the current Treo 600 has a 1800 mAh battery built in. Strictly by mAh, this new battery only has 11% more power available than the previous one. Still, a 25% increase of battery life would yield a 7.5 hour talk time for the GSM Treo 600, and a 5 hour talk time for CDMA Treo 600 - and days of standby time for both. PalmOne does sell an external battery for the Treo 600 (available online for about $50), however its bulky size will likely dissuade most users who are looking for that extra hour
China Reiterates It Has No Timeframe For 3G Licenses
BEIJING (Dow Jones)--China is yet to set a timeframe for issuing third-generation mobile communication licenses, but products for a homegrown standard would be ready for use by mid next year, a senior Chinese official said, echoing earlier statements on the issue.
http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/040623/15/3l8ei.html
"Right now, all the (timing) predictions are unscientific," as field trials for 3G are still on, Lou Qinjian, a vice minister at the Ministry of Information Industry, said. "The issue of 3G licenses depends on product, market and business development."
Lou spoke late Tuesday after a press conference by China Putian Corp., the country's biggest telecommunications equipment maker, and Canada's Nortel Networks Corp. (NT). The two firms signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and manufacture 3G equipment for TD-SCDMA, or Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple access, and WCDMA, or Wideband CDMA.
Lou's statements signal strong government support for the homegrown TD-SCDMA standard and its intent to ensure its commercial viability, said analysts.
In April, MII Minister Wang Xudong said promotion of 3G would depend on the technology's maturity and market demand.
China is conducting field tests on all three internationally recognized 3G standards - TD-SCDMA, jointly developed by state-owned Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Co. and Germany's Siemens AG (SI); WCDMA which builds on the Global System for Mobile Communication network widely used in Europe; and CDMA2000, which is based on the CDMA standard popular in the U.S.
The trials, scheduled to be completed in September, are progressing "quite well," Lou said.
Based on the current situation, TD-SCDMA technology and products would be ready by June next year, Lou said.
The vice minister's comments confirm those made by an official from the MII's China Academy of Telecommunications Research. In February, the official told Dow Jones Newswires that China aims to have its homegrown 3G standard in operation around mid-2005, the first mention by regulators of a target date.
3G Licenses Unlikely In 1H 2005
During Tuesday's press conference, Zhang Qi, another MII official, said chips for TD-SCDMA handsets were ready in April, and tests of the TD-SCDMA technology and equipment have been successful.
"I am confident that by June next year, a full range of TD-SCDMA products will be ready for commercial use (and) won't be a factor delaying operators' construction of 3G networks," said Zhang, director-general of the Department of Electronics and Information Product Administration.
Liu Bin, analyst at Beijing-based BDA China Ltd., said Zhang's remarks, as well as the recent comments by MII officials, show the government's support for the homegrown technology.
"The likelihood of 3G licenses being issued in the first half of 2005 remains small," Liu said Wednesday, adding that current domestic demand for 3G is limited, and the technology is yet to prove itself in other parts of the world.
According to some industry players, China is taking its time to issue 3G licenses in part to ensure commercial viability of TD-SCDMA, which is yet to be deployed in any market.
Telecom firms are eager for China to issue 3G licenses as that would lead to contracts worth billions of dollars.
Zhang said that in July government-backed Commit Incorporated would produce TD-SCDMA chips for commercial use.
She said Lenovo Group Ltd. (0992.HK), Ningbo Bird Co. (600130.SH), Hisense Electric Co. (600060.SH) and Amoi Electronics Co. (600057.SH) are among companies developing TD-SCDMA handsets, and it would take at least five to six months for them to make TD-SCDMA phones.
"In June 2005, we will commercially launch at least five models of TD-SCDMA phones," she said.
Zhang said the phones would be dual mode and usable between TD-SCDMA and GSM/GPRS networks.
GPRS, or General Packet Radio Service, is a so-called 2.5G technology that offers faster data transmission through GSM networks.
The update on TD-SCDMA from the two MII officials follows news that the MII has blessed an agreement between industry groups TD-SCDMA Forum and GSM Association to cooperate on developing the 3G standards they support.
Last week, the groups said they would try to ensure interoperability and international roaming between WCDMA and TD-SCDMA, a move that could help smooth the path for China to issue 3G licenses.
WCDMA and TD-SCDMA are regarded as technologically compatible.
UPS Starts European Deployment Of Its Latest Wireless Technology
http://www.wi-fitechnology.com/displayarticle1257.html
FRANKFURT, Germany, -/June 23, 2004 - The Wi-Fi Technology Forum/- UPS (NYSE:UPS) announced it will begin deploying wireless technologies, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, to package facilities and drivers in Europe to ensure customers continue to have the most up-to-the-minute tracking information available at all times.
The first part of the deployment will occur inside UPS sorting centers and hubs. It involves pager-sized Bluetooth scanners, worn on the middle finger, which send package tracking data to small Wi-Fi (802.11b) terminals worn on the waist by package sorters. The Wi-Fi devices then send the tracking data to UPS’s computer network, where it can be accessed by customers.
“Our ultimate aim is to treat each UPS customer as if it is the only UPS customer,” said Ken Lacy, UPS’s chief information officer. “The wireless technology UPS is deploying today is laying the groundwork for the company to develop better operational software applications, which will allow us to offer new customized solutions to our customers while reducing our operational costs.”
The new global scanning system is one of the freshest technologies in UPS’s worldwide operation. When the enterprise-wide deployment is completed in 2007, UPS will have streamlined and standardized more than 55,000 ring scanners in 118 countries; integrated a number of UPS scanning applications into one, improved information flow, and decreased the cost of ownership.
By eliminating the cables that connect the ring scanners to the wearable terminals, UPS expects a 30 percent reduction in equipment and repair costs, as well as a 35 percent reduction in downtime and a 35 percent reduction in the amount of spare equipment needed.
As part of the global deployment, UPS will install as many as 12,000 Wi-Fi access points in more than 2,000 facilities. The resulting Wi-Fi network is expected to be one of the largest in the world.
The deployment of the wireless scanning systems will be further boosted by the rollout of the newest hand-held computer to UPS’s delivery drivers. The DIAD IV (Delivery Information Acquisition Device), currently in field trials in the United States, is the first handheld computer to include wireless connectivity options for personal (Bluetooth), local (Wi-Fi) and wide-area networks (GPRS or CDMA). Other innovative features include:
A Global Positioning System (GPS) capability that will give drivers more detailed directions to customer pick-up or delivery points.
A color screen that accommodates color coding of messages to drivers and displays information in a more attractive fashion for customers.
An acoustical radio modem to facilitate dial-up access if necessary.
An optical modem to enable transmission within a UPS center.
UPS began pilot testing the Bluetooth ring scanner and Wi-Fi terminal application in Europe earlier this month in Munich, Germany. The company now is launching another pilot test in Hamburg. UPS anticipates deploying the application at 73 sites in Europe by the end of 2005 and also will start deploying the DIAD IV in Germany next year. The company anticipates having 10,000 DIAD IVs deployed in Europe in 2005 and more than 70,000 worldwide by the end of 2007.
UPS is the world's largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain services, offering an extensive range of options for synchronizing the movement of goods, information and funds. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., UPS serves more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. UPS's stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange (UPS), and the company can be found on the Web at http://www.UPS.com.
CDMA operators to get more frequency
Wednesday, 23 June , 2004, 07:50
The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) is set to allocate additional radio frequency to Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) based mobile operators only if the operators have a minimum subscriber base of four lakh in metro circles and between five lakh and seven lakh subscribers in non-metro areas.
The policy is in line with the spectrum allocation plan followed in the case of GSM (Global System for Mobile) based cellular operators who are also given fresh radio frequency upon reaching a specified user base.
CDMA-based operators are, however, not too happy with the move since the operators have not reached the prescribed subscriber limit in most circles. Reliance Infocomm would probably be the only operator to get fresh spectrum and that too, only in metro circles where it has got more than four lakh subscribers.
At present, CDMA operators are given 2.5 Mhz of radio frequency. The CDMA operators have been demanding that their share should be increased to the levels of GSM-based cellular operators, which get an average of 6.2 Mhz per circle.
As per the decision taken by the Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) wing of the DoT, CDMA operators will be allocated radio frequency in two phases. The first phase would be released when the operators attain a subscriber base of four lakh in metros circles, seven lakh in Circle A States, 5 lakh in Circle B States, and four lakh in Circle C States. The second chunk would be released once the operators reach a subscriber base of eight lakh in metro circle, 14 lakh in Circle A States, 10 lakh in Circle B States, and eight lakh in Circle C States.
DoT had set up a special committee under a Member (Technology) of the Telecom Commission for working out the details. The decision taken by the committee will be vetted by the full Telecom Commission.
Meanwhile, the Association of Basic Telecom Operators has shot off a note to the Chairman, Telecom Commission, that the industry was not consulted before arriving at the spectrum allocation formula. It has also said that since the telecom regulator was also looking into spectrum related issues, the move by DoT would "amount to subverting the consultation process and making any recommendations infructuous."
Tata Teleservices, the second largest CDMA operator in the country, has also written to DoT saying that the decision of the WPC was a matter of great concern.
http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=13504115
Qualcomm Stock Gains on Sprint Announcement
http://www.sandiego.com/sdbusiness.jsp?id=319
Wireless carrier commits to EV-DO 3G technology
06/22/2004
by Larry M Edwards
SAN DIEGO -- Qualcomm Inc.'s stock gained nearly four percent today after wireless carrier Sprint unveiled plans to begin deploying high-speed technology across its digital PCS networks later this year.
Sprint, based in Overland Park, Kan., said it will use technology based on the CDMA20001x EV-DO wireless standard, for which Qualcomm is already producing chipsets.
In a note to clients, analyst Tim Luke of Lehman Brothers said Sprint's technology choice will be a boost for Qualcomm.
Qualcomm shares (Nasdaq: QCOM) gained $2.46, or 3.7 percent, to close at $67.95 today. The 52-week range is $34.33 to $69.86 a share. The firm has a market cap of $55.05 billion.
With average user speeds of 300 to 500 kilobits per second, and peak rates of up to 2.4 Megabits per second for downloads, EV-DO (Evolution-Data-Optimized) technology will accelerate mobile device data speeds up to 10 times faster than on the current network, Sprint officials said.
"Imagine downloading music, videos and games to your wireless handset or laptop in a fraction of the time it takes today," said Len Lauer, Sprint president and chief operating officer. "Or download your company's product inventory or a spreadsheet of a couple hundred kilobytes in a matter of seconds. EV-DO makes it possible."
Sprint is joining other wireless carriers across the nation that are rolling out the so-called third-generation, or 3G, telecommunications networks, which provide faster mobile Internet access for downloading software applications, images and 3D games, as well as audio and video files.
Verizon Wireless rolled out its first 3G networks last year in San Diego and Washington, D.C., using Qualcomm's EV-DO technology.
Not the only game in town
But EV-DO is not the only wireless broadband technology in town, nor is Qualcomm the only one producing it. Competitor Texas Instruments Inc. is also producing EV-DO chipsets, and earlier this month TI and STMicroelectronics NV, Europe's largest semiconductor maker, said they are producing samples of EV-DV (Evolution-Data-Voice) chips, the next step up from EV-DO.
There is also a competing standard, known as W-CDMA (wideband code division multiple access), being used to upgrade networks based on the world's leading wireless standard, GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service).
Even though Verizon has already deployed Qualcomm's EV-DO technology on a limited basis, on June 11 the nation's largest wireless company said it is considering switching to W-CDMA when it upgrades its remaining networks later this year.
Qualcomm is also making W-CDMA chipsets, but the competition in that arena is greater than with its flagship CDMA technology, for which it holds dozens of patents. (Although the acronyms are similar, W-CDMA is a rival technology that operates on a different radio frequency.)
Meanwhile, Sprint appears committed to EV-DO and expects to make its initial service available in select U.S. markets in the second half of 2004 and launch in the majority of top metropolitan markets in 2005.
Sprint's migration to EV-DO will be relatively simple, the company said, requiring no "forklift upgrades" to its wireless network. Because of the network design, Sprint can upgrade cell sites simply by adding a new channel card and an additional RF carrier without having to replace the existing infrastructure.
In coming months, Sprint, which operates in San Diego, will announce the markets included in the initial launch. To take advantage of the higher speeds that EV-DO offers, customers will have to purchase EV-DO-enabled handsets and Sprint PCS Connection Cards.
Consumers want practical applications
How successful the carriers will be at marketing these new services remains to be seen however, and at least one industry analyst is skeptical.
Strategy Analytics, in a report published in January, said the push for wireless services is being led almost entirely by the service providers themselves, not the end user as the carriers claim.
The survey results "highlight an overwhelming interest across consumer segments in services that have a practical application rather than the infotainment services upon which operators and solutions vendors are currently focused," said Nitesh Patel, author of the report.
"The voice of the consumer is sometimes overlooked, along with the necessity of matching services to the needs of end users," he said. "The survey further highlights the commercial challenges faced by service providers in driving demand within demographic segments that have a high ability to pay rather than just the youth market, whose interest in value-added services is well known."
No Free Ride for Freescale Semiconductor Page 3
http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/tech/techspecial/10167070_3.html
Freescale embarked on a rigorous restructuring program to stem its losses, cutting its manufacturing facilities from 22 to nine and partnering with peers to reduce R&D spending. The company slashed its payroll by 35%, leaving it with a staff of 22,000 worldwide.
By 2003, Freescale had managed to narrow its loss to $366 million (on sales of $4.9 billion), and in just the past two quarters it has swung into the black.
In the first quarter of 2004, Motorola's chip division delivered net earnings of $106 million on $1.4 billion in sales.
In Monday's filing, Freescale said it anticipates net sales for the second quarter ending July 3 to range between $1.4 billion and $1.5 billion, compared with net sales of $1.1 billion for the same period a year ago.
Thomson First Call does not yet carry estimates for the company.
The latest skinny on the IPO belies earlier chatter that Motorola might pull the deal. In the wake of two profitable quarters, some thought the handset maker might decide to keep the chipmaker within the fold to boost the parent company's performance. Also, the spinoff was the brainchild of former CEO Chris Galvin, who's since been replaced by Ed Zander.
Motorola's announcement in May that it had tapped an outsider to run the division -- Michel Mayer, most recently head of IBM's (IBM:NYSE - commentary - research) microelectronics division -- also underscored the handset maker was serious about spinning off the unit.
Expect to hear more detail when the roadshow gets under way in coming weeks. But it's clear Freescale will face a skeptical audience, with the chipmaker facing off against hardened competitors in a broader semi market still stuck in limbo
No Free Ride for Freescale Semiconductor Page 2
http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/tech/techspecial/10167070_2.html
Eight-bit microprocessors are simple commodity chips used in devices such as car radios and washing machines.
Second, Freescale needs to make a case that it can fend off competition in WCDMA (wideband code division multiple access) chipsets. "Motorola's done really well in early WCDMA rollouts, but they're basically voice-only chipsets," Diggins observed. "When they really have to start ramping them up and need to innovate and mass produce at lower and lower prices, can they keep up with Qualcomm?"
On that front, one recent historical parallel is not encouraging. Motorola initially sourced CDMA chipsets from its internal unit, but the handset maker ultimately "fired its own chip company" and chose Qualcomm to supply the chips, Diggins noted. "The risk is they will do the same thing on WCDMA." (Diggins' fund is also long Microchip and Qualcomm (QCOM:Nasdaq - commentary - research).)
WCDMA is a high-speed cell-phone technology able to offer faster data transmission than the wireless standard known as CDMA, or code division multiple access.
Family Ties Aren't Binding
Founded in 1953, Motorola's semiconductor arm makes embedded processors used in the auto, networking and wireless communication industries. Its biggest customer is parent Motorola, which accounted for 23% of sales in 2003. Motorola has pledged to buy the vast majority of its cellular baseband chips from Freescale (except those based on CDMA technologies not designed by Freescale) through 2006; thereafter, the parent company is free to source from wherever it chooses.
Freescale has only recently returned to financial health after suffering a string of massive losses in the early 2000s. The chip operation was hit hard after it made ill-timed heavy investments in manufacturing in the late 1990s, just before the semiconductor market tanked. In 2001, on the heels of the tech bust, the division oozed $2.2 billion in red ink.
Go to NEXT PAGE
No Free Ride for Freescale Semiconductor Page1
By K.C. Swanson
TheStreet.com Staff Reporter
6/22/2004 6:59 AM EDT
http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/tech/techspecial/10167070.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&cm_i...
Motorola (MOT:NYSE - commentary - research) stunned a jaded Wall Street earlier this year with a barnburner first quarter. But with many investors awaiting more evidence on the cell-phone giant's turnaround, the question is whether Motorola's offspring, Freescale Semiconductor, can win support as it strikes out on its own.
In a regulatory filing Monday, the Austin, Texas-based chipmaker said it will issue 121.6 million shares priced between $17.50 and $19.50; Freescale plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "FSL."
The underwriting syndicate will be led by Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and J.P. Morgan.
Based on current terms, the presumptive Motorola spinoff is valued at up to $2.7 billion, which would make Freescale the second-biggest IPO to hit the market this year. Last month, General Electric (GE:NYSE - commentary - research) spun off its life insurance and mortgage unit, Genworth Financial (GNW:NYSE - commentary - research), in a $2.8 billion offering.
Freescale has yet to make its formal pitch to investors, but some Motorola shareholders expect the offering probably will occur sometime in July.
Regardless of the timing, Freescale likely will debut to a somewhat skeptical IPO market. "For Genworth, they had to cut the price to get it done, and it opened below right off the bat," noted John Fitzgibbon, editor of the IPO news site 123jump.com. (The stock managed to close flat on its first day of trading and was up nearly 10% from its $19.50 offering price as of Monday's close.)
Another hefty tech deal this spring, the $1.8 billion IPO of China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC:Nasdaq ADR - commentary - research) finished down 11% on its first day of trading. As of Monday's close, the stock has fallen 36.6% from its $17 debut price.
Fund manager Bernard Diggins, who owns 1.3 million shares of Motorola in the Chesapeake Growth fund, said Freescale executives will need to make a case on two fronts in the road show. First, investors will want to see how the company aims to win back share in the eight-bit microprocessor market -- an area in which it has ceded its dominance to Microchip Technology (MCHP:Nasdaq - commentary - research).
Go to NEXT PAGE
Reuters
UPDATE - China sees its own 3G ready by mid-2005
Tuesday June 22, 6:44 am ET
http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040622/telecoms_china_3g_1.html
(Adds quotes, details, background)
BEIJING, June 22 (Reuters) - China will be ready for a full commercial launch of its controversial, homegrown third-generation mobile phone standard by June 2005, a senior telecoms official said on Tuesday.
Analysts say the telecoms regulator has been waiting for the relatively young standard, also backed by Germany's Siemens AG (XETRA:SIEGn.DE - News), to be commercially ready before issuing 3G licences to mobile operators.
The Chinese technology, known as TD-SCDMA, is a competitor for the U.S. CDMA2000 system, backed by Qualcomm Inc (NasdaqNM:QCOM - News; Toronto:NT.TO - News), and Europe's WCDMA, supported by Ericsson (Stockholm:ERICb.ST - News) and Nokia (NOK1V.HE).
Zhang Qi, a senior official at the Ministry of Information Industry, said a full range of products designed to fit with the mobile standard would be available for commercial use by then.
"Right now, everything from the chips to the handset to the base stations has been tested successfully," she told a news conference. "I'm very confident that by June 2005, we will successfully launch a completely domestically made (TD-SCDMA) handset."
"The launch won't cause mobile operators to have to delay construction of their 3G networks," she added.
The licences are expected to be issued to mobile phone firms China Mobile and China Unicom, and even possibly fixed-line operators China Telecom and China Netcom.
How and when the Chinese government issues 3G licences will help determine which equipment makers grab billions of dollars in contracts likely to be awarded by mobile phone companies.
Zhang, a veteran at the telecoms regulator, said chips developed for the TD-SCDMA phone were ready in April 2004. The mobile phones would all be dual-mode, which means they can run on TD-SCDMA and either the CDMA2000 or WCDMA standards, she said.
"In May or June of 2005, China will launch at least five to six cellphones models based on TD-SCDMA with homegrown chips," she said.
She did not say which Western 3G standard the mobile phones would also work on. The phones will be made by a Shanghai-based firm called Spreadtrum Communications Inc.
Cisco debuts metro area wireless gear
By Mobile Pipeline News
CommsDesign.com
Jun 22, 2004
http://www.commsdesign.com/news/market_news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=22101251
Just in time to be a factor in what could become the largest municipal wireless deployment ever, Cisco Systems has started offering a series of infrastructure products that enable deployment of wireless networks for public agencies that cover entire metropolitan areas.
The company said the solution leverages its Aironet outdoor WLAN infrastructure products such as its Aironet 1300 outdoor access point/bridges and its Aironet 1400 outdoor wireless bridge. It also uses its Cisco 3200 series routers with a new mobile interface card that supports wireless local area and wide area networks.
The combination not only support 802.11 wireless LANs, but also other transmission methods such as cellular and satellite connectivity, the company said a statement. It will support uninterrupted connections even in moving vehicles, the company said.
The announcement comes on the heels of media reports late last week that New York City is looking for bids for a city-wide wireless network to support its public safety agencies and employees. Some reports estimated the value of the project at between $500 million and $1 billion.
While Cisco did not mention New York City by name, it did mention that it has provided infrastructure products in other municipalities, including Cook County, Illinois.
Cisco's solution uses 802.11a/b/g. However, press reports last week indicated that some vendors, such as Lucent Technologies, are suggesting the best solution is high-speed cellular data solutions such as CDMA-based EV-DO.
Telecom sector growing steadily
By Chen Zhiming (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-06-22 08:45
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-06/22/content_341401.htm
China's mobile phone subscribers topped 300 million at the end of May, the Ministry of Information Industry announced yesterday.
The figure is approximately equal to the population of the United States.
According to the country's telecom watchdog, business revenue from the telecom industry accomplished 210.36 billion yuan (US$25.3 billion) in the first five months of the year, representing a growth of 13.4 per cent from the same period last year.
At the same time, fixed-line telephone users reached 290 million with 192 million urban users and the remainder in rural areas.
"The surging numbers reflect the country's telecom industry successfully maintaining steady development despite fiercer market competition," said Dai Chunrong, an analyst with Huaxia Securities.
Newly-recruited mobile subscribers in May stood at 4.8 million. Dai expected the country to register more than 60 million new mobile subscribers this year.
"The growth is reasonable though we expect tougher competition in the Chinese market in the next few months," she said.
To grab a larger market share, both China Mobile and China Unicom are making great efforts to consolidate market share as well as to attract new subscribers from the beginning of the year.
The latest move from China Unicom, for example, is to introduce dual-mode mobile services catering to the demands of high-end subscribers.
"We are very confident about the new service as it enables our customers to enjoy services from both our networks and provides a new communications experience," said Yu Yingtao, deputy general manager of the marketing department of China Unicom, last week in Beijing.
Under the brand name "World Wind," the dual-mode mobile phone service supporting GSM and CDMA (code division multiple access) networks enables users to transfer from GSM and CDMA networks automatically.
China Unicom is the only telecom operator in the country that runs the two different networks.
China Mobile will introduce a new service, characterized by a SIM (subscriber identity module) card for several phone numbers.
By integrating several phone numbers into one SIM card, subscribers can avoid paying roaming fees by using different numbers in different locations.
"Tougher competition has thus become unavoidable as all the telecom operators want to gain a firm foothold as well as make more profits," said Zeng Jianqiu, a professor with Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications.
"Nowadays, the key issue in the face of telecom operators is not only the numbers in its customer pool, but how to improve their profits," he said.
He said he believes wireless data-based services will be a key factor driving up their profits.
Both the duopoly mobile operators' annual reports show that profits made from wireless value-added services are gaining great momentum.
Analysts predicted that the sales of wireless value-added services is likely to reach US$300 million by the end of this year.
Telstra announces pricing for Push to Talk
Print this article
Email to a friend
Sydney
June 22, 2004
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/22/1087844906231.html?oneclick=true
Telstra Corp has announced the launch of new mobile phones that can be used like walkie-talkies.
The Push To talk service is only available for Telstra customers who have the required handset. Instead of dialling a number to start a conversation, the caller selects the person or preset group of people they want to contact. They hold down a button and speak into the handset. The recipients can hear the caller's voice via the loud speaker on their compatible handset.
Callers can pay $50 a month for unlimited usage or pay only for the time when they hold down the button to speak, charged at one cent per second when talking to just one person or two cents per second when talking to a group.
Telstra said it had been trialling the service with business customers such as Becton, Accor Asia Pacific, Mornington Peninsular Shire Council, and Alpine Shire Council.
Telstra's mobile sales and solutions director Murray Bergin said the service would be ideal for businesses currently using two way radios to communicate.
The system uses the "always on" GPRS technology within Telstra's existing GSM mobile network, and conventional dialled calls may also be made on the new handsets. The CDMA network, used mainly to cover regional areas, will be switched into push-to-talk towards the end of this year.
Most customers of the new technology are expected to be business users.
- With Garry Barker and agencies
Qualcomm Says, "Korea will be the Winner Again"
June 21, 2004 - source: Telecoms Korea
http://www.3gnewsroom.com/3g_news/jun_04/news_4623.shtml
Qualcomm, pioneer and world leader of CDMA digital wireless technology, projected that Samsung and LG will still remain as dominant forces in WCDMA market.
Qualcomm China Vice President & General Manager, David Hind said in the CommunicAsia 2004 Summit on June 17," Korean mobile carriers have been successful in value chain management. They are likely to further enhance their presence on that experience."
He went on to say," Within a few years, we'll see the second Nokia and Samsung emerging in the Chinese market. In particular, by 2006, China will produce two out of three cell phones of the world."
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. ("ACS") (Nasdaq:ALSK) today announced the introduction of Wireless Broadband Access today announced the introduction of Wireless Broadband Access -- a broadband wireless data service powered by its next generation CDMA network. Beginning June 15, 2004, customers in Alaska can purchase wireless broadband access to enable connectivity to the Internet while untethered and from anywhere inside the CDMA footprint, which was recently launched on May 24, 2004.
Using a Sierra Wireless AirCard(R) 580 wireless wide area network PC card and a laptop, ACS customers can improve productivity and company performance by accessing valuable information when on the road -- at customer locations, at the job site, or even in a fishing boat -- all without wires and while traveling. With data transmission speeds capable of bursts up to 2.4 Megabits per second (Mbps), ACS' Wireless Broadband Access is the fastest available wide area wireless data service available to Alaskans today.
Sheldon Fisher, SVP Sales and Marketing for ACS, stated "Trial participants have told us that ACS' CDMA network utilizing 1xEV-DO technology has greatly improved their productivity and their ability to respond in a timely and better informed manner to their customers' needs." Fisher went on to say "ACS' launch of 1xEVDO is proof that we are committed to leading the industry in the delivery of the best wireless data technology, with superior coverage and services -- offering a combination of superior technology and value to our customers."
Alaska Communications Systems Inc. (ACS)
http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=54807
Verizon Wireless Introduces the America's Choice(SM) with OnStar Plan
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Jun/1049487.htm
BEDMINSTER, N.J. and TROY, Mich., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless, the nation's leading wireless service provider, and OnStar, the nation's leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and information services, announced today the availability of the America's Choice with OnStar service plan. With the new plan, customers can use their Verizon Wireless phones outside the vehicle and send calls from their handheld phones to OnStar-embedded in-vehicle phones. America's Choice with OnStar is the first calling plan that integrates handheld wireless service with a fully embedded, voice-activated in-vehicle phone and gives customers the convenience and simplicity of receiving one bill.
advertisement
"The America's Choice with OnStar calling plan lets our customers use their Verizon Wireless minutes inside their OnStar-equipped vehicles, giving them access to our award-winning wireless service with the additional conveniences of hands-free voice-activated dialing and a single bill," said John Stratton, chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless.
"Through our relationships with the world's largest automaker and the nation's leading wireless provider, we are able to respond to our subscribers' requests to offer increased mobile connectivity," said Chet Huber, president of OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors. "The availability of this handheld option is a natural extension of OnStar's industry leadership in the delivery of safety, security and communications inside the vehicle."
The America's Choice with OnStar plan lets customers use their Verizon Wireless plan minutes to make and receive calls on their handheld Verizon Wireless phones and OnStar in-vehicle phones and drivers can simply transfer incoming calls from their Verizon Wireless handset to the embedded phone in their OnStar-equipped General Motors vehicle. Customers can select from two options:
- Immediate Call Forwarding - Customers can forward all calls from their
Verizon Wireless handheld phones directly to their in-vehicle OnStar
phones.
- Conditional Call Forwarding - Customers can select to have the Verizon
Wireless handheld phones ring four to five times before the call is
forwarded to the in-vehicle OnStar phone. With this option,
subscribers have the flexibility of answering either their handheld or
in-vehicle phone.
In mid July, Verizon Wireless' America's Choice with OnStar plan will be available in the Atlanta, Kansas City, New York, San Francisco and the greater metro Detroit markets. The service will continue to rollout and should be available throughout the Verizon Wireless service area in the following several months.
"Hands-free, cell phone communication in the automobile is one of the top wireless applications vehicle owners are interested in," said Thilo Koslowski, lead automotive analyst and vice president, Gartner. "A successful communication solution will focus on reliability, flexibility and affordability by allowing customers to continue using their existing cellular phones and service contracts when making calls from their vehicles."
The affordability of digital makes the America's Choice with OnStar calling plan possible. OnStar's improved digital hardware allows for more secure calling, improved voice recognition and faster, continuous digit dialing. The embedded digital phone is compatible with CDMA wireless service.
OnStar subscribers with new OnStar digital hardware can sign up for the America's Choice with OnStar service plan by updating existing Verizon Wireless customer agreements or by obtaining a new Verizon Wireless agreement. OnStar subscribers can learn more about the calling plan by contacting OnStar at the toll-free number, 888-4-ONSTAR (888-466-7827). New OnStar subscribers will receive information about the plan from OnStar during the first few months of their subscription.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless is the nation's leading provider of wireless communications. The company has the largest nationwide wireless voice and data network and 40 million customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com/. To receive broadcast-quality video footage of Verizon Wireless operations, log onto http://www.thenewsmarket.com/verizonwireless.
About OnStar
OnStar, available on more than 50 models from General Motors and select models from six other auto manufacturers, is the nation's leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and information services using the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite network and wireless technology. OnStar services include automatic notification of air bag deployment, stolen vehicle location assistance, emergency services, roadside assistance with location, remote door unlock, GM Goodwrench remote vehicle diagnostics, route support and convenience services. OnStar Personal Calling allows drivers to make and receive hands-free, voice-activated phone calls through a nationwide cellular network and access a wide range of other information services. Additional information is available at http://www.onstar.com/.
Verizon Wireless
CONTACT: Jeffrey Nelson of Verizon Wireless, +1-908-306-4824, orJeffrey.Nelson@verizonwireless.com; or Geri Lama, +1-248-588-4950, orGeri.Lama@onstar.com
Web site: http://www.onstar.com" target="_blank">http://www.verizonwireless.com/http://www.onstar.com
Unicom launches dual-mode services
BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhuanet) -- China United
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-06/17/content_1530710.htm
Telecommunications Corporation (China Unicom), the country's second largest mobile operator, announced yesterday that it is soon to start dual-mode mobile phone services, according to Thursday's China Daily.
"Problems concerning the technical level for the service are all solved and ready now," said Zhang Zhijian, general manager of China Unicom's Technology Department, yesterday in Beijing.
"We are very confident about the new service as it will enable our customers to enjoy the services from both our networks and provides a new communication experience," said Yu Yingtao, deputy general manager of the Marketing Department of China Unicom.
With the brand name of "World Wind," the dual-mode mobile phone service supporting both GSM (global system for mobile communications) and CDMA (code division multiple access) networks enables users to transfer from GSM and CDMA networks automatically.
China Unicom is the only telecom operator that runs the two different networks.
Though Yu didn't say when the service would be finally unveiled, he said rumours of a start-up date on July 19, the anniversary of the company, were not correct.
Analysts believe the service will be a key strategy for the company to ensure the sustained development of the two networks and make the two more complementary.
According to Yu, international roaming will be one of the most promising selling points for the service as there are inconsistent telecommunication standards worldwide.
He said the service does not only work on both GSM and CDMA mobile networks in China but also operate in other countries.
"The birth of the dual-mode phone service will greatly boost the development of the telecommunications industry as it ensures seamless communication and offers a whole new way of communication," Yu said.
Analysts say the service is part of China Unicom's efforts to differentiate its services.
"We are targeting high-end users," Yu said.
Yesterday, three dual-mode handsets were displayed by Motorola, Samsung and LG Electronics, the first three handset makers designated by China Unicom.
Yu said the price for the dual-mode phone will be very competitive.
Analysts believe that the price for the handset is likely to be set around 4,000 yuan (US$481).
"We are going to roll out a series of promotion activities to attract more customers who are interested in high-end products," he said. But he refused to elaborate on that.
It is reported that China Unicom is to purchase more than 500,000 dual-mode handsets this year.
Analysts said the dual-mode solution was a powerful revenue generator this year as the Chinese Government was unlikely to release 3G licences until next year.
According to the company's blueprint, the "World Wind" is scheduled to be officially kicked off first in 15 major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
The company projects that telecommunications customer demand will remain strong this year, and there will be more intense competition in the domestic market.
(China Daily)
Exclusive] Samsung to Provide Low-end Handset adopting its Own CDMA Chipset to India
http://www.telecomskorea.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=195&Itemid=
Thursday, 17 June 2004
Samsung Electronics is targeting low price segment of the Indian market with handsets adopting its own chips instead of Qualcomm’s.
“Basically, we position our handsets as expensive product of high quality. However, India is exception to such price policy,” said Park Sang-jin, Samsung Electronics' president and chief executive for Southeast Asia and the Pacific at an interview after a press-conference during CommunicAsia 2004 held in Singapore.
About the chipset issue that the company is preparing mobile phones adopting its own chip rather than Qualcomm’s to penetrate the Indian market, Mr. Park refused to comment.
Samsung is reportedly to have started negotiation with India earlier this year to sell its cell phones operating on its own chips but failed in reach agreement about price.
Samsung Electronics already started providing its handsets (SPH-X09000) based on its own CDMA2000 1x chipsets through KTF in May 2003.
Earlier, the South Korean chipmaker developed IS-95A/B chip (Scom 3200) in 1999 and sold a million units by the end of the year.
However, the company halted selling the phones adopting its own chipsets on condition that Qualcomm agree to sign a license contract favorable to Samsung. Accordingly Samsung can not sell its chipsets to other handset makers while it can export them directly.
Samsung’s success in exporting handsets adopting its own chipsets would cause sharp reaction from Qualcomm. Samsung’s strategy is to challenge Qualcomm by upgrading its own 2.5G or CDMA 1x-based handsets which the company offered through KTF and thereby expanding domestic and export market.
An investment analyst said, “Samsung Electronics’ attempt to cut royalty to Qualcomm from 5% to 3% level is not getting results. Therefore the company is shifting its focus to GSM export which brings about higher profit without royalty payment.”
Motorola,Samsung,LG: First dual SIM card mobile makers in China
www.chinaview.cn 2004-06-16 17:06:30
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-06/16/content_1529684.htm
BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhuanet) -- China United Telecom (China Unicom), the world's third biggest mobile telecommunications carrier, said Wednesday three mobile phone handsets produced by Motorola, Samsung and LG have been selected as China's first dual SIM card mobile phones.
These models are Moto A860, Samsung SCHW109 and LGW800, all boasting of cutting-edge manufacturing technology and designed forhigh-end users who often go abroad for business, said a senior manager of China Unicom.
Citing as an example, the manager said Moto A860 is fitted with a 1.2 million pixel micro-camera, and its data can be transferred to a computer or vice versa.
Users of the new handsets carrying both GSM and CDMA SIM cards will be able to switch between GSM and CDMA networks, and enjoy roaming service in countries where only one of the networks is available, explained the manager.
As for prices, the manager said they are more competitive than the high-end mobile phones with a single SIM card on the market, and China Unicom will release low-end dual SIM card phones in the future. But he declined to give more information.
China Unicom said last month it planned to release in mid-July mobile phone handsets with dual-band technology that shares data and voice service between GSM and CDMA users.
The introduction of the new handset will also help attract new mobile phone subscribers as the company's GSM and CDMA networks cover almost the whole Chinese mainland. Its mobile telecommunications users exceeded 100 million by May 5.
Wang Jianzhou, board chairman and president of China Unicom, displayed three handsets compatible with GSM and CDMA networks in March at an annual business meeting. The handsets were manufactured by Samsung, LG and Motorola.
The state-owned company was set up a decade ago to break the monopoly of the state-owned China Mobile over the country's mobile telecommunications market. Enditem
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
http://allafrica.com/stories/200406090826.html
June 9, 2004
Posted to the web June 9, 2004
Namibe
The mobile telephony operator, Movicel, launched officially today, after an experimental period, its service in south-western Namibe province.
According to Movicel's executive director, Francisco Basilio, the project calculated at USD 2 million, will comtemplate in a first phase, about 2000 lines supported by a base radio system.
The second phase, to be launched in the future, aims essential the introduction of the technology like "CDMA 2000 1X", which will enable to reach about 10.000 customers.
Telstra partners with DoCoMo for mobile Internet service
By Staff, Special to CNETAsia
Thursday, June 10 2004 3:49 PM
http://asia.cnet.com/newstech/communications/0,39001141,39182907,00.htm
Australian mobile operator Telstra has struck an exclusive partnership with NTT DoCoMo to launch a new mobile Internet service.
Under the deal, Telstra will obtain the rights to deploy the Japanese mobile giant's widely used i-mode service across its network for the next five years.
Once the i-mode service is launched, Telstra will be able to offer Australian consumers access to Internet services such as e-mail, gaming and Web content through mobile handsets.
Ted Pretty, Telstra group managing director, said the the company expects the service to be available to Australian consumers by Christmas.
Telstra did not reveal pricing details for i-mode today, but the carrier's chief of marketing, Holly Kramer, said the pricing scheme was expected to contain a fixed monthly fee and a variable component based based on data usage.
Telstra expects handsets compatible with the service to retail for less than AU$500 (US$349). According to Pretty, Telstra expects the service will yield a 30 percent increase in mobile data revenue per user. The company has conservatively set a target to attracting 1 million subscribers to the service over the next three years.
Pretty said Telstra would pay DoCoMo "millions" up front for the i-mode rights to and a fee "tied to the success of the platform".
Telstra will deploy the i-mode service over its GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) network. Pretty explained that while i-mode is considered a 2 or 2.5G service, it would provide a rehearsal for the release of the carrier's anticipated 3G W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) service.
"One of the most important aspects of this platform is that it makes us 3G ready--in other words it will provide services ultimately for wide-band CDMA," said Pretty.
The company was today unwilling to commit to a date for the release of its 3G service, but Pretty hinted that it may be as late as Q1, 2006.
The i-mode platform is currently deployed in nine countries in languages like French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, German, Greek and Dutch.
According to Telstra, this is the first time DoCoMo's service is deployed in an English speaking country.
Pretty said Telstra would source content for the service from both within Australia and abroad. "Telstra will work with content partners and developers, both locally and internationally, to enable their services to become commercially available to Australian subscribers of i-mode," he said.
Telstra is hoping the availability of foreign language applications will be a draw for Australian ethnic communities.
"One of the unique features of the i-mode platform--which will be particularly relevant to Australia, given its multicultural base--is that we will be able to take foreign language applications…and provide some of (them) on the i-mode platform locally," Pretty said.
National Geographic Society and Rocket Mobile Team to Deliver National Geographic Images to BREW(R)-Enabled Mobile Phones
Tuesday June 8, 9:10 am ET
- Rocket Media Server Will Deliver Unique Images From National Geographic's Image Collection to Mobile Phone Users to Use as Screen Savers and Wallpapers -
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040608/latu030_1.html
SAN DIEGO, June 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Rocket Mobile®, a leading provider of wireless software solutions and technologies, today announced that it will work with the National Geographic Society to develop a wallpaper application for mobile phones that features photographic images from the Society's Image Collection. Hundreds of these images will now be available for mobile phones enabled with QUALCOMM's BREW solution, with more added every month. The company announced the application at the BREW 2004 Developers Conference being held June 7-9 in San Diego.
ADVERTISEMENT
National Geographic's Image Collection is one of the most comprehensive and unique collections of photographic images. The Collection houses more than 10 million photographs and includes the Society's hallmark images of culture, adventure and nature. The National Geographic wallpaper application will offer original and dramatic images in several categories for users to save as their phone's screen saver and wallpaper. The National Geographic application will be available to users for download through various BREW operators.
The Rocket Mobile Rocket Media Server (RMS), a turnkey multimedia content delivery server, will host and deliver the NG Image Collection content. The Rocket Media Server has been designed specifically for content providers to easily and quickly extend their library of content to mobile phone users while maintaining complete control of their content. The Rocket Media Server provides content providers with management and reporting tools for tracking content access requests, and provides Digital Rights Management support for managing the distribution and use of copyrighted content.
"Making our signature images available on mobile phones brings the world of National Geographic to consumers in a revolutionary way," said Maura Mulvihill, vice president National Geographic Image Collection. "National Geographic has always been on the leading edge of photographic technology, and this is an exciting next step for us."
"We are delighted to be partnering with the National Geographic Society who, for over a century, has defined excellence in photography. The National Geographic Society has educated us through stories of science and exploration and the images that have accompanied these enlightening stories will now be available to mobile phone users," said Wayne Yurtin, president and CEO of Rocket Mobile. "Our recently launched BREW-based Rocket Media Server is a perfect content delivery platform for bringing the National Geographic Image Collection to the wireless application market, and we look forward to providing a high quality application for mobile phone users to enjoy."
"We're thrilled that the BREW solution has enabled Rocket Mobile and the National Geographic Society to bring a rich library of stunning and diverse imagery to the wireless market," said Gina Lombardi, senior vice president of marketing and product management for QUALCOMM Internet Services. "This creative application demonstrates how the BREW solution empowers publishers, developers and content providers with the tools they need to bring compelling products to wireless consumers the world over."
QUALCOMM's BREW solution provides products and services that connect the mobile marketplace value chain, which includes publishers, application developers, content providers, device manufacturers, operators and consumers.
Publishers and developers worldwide are generating revenue from BREW-based applications and content, and 26 manufacturers have offered more than 135 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, NTELOS and U.S. Cellular in the United States, China Unicom, KDDI in Japan, KTF in South Korea, Hutch in Thailand, Telstra in Australia, VIVO in Brazil, BellSouth Chile, BellSouth Colombia, BellSouth Ecuador, BellSouth Guatemala, BellSouth Nicaragua, BellSouth Panama, BellSouth Peru, Telefonica Moviles in Peru, Movicom in Argentina, Telcel and Movilnet in Venezuela, Verizon Dominican Republic, Verizon Wireless Puerto Rico, Pelephone in Israel and Zapp in Romania.
About Rocket Mobile
A privately held Silicon Valley-based firm, Rocket Mobile, Inc. designs, develops, licenses, and markets wireless applications and technologies. In addition to technology and product development, the company develops custom software solutions for industry leading firms via their Professional Services organization. Rocket Mobile's technologies include RocketMMS(TM), RocketBrowser(TM), RocketFramework(TM), and Rocket Media Server. Rocket Mobile is a QUALCOMM Elite® BREW Developer with U.S. headquarters in Los Gatos, California. For additional information on Rocket Mobile, visit: http://www.RocketMobile.com.
About National Geographic
Founded in 1888, the National Geographic Society is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world. It reaches more than 250 million people worldwide each month through its five magazines, the National Geographic Channel, television documentaries, films, books, videos and DVDs, maps and interactive media. National Geographic has funded more than 7,500 scientific research projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. The Society's Image Collection was established nearly a century ago to collect, organize and preserve National Geographic's invaluable photographic legacy. Today the Image Collection houses more than 10 million photographs. For more information about the Society, log on to nationalgeographic.com, AOL Keyword: NatGeo.
Rocket Mobile is a registered trademark of Rocket Mobile, Inc. RocketMMS, RocketBrowser, RocketFramework, and Rocket Media Server are trademarks of Rocket Mobile, Inc. QUALCOMM and BREW are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For further information, please contact: Young Yoon of Rocket Mobile, Inc., +1-408-395-5575, ext. 105, info@RocketMobile.com; or Sarah Clark of National Geographic Society, +1-202-828-5664, sclark@ngs.org.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Rocket Mobile, Inc
Motorola rolls out new phones
Posted by: c0w on Jun 09, 2004 - 12:34 AM
http://www.mpx200.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1573&mode=th...
Motorola today launched three new wireless phones, including a GPS-enabled handset that can be used with Nextel's walkie-talkie service, other handsets that allow for faster downloads and data processing.
With the GPS model, named the i830, Motorola is targeting the 13 million people who use Nextel's International Direct Connect "push to talk" service. The inclusion of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology means that the phone can be used in conjunction with location-based services, such as enhanced 911, or E911.
The flip-style phone supports 65,000 colors and is about 3 inches long, the company said. It weighs 3.6 ounces and features a voice recorder, a phone book that can accommodate 600 names, voice-activated dialing, and games. It comes with up to 2MB of memory.
The i830 costs $299.99 and comes with a two-year service agreement. It is available through Nextel distribution channels.
Motorola's two other new handsets, the V260 and the V265, are both CDMA phones. CDMA, or Code Division Multiple Access, is the cell phone standard used most widely in the United States.
Both the V260 and the V265 are based on the latest version of Qualcomm's BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless) software. The software, which allows consumers to download data such as ring tones and games, was unveiled by Qualcomm at the BREW Developers Conference 2004, which began Monday in San Diego.
The V260 has multimedia-messaging capabilities and is WAP-enabled. WAP, or Wireless Application Protocol, is a standard for connecting to the Net wirelessly. The phone also offers location-based service capabilities to consumers with certain types of subscriptions and network access.
The V265, meanwhile, has an integrated camera, digital zoom capabilities and voice dialing. The phone also has enough memory to store downloads.
The CDMA phones are expected to hit the market in the fourth quarter. Pricing information was not released.
source: CNET
Africa has chance to bridge digital divide
June 9, 2004
By Wambui Chege
http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=&fArticleId=2105922
Johannesburg - African countries, under pressure to provide unlimited access to telephones, are considering a US technology that offers the promise of also bringing the internet to some of the world's poorest people.
Telephones are a luxury for the continent's estimated 800 million people, more than half of whom have never made a call.
Experts say a version of the US code division multiple access (CDMA) standard offers Africa an opportunity to leapfrog technology into the digital First World.
The CDMA 450 wireless local loop technology, also known as the "Third World standard", is already being used in some eastern European countries and Russia as they switch from analogue to digital cellular systems
"The US code division multiple access standard gives nations the opportunity to leapfrog into the digital First World"
.
It promises a new lease of life to many cash-strapped fixed-line African operators by giving them a chance to roll out high-quality, affordable voice and data services using non-conventional methods in areas deemed unprofitable.
Thomas Sonesson, Ericsson's vice-president for customer solutions and sales support for sub-Saharan Africa, said: "The fixed-line operators are under a lot of pressure. They have to do something to add more fixed lines and they were failing because they needed copper wires or fibreoptic cables."
"Now they can deploy fixed wireless with CDMA."
Equipment vendors such as Sweden's Ericsson are aggressively promoting CDMA in sub-Saharan Africa, where they compete with firms such as China's Huawei Technologies and ZTE.
Supporters of the technology point to the success of CDMA - albeit on a different frequency - in India, where some fixed-line operators were given "mobile" licences. Users talk on a wireless handset that can be moved in a limited area.
Although they predominantly use electricity, in areas where there is none community operators are equipped with solar or fuel generators for recharging.
This "limited mobility" service, which charges fixed-line tariffs, was so successful in India that the phones were called the "poor man's mobile".
Perry LaForge, the executive director of the CDMA Development Group, said: "The opportunities are extraordinary, particularly for meeting universal access goals. Not only does it provide voice, but because we're using the same technology as 3G [the newer cellphone technology], we can provide high-speed data access."
Kevin Tao, Huawei's president for sub-Saharan Africa, said because CDMA 450 operated on a lower frequency, one base station offered coverage double that of rival European global systems for mobile communications (GSM), reducing infrastructure costs.
Huawei, which has won a contract to build a CDMA-based wireless system for Ethiopia's fixed-line operator, said wireless infrastructure cost about a third of the conventional fixed line.
Other countries to embrace CDMA include Egypt, which in May awarded ZTE a contract in May to build a CDMA wireless network in the rural Nile Delta. Ericsson has also deployed digital CDMA wireless networks in Mauritius, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sonesson said: "We are conducting CDMA trials in South Africa and some parts of Nigeria, and we have tendered in 10 other African countries."
One of the drawbacks of CDMA was the cost of mobile handsets. They typically cost 20 percent more than those of rival GSM because of the lack of a significant mass market, Sonesson said.
Industry officials rule out a war between the two technologies - at least for now - but say it is unlikely that mobile operators in Africa will adopt the US standard, given that most international roaming agreements are with GSM operators.
GSM is the de facto global standard, dominant in Africa and Europe, while CDMA is used widely in the US and Asia.
WLL-CDMA subscribers to increase by 87%
Press Trust of India / Mumbai June 09,2004
http://www.business-standard.com/bsonline/storypage.php?bKeyFlag=BO&autono=1758
Cellular phone companies using WLL-CDMA technology will increase their subscriber base by 86.6% in 2004-05 as against the expected growth of 40% in GSM customers, according to a study.
The subscriber base of WLL-CDMA will increase from 7.5 million in 2003-04 to 14 million this year, while mobile service operators using GSM will increase their customers from around 25 million last fiscal to 35 million in 2004-05, the study by Morgan Stanley and Nasscom said.
WLL-CDMA services will be the fastest growing segment in Indian telecom sector, which will see a revenue growth of 21.4% in 2004-05 to $12.41 billion from $10.94 billion in 2003-04.
This segment will be the only one in telecom that will see an increase in Average Revenue Per User.
WLL-CDMA operators will witness their revenues increasing to $681.32 million this year from $351.65 million in 2003-04. Revenues of GSM operators will increase 33.3% to $3.07 billion from $2.3 billion in 2003-04, the study said.
The APRU of WLL-CDMA service providers will increase to $49 in 2004-05 from $47 in 2003-04 while for GSM operators this will decline to $87.91 this fiscal from $92.31 in 2003-04.
The next fastest growing segment in telecom this year will be leased lines. While the number of E1 lines will grow 68% in 2004-05, the revenues will grow 26.1% to $472.9 million.
Qualcomm's Brew answers doubters
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20040609-9999-1b9brew.html
Small developers find technology a boon to them
By Jennifer Davies
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
June 9, 2004
JOHN GIBBINS / Union-Tribune
Sarah Morehead of Alltel Communications watched a demonstration of a mail application by Andrew Baldocchi of FunMail, one of many developers that use Qualcomm's Brew platform.
Brew, Qualcomm's wireless application technology, has long played the role of underdog.
As soon as the technology was announced in January 2001, naysayers proclaimed that Brew, which allows cell phone users to download applications like ring tones and games, would have a tough time making a dent in the wireless industry.
Critics said Brew was a niche technology because it only worked on phones using San Diego-based Qualcomm's wireless technology and its cell phone chips. Only about 25 percent of all cell phones are based on the company's wireless technology standard, called CDMA for code division multiple access.
Industry analysts also predicted that Brew would face serious competition from Sun Microsystems' Java wireless platform, which already had a larger subscriber base.
So far, Brew has proved the doubters wrong.
That sentiment was evident at the fourth annual Brew Developer Conference, which began yesterday at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina on Harbor Island and attracted a sellout crowd. The technology is now available in 21 countries through 30 wireless companies; just last year only 7 operators offered Brew service in six countries.
According to Qualcomm, there have been more than 130 million downloads of Brew applications worldwide since the technology was introduced. That's up from 28 million in April 2003.
Michael King, a San Diego wireless analyst for Gartner Group, a market research firm, said Brew has silenced its critics.
"Before, it was always, 'Is this going to work? Is this going to happen?' " he said. "Those questions aren't being asked any more."
Paul Jacobs, president of Qualcomm's Wireless Internet Group and Brew's chief backer, said the proof of the technology's merit was in the numerous success stories of small start-ups.
"Talk to the developers and they'll tell you," he said.
A number of developers in attendance agreed that Brew has allowed them to crack the growing wireless data market.
Craig Holland, president of Thumbworks, a small Tustin-based game developer, said two-thirds of his company's revenue comes from selling Brew downloads. Thumbworks also offers Java versions of its 12 applications including Etch-a-Sketch and a School of Rock video game, but Brew versions sell much quicker.
The reason for Brew's advantage, Holland said, is that it has a built-in certification and billing system. The way the so-called Brew ecosystem works is that developers create an application and submit it to Qualcomm, which then certifies it and makes it available to the various wireless carriers.
Qualcomm acts as the wholesaler and the wireless carrier is the retailer. When a consumer downloads an application, the developer, Qualcomm and wireless phone company share the revenue.
JOHN GIBBINS / Union-Tribune
Baldocchi showed the "FunMail" application on a cell phone at Qualcomm's Brew conference.
That system makes it easier for small developers like Thumbworks to write an application and make it available to a number of different wireless carriers, including Verizon, the largest U.S. cell phone company with some 40 million subscribers.
"Java is just a programming language. You have to go through working with each different carrier," he said. "With Brew, the majority of the carriers work through the distribution system."
Because of those differences, Holland said, it is hard to draw a fair comparison between Brew and Java.
"You are not really comparing apples to apples," he said.
Isaac Babbs, CEO and founder of Atlas Mobile, a San Jose wireless game developer, said he decided to concentrate on writing Brew applications first because it was easier and a quicker way to make money. The company has seven multiplayer games available, including Hold 'em Poker+ for Prizes.
"We thought that Brew would help us capture market share the fastest," Babbs said.
One of the reasons developers are attracted to Brew is the fact that Verizon Wireless, with its 40 million subscribers, offers its applications under the Get It Now moniker.
For its part, Verizon called the Get It Now service an "unmitigated success" with more than 70 million downloads since it was launched nationally in September 2002. Verizon said it now has 520 Brew applications compared to just 115 at this time last year.
Jacobs said Qualcomm has worked hard to open up other markets and ensure that the applications work in different countries, like Japan and China.
"We built this global electronic marketplace so three guys in a garage can get someone in Country X to pay them," he said.
QUALCOMM Introduces Value Billing Capabilities for BREW(R) Solution
Monday June 7, 7:31 am ET
- New Features Create Additional Revenue Opportunities for BREW Operators, Publishers and Developers -
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040607/lam054_1.html
SAN DIEGO, June 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM - News), pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, today introduced new billing capabilities for the Company's BREW solution. These value billing features allow wireless operators to extend monetization of BREW applications by offering customers additional purchase opportunities within the context of content and applications on their BREW-enabled devices. In addition, value billing enables operators to offer applications through channels beyond wireless devices, such as operator and developer Web sites, kiosks and in-store purchases.
New value billing capabilities within the BREW Distribution System (BDS) enable operators, publishers and developers to build on their established applications, services and brand loyalty by offering additional content relating to specific applications and brands. It can also be extended to create contextual shopping experiences via a BREW-based browser, where users have the option to purchase BREW applications as well as multimedia and other relevant content while viewing a particular Web site.
"The value billing features of the BREW solution leverage existing BREW components and operator interfaces to minimize cost for wireless operators, and give publishers, developers and operators a chance to maximize revenue from their applications," said Gina Lombardi, senior vice president of marketing and product management for QUALCOMM Internet Services. "These increased capabilities also create an enhanced, contextually relevant shopping experience for consumers using BREW-enabled devices. The ability to purchase customized or add-on features within their favorite games or to enjoy additional multimedia content on topics of interest, for example, enables a truly personalized wireless atmosphere for consumers."
"One of the strengths of the BREW solution is the flexibility of its billing options. This flexibility helps publishers align their offerings with the wireless consumer's expectations of value," said Mitch Lasky, CEO of JAMDAT Mobile Inc. "QUALCOMM is committed to the evolution of the BREW solution and providing technical enhancements that give publishers the elements necessary to strengthen our products and our business."
Value billing creates more flexible billing options for BREW operators with little to no change to the operator's existing back-end billing systems. The BREW solution enables consumer pricing and fulfillment services, while generating all necessary billing and reporting transactions for a subscriber's wireless data billing, including generating a "single check" developer payment settlement from QUALCOMM.
QUALCOMM's BREW solution provides products and services that connect the mobile marketplace value chain, which includes publishers, application developers, content providers, device manufacturers, operators and consumers. Publishers and developers worldwide are generating revenue from BREW-based applications and content, and 26 manufacturers have offered more than 135 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, NTELOS and U.S. Cellular in the United States, China Unicom, KDDI in Japan, KTF in South Korea, Hutch in Thailand, Telstra in Australia, VIVO in Brazil, BellSouth Chile, BellSouth Colombia, BellSouth Ecuador, BellSouth Guatemala, BellSouth Nicaragua, BellSouth Panama, BellSouth Peru, Telefonica Moviles in Peru, Movicom in Argentina, Telcel and Movilnet in Venezuela, Verizon Dominican Republic, Verizon Wireless Puerto Rico, Pelephone in Israel and Zapp in Romania.
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 extent and speed to which the BREW solution is deployed and adopted, 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 and BREW are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For further information, please contact: Michele Bakic, QUALCOMM Internet Services, +1-858-651-4017, mbakic@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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: QUALCOMM Incorporated
QUALCOMM Announces Availability of User Interface Development Support for BREW(R) Solution
Monday June 7, 7:31 am ET
- Enhancements Simplify Process for Operators and Handset Manufacturers to Create Wireless Handset User Interface on BREW 3.1 Client Software -
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040607/lam048_1.html
SAN DIEGO, June 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM - News), pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, today announced significantly expanded support for the development of fully customized user interfaces (UI) on wireless devices via the BREW solution. Although extensive user interface development has been possible and has been achieved with the BREW solution in the past, the newly released BREW 3.1 client software and BREW UI Toolkit include enhancements and additional tools solely designed to simplify and scale the creation of a complete UI that works across multiple devices.
Operators can now work with handset manufacturers to create an operator-branded UI on the BREW system that can then be standardized and ported to all handset tiers and models that an operator offers to subscribers. Updates to the UI may be made periodically over-the-air (OTA), a key benefit of using the BREW solution for UI development. The OTA updates will allow an operator to "push" new content into the UI, such as branding refreshes, promotions, and entertainment content as well as periodic software updates or feature upgrades.
"By expanding support for the development of user interfaces on the BREW solution, QUALCOMM now provides all the software needed to both build and rapidly customize a wireless handset, greatly simplifying customized UI development and maintenance for handset manufacturers," said Jason Kenagy, senior director of product management for QUALCOMM Internet Services. "This announcement reinforces our commitment to providing operators the ability to create and update a common user interface across multiple handsets enabling them to differentiate their offerings and better brand their services on the devices themselves. By making UI development more manageable by all parties, a balance can now be achieved in which an operator's differentiation and branding needs can be met and in which device manufacturers are still able to innovate and produce their own unique devices."
"QUALCOMM continues to listen to our needs as an operator and advance the technological capabilities of the BREW solution, enabling us to differentiate our services and offer wireless subscribers in Japan the most advanced data offerings," said Seiichiro Sakai, director of Product Management Dept., "au" Service & Product Div., KDDI. "We expect that the BREW UI Toolkit and BREW 3.1 will enable operators to provide a more advanced experience and satisfaction to our customers by their controllability to easily create and update a customized user interface and their flexibility to make changes to these customized UIs over-the-air, while maintaining backward compatibility with BREW 2.1."
The new BREW 3.1 client software provides the underlying system management features for complete device user interface development including: enhancements to the BREW Simulator to support extensive development and testing of a complete user interface on a PC of a complete user interface for wireless enhancements to application stacking and application history functionality used in the starting and resuming of the multiple UI applications on a device; functionality to enable handset manufacturers to more easily control application interruption and resource use -- based on the priority, functionality or state of applications and memory on the device; and keypad event capture enhancements to allow macro functions and user input access to underlying UI applications on the device.
The BREW 3.1 client software also includes the expansion, consolidation and enhancement of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) specifically focused on offering full "out of the box" support for a variety of functions necessary in the development of entire phone user interfaces on devices, including SMS, call management, service status, battery level and status, and other primary annunciators.
With the release of BREW 3.1, QUALCOMM also unveiled the BREW UI Toolkit, which provides OEMs and operators with a newly revamped set of resources featuring high quality and extensive default UI controls and surrounding forms that include: pop-ups, scroll bars, progress bars, menuing controls, buttons, etc. Furthermore, the BREW UI Toolkit is an extensible framework that enables OEMs and operators to customize the included default controls as well as expand and add their own customized UI controls. Through the use of the UI tool kit, operators and manufacturers can achieve a rich graphical user interface with themes that apply across all elements of the device user interface, including downloadable applications created by third-party BREW developers.
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 26 manufacturers have offered more than 135 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, NTELOS and U.S. Cellular in the United States, China Unicom, KDDI in Japan, KTF in South Korea, Hutch in Thailand, Telstra in Australia, VIVO in Brazil, BellSouth Chile, BellSouth Colombia, BellSouth Ecuador, BellSouth Guatemala, BellSouth Nicaragua, BellSouth Panama, BellSouth Peru, Telefonica Moviles in Peru, Movicom in Argentina, Telcel and Movilnet in Venezuela, Verizon in the Dominican Republic, Verizon Wireless Puerto Rico, Pelephone in Israel, and Zapp in Romania.
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 extent and speed to which the BREW solution is adopted and 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 and BREW are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For further information, please contact Michele Bakic, QUALCOMM Internet Services, +1-858-651-4017, mbakic@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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: QUALCOMM Incorporated
Famous American launches 4G - but this time, is anyone listening?
By Andrew Orlowski in San Francisco
Published Thursday 3rd June 2004 09:44 GMT
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/06/03/mcraw_launches_4g/
On the day that Japan's NTT DoCoMo trumpeted its latest 4G trials, the storied US entrepreneur Craig "Sign 'em quick, close 'em slow" McCaw announced his latest move into the same market, to surprisingly little fanfare. In popular folklore on this side of the pond, McCaw is credited with creating the US cable and cellular industries, although the truth is both more complicated, and more interesting.
McCaw is also credited - in the soft-focus US business press - for being alive and rich (which seems to be an achievement in itself worth lauding, over here), and for promoting down-home values. On the other hand, we tend to look at his re-emergence a tad more skeptically, and see a businessman who has failed several times already in the wireless industry, and on his return, we can't help looking for patterns in his current proposal that might explain why he failed in past lives. Imagine yourself an investor, you're due both sides, so you'll need a little history.
For a decade McCaw's cable and cellular operations dilated by anticipating regulatory shifts, and leveraging debt brilliantly: during the 1980s McCaw's expanding empire was sustained thanks to the help of junk bond king Michael Milken. His biography is entitled "Money From Thin Air". Eventually McCaw sold out, at a prince's ransom, to AT&T in 1993. The former telco monopoly must have been overstocked with thin air at the time, for the deal was valued at $12 billion.
Since then, McCaw's judgements have proved as ropey as those of his low earth orbit neighbor, and erstwhile wireless guru, Esther Dyson. McCaw poured billions into a joint venture with childhood Seattle pal Bill Gates to "provide a net for spaceship earth" (as one giddy critic put it at the time). Teledesic soaked up $8 billion of Gates personal fortune over the next few years, but like Iridium, the project fell spectacularly to earth. Both these US-based ventures correctly foresaw the demand for mobile phones and data, but failed to realize the utility already provided by the global GSM standard, which was then being introduced in Europe and Asia. Stateside techno utopians were dismayed when "spaceship earth" (and Bucky Fuller is probably relieved not to get credit for this caper) was orbed not by 288 Teledesic satellites, but by over 200 GSM networks, singing off the same technical hymn sheet.
Then, in 1995 McCaw bought into Nextel, largely on the word of his trusted technical advisors at Motorola. The nation was at war at the time over radio air interfaces, but somehow, McCaw plumped for the wireless equivalent of Lichtenstein. While GSM providers like Ericsson and Nokia made hay thanks to a phenomenal GSM build-out, and while Qualcomm championed its CDMA wins (later to become Sprint and Verizon) Nextel chose Motorola's iDEN technology. That failure to complete globally has prevented iDEN from becoming an industry player, and Nextel's geographical appeal is limited to the Americas, where it is fantastically popular with teenagers and truckers. Unable to enjoy the economies of scale and choice of the GSM providers, Nextel is forever looking out for an exit strategy, doomed to be the odd man out.
Now, McCaw is back.
"He is like a great painter," says one Steven Rattner, an investment banker pal of McCaw's, in one of those meaningless quotes that punctuate business profiles (this one from the New York Times, c.2000). "He doesn't paint the same thing twice, but you can see similarities in the brush strokes."
Duh, what did he just say?
Well, perhaps McCaw's investors might be able to see some of the similarities in brush strokes when they get beneath the press release of the great man's latest venture. Here we learn that ClearWire, his latest venture, has recently acquired OFDM provider NextNet. NextNet is a rival of another OFDM provider, Flarion, one of several competing companies positioning to define the 4G standard, but neither company has more than a couple of town-wide trial to boast about as yet. (Ironically, Flarion is pitching hard to be Nextel's iDEN escape route). In its literature, NextNet is as bold as brass: 3G doesn't work, and everyone's already going to 4G? Whatever that is...
Technically speaking, 4G right now is a rabbit chasing its own tail. A number of half-hearted technical proposals exist, but no vendor has the market clout to make it a global standard. That's because the technical standards bodies don't have the confidence to police their own standards anymore. Technical favorites such as Flarion can justifiably boast about higher data efficiencies, but in truth their customers - the carriers - aren't convinced that mobile data is going to make them any more money. And after WAP and 3G, who can blame them? Punters simply don't chase after acronyms when there's no utility, and although we've envisaged models where this could work, for the carriers this means lobbying, and these parties don't want to step back into the regulatory shark-waters from which they just so recently emerged. In other words, they don't have the stomach for a fight.
McCaw's oddball choice of a 4G provider looks even odder when we learn that NextNet's trials have been limited to just a couple of small towns in the US and Canada. McCaw promises a fine vision: a box that plugs into the wall, and gives the household 1.5Mbps Internet accesses without having to install funky proprietary software on the client PCs. He hasn't promised why this should be more attractive than the "fiddle a bit, and wait for a day for an engineer" DSL and Cable packages offered by the likes of Yahoo! right now for a quarter of the pirce. He hasn't noticed that demand for consumer data (both wireless and wireline) has stalled - the Internet hasn't proved to be a showstopper like TV, despite the wonders of eBay and Amazon.com. And he obviously, painfully, needs someone to explain the economics of WiMax backhaul to him. But here he is. How do you think he can get out of this one? ®
3G 1xEV-DO Trial for VIVO
3rd June , 2004
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/June2004/7836.htm
Brazil : VIVO and Lucent Technologies announced plans to launch a super-fast mobile data network trial in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. This third-generation (3G) CDMA2000(R) 1xEV-DO trial network, supplied by Lucent, will enable VIVO to provide select business customers with secure mobile access to corporate applications such as e-mail and intranets at data speeds of up to 2.4 Megabits per second (Mbps) -- more than 40 times faster than wireline dial-up connections.
Lucent will upgrade 120 base stations to support CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, allowing VIVO customers from the main Brazilian markets to access the high-speed network by using their laptop PCs and personal digital assistants (PDAs) equipped with 1xEV-DO wireless modem cards. By providing secure mobile Internet Protocol (IP) virtual private network (VPN) connections on this high-speed data network, business customers can access the VIVO network as an extension of their corporate local area network (LAN) or intranet, allowing them to work from any location with the same level of speed and security they experience in the office. The 1xEV-DO network can be accessed wherever a cell phone can be used including airports and customer locations.
"With Lucent's 1xEV-DO network, we have the potential to deliver advanced, mobile data services at speeds comparable to most landline connections," said Luis Avelar, Innovation and Marketing vice president for VIVO. "Our business customers will be able to have remote access to all of the applications they typically use in the office by implementing the concept of a mobile or virtual office."
Lucent's 1xEV-DO solution demonstrated these capabilities during testing conducted by VIVO in March 2004.
To enable the 1xEV-DO technology trial, Lucent will upgrade its commercial Flexent(R) CDMA base stations with channel cards and software. These include Flexent(R) Modular Cell 4.0 base stations -- part of the Bell Labs-developed OneBTS(R) family of base stations, which support multiple spread-spectrum technologies including CDMA2000 1X, 1xEV-DO, 1xEV-DV and W-CDMA/UMTS. In addition, Lucent will supply its Flexent Mobility Server to provide an open IP interface to the data network. Lucent Worldwide Services will provide installation and integration services.
"We believe this commercial trial will confirm our previous market research, which indicated that there is significant pent-up demand for mobile high-speed data services among business users in Brazil," said Jose Roberto Campos, president of Lucent Technologies in Brazil. "Our longstanding partnership with VIVO is very important to us, and we strive to keep them at the forefront of wireless technology in Brazil. For example, using Lucent's CDMA2000 1X solution, VIVO's subscribers in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo were the first in Latin America to have access to advanced voice and 3G data services such as sound and picture downloads and instant messaging."
According to the CDMA Development Group (CDG), the number of 3G mobile subscribers has grown to more than 86 million worldwide, with nearly four million new subscribers joining networks every month. Today 81 operators have implemented 3G networks in 40 countries. There are 47 major manufacturers around the world selling 524 models of CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO terminals.
A global leader in the development of commercial 3G spread-spectrum solutions, Lucent's Mobility Solutions Group has deployed CDMA2000, CDMA450, and W-CDMA/UMTS networks with more than 25 customers on the continents of North and South America, Asia, Europe and in the Australia/New Zealand region. Lucent has deployed more than 90,000 spread-spectrum base stations for mobile operators worldwide, of which 50,000 are already supporting 3G services.
About VIVO
VIVO, a company under the control of the Portugal Telecom and Telefonica Moviles groups, is the largest mobile service operator in the Southern Hemisphere with more than 22 million subscribers and 45 percent market share in Brazil. Today, the operator serves 19 Brazilian states, which generate 86 percent of the nation's Gross Domestic Product. VIVO's technology choice is CDMA, which is the underlying technology for third-generation mobile networks worldwide.
Brother Announces Alliance with MP2 Solutions' Wireless Mobile Point-of-Sales System for Sales Force Automation
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040602005...
BRIDGEWATER, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 2, 2004--Brother International Corporation New POS Application Enables Back-End Data Credit Card Processing and Signature Authentication via Samsung's Wireless SPH-i700 Pocket PC Phone, as Well as PDAs, and Mobile Printing Capabilities via the Brother MPrint(R) Micro Printer
Brother International Corporation (Brother) today announces its alliance with MP2 Solutions, a premier provider of enterprise mobility solutions, to offer a unique wireless mobile point of sales system. This new sales force automation POS application software by MP2, enables sales professionals to perform secure credit card transactions, capture digital signatures and print receipts in the field, using the Samsung's i700 Microsoft(R) Windows Mobile(TM)-based Pocket PC Phone, combined with the Brother MPrint(R) micro printer utilizing Bluetooth(R) technology.
"Brother and MP2 are both committed to offering mobility solutions to enterprise customers, so we are very excited about this new partnership and the innovative Brother MPrint(R) micro printer that completes the MP2 solution," Todd J. Carey, Chief Executive Officer.
This solution is geared towards companies that employ a mobile workforce and salespeople who execute payment collection activities as part of their field job functions. It also assists in placing and receiving orders, reporting and sales performance. The POS software enables busy mobile professionals, such as food or furniture delivery persons as well as home-based business owners with an all-in-one solution to print receipts as well as take and receive credit card payments.
"Brother is very excited to work with MP2 Solutions to bring the premier sales force automation solution to the market. MP2 allows executives to complete order transactions in the field, at the point of contact with their clients, thus increasing customer satisfaction as well as their own productivity. The Samsung i700 and the Brother MPrint(R) micro printer using Bluetooth(R) technology, will bring a new level of mobility to Point of Sales applications," says Gary Marsh, Senior Corporate Director, Product Development Planning Management at Brother.
The Brother MPrint(R) micro printer, which utilizes Bluetooth(R) technology, provides mobile sales receipts and proof of delivery. This micro printer is an ultra light-weight pocket-size printer, about the size of a paperback book, that interfaces wirelessly with the Samsung i700 wireless handset as well as Pocket PC-based PDA's and Palm-based PDAs. Its compact size, internal paper cassette, and variety of output media (A7 ThermaPlus M paper, self-adhesive labels, and carbon copy paper), open up a world of new possibilities for the use of mobile enterprise devices in the field. The ThermaPlus paper allows the use of highlighters and reduces print fading. The unique carbon copy paper simultaneously prints an original and a copy. It even supports capture of a client signature for authorization or proof of receipt.
"With this solution Samsung is helping mobile sales professionals exceed their goals and maximize productivity," said Peter Skarzynski, Senior Vice President of Samsung's Wireless Terminals Division. "The Brother MPrint micro printer is a powerful resource for workers on the go."
The MP2 solution utilizes a magnetic stripe reader from Semtek that is attached to the Samsung SPH-i700 wireless handset. This device enables the sales professional to read the customers' credit card information. The i700, available from Verizon Wireless, utilizes an SDIO-based Bluetooth(R) interface from Socket Communications, which facilitates wireless communications between the i700 and the Brother MPrint(R).
The MPrint(R) micro printer rounds out the idea of mobile computing by facilitating its final stage--output anywhere it may be needed. Its ultra sleek, super slim 4.0"x 6.4" x 0.7" silver case weighs in at under 10 ounces. Also included are a 50 sheet paper cassette and built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery capable of printing up to 100 pages on a single charge. As a mobile peripheral it interfaces wirelessly via an infra-red port. A USB port enables printing from tablets and notebooks as well.
For more information on the Brother MPrint(R) micro printer, go to www.brother.com or call 1-800-276-7746. For more information on MP2 Solutions, please visit or call 1-866-MPTWO-22.
ABOUT BROTHER
Bridgewater, New Jersey is the corporate headquarters for Brother in the Americas, from Canada to South America and has fully integrated sales, marketing, services, manufacturing, research and development capabilities, located here in the U.S. In addition to its headquarters, Brother has facilities in California, Massachusetts, and Tennessee, as well as subsidiaries in Ohio, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Mexico.
ABOUT MP2 SOLUTIONS
MP2 Solutions is emerging as a mobility market leader and innovator offering a product suite that features the latest advancements in mobility equipment, software, and reporting. MP2 also utilizes the latest in wireless and encrypted technologies over multiple network standards (Verizon's 1XRTT CDMA, 802.11b/Wi-Fi) with a focus on back-end reporting and centralized company management. Alliance partners such as Samsung, Verizon Wireless, Microsoft, and Global Route Systems bring a wealth of experience, services, and expertise to MP2 Solutions. For more information please visit www.mptwo.com.
ABOUT SAMSUNG TELECOMMUNICATIONS AMERICA
Samsung Telecommunications America, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd., researches, markets and distributes wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, see STA's website at www.samsungusa.com/wireless.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunications, flat panel display and digital convergence technology. Samsung Electronics employs approximately 75,000 people in 89 offices across 47 countries. The company is the world's largest producer of CDMA mobile phones, memory chips, TFT-LCDs, monitors and VCRs. Samsung Electronics consists of six main business units: Corporate Technology Operations, Digital Media Business, Telecommunication Network Business, Digital Appliance Business, Semiconductor Business and LCD Business. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.
Contacts
Brother
Gigi Ilkay, 212-532-5151 ext. 219
gilkay@msanewyork.com
or
MP2 Solutions
Kathleen Katona, 706-561-4710
kathleenkatona@yahoo.com
or
Samsung
Stephanie Stewart, 972-628-7787
stephanie.stewart@publicis-usa.com
Alaska Communications Systems Is Ready for Wireless Local Number Portability with Its New Next Generation CDMA Network
ANCHORAGE, Alaska--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 2, 2004--
Consumers and Businesses in Alaska Can Now Switch Wireless Service Providers and Keep Their Current Phone Number
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040602005...
Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. ("ACS") (Nasdaq:ALSK) -- Local number portability (LNP) went into effect on May 24th and ACS encourages customers unhappy with their current wireless service to make the switch to Alaska's most reliable and advanced wireless network.
In short, WLNP allows wireless users to move among wireless carriers without giving up their current wireless telephone number -- the same concept that already exists in the wireline environment. Liane Pelletier, Chair, CEO and President of ACS, stated, "Customers everywhere now have a choice; if they are not happy with their wireless service provider, they can now switch providers without the hassle of getting a new phone number. We are committed to helping wireless customers realize this choice and providing an easy porting experience."
With LNP, business customers now have the freedom to move entire corporate accounts to ACS -- freeing businesses from service providers that are not meeting their wireless voice and data needs. Sheldon Fisher, SVP Sales and Marketing, stated, "Since WLNP has been implemented call volumes and traffic into the storefronts have increased. We are also extremely pleased that more customers have switched to ACS since WLNP rather than ported to other service providers." The company attributes this success to the availability of its new CDMA network, improved customer service and a commitment to offer Alaskans new technology at affordable prices.
Pelletier added, "ACS has timed the launch of the first phase of its new CDMA wireless network with the implementation of WLNP, to bring both the convenience of 'Your Number, Our Network' to Alaskans, and to bring the great advantages of CDMA to many of those who may want to port to ACS."
CDMA is the technology chosen for ACS's new "next generation" wireless network, phase one of which covers the bulk of ACS' existing wireless network, and also extends its boundaries in key geographic areas. CDMA technology offers ACS customers the highest quality voice and fastest wireless data speeds in the industry. ACS is also poised to offer innovative new handsets featuring things like internet browsing, mobile shopping for downloads like ringers, news and sports, GPS chips, future E911 capability, crisp and colorful screens and what's sure to be a favorite among Alaskans, picture phones. The calling plans for voice on the CDMA network will offer highly demanded features like free mobile-to-mobile calling, and nationwide and statewide plans in line with the lower 48.
About ACS -- ACS is the leading integrated communications provider in Alaska, offering local telephone service, wireless, long distance, data, entertainment and Internet services to business and residential customers throughout Alaska.
Contacts
Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc.
Mary Ann Pease, 907-297-3000
Wireless Operators and Developers From Around the World Gather in San Diego for Fourth Annual BREW(R) Developers Conference
Wednesday June 2, 7:31 am ET
- Event's Platinum Sponsors Are Verizon Wireless and VIVO -
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040602/law042_1.html
SAN DIEGO, June 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM - News), pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, today announced its complete roster of sponsors, speakers, exhibitors and entertainment for the BREW 2004 Developers Conference. The Company's fourth annual developers conference will take place June 7-9 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina.
With the theme of "Connect and Create" the conference provides the opportunity for attendees to learn, interact, network and share expertise, knowledge and ideas about QUALCOMM's BREW solution through a multitude of industry-led business and technical sessions. The popular conference is sold out and attendance is expected to reach more than 1,400 people.
"The past year has seen BREW-based applications and services truly proliferate globally, with 27 commercial operators in 20 countries offering BREW services to their subscribers," said Peggy Johnson, president of QUALCOMM Internet Services. "We continue to see support for this event through participation and sponsorship by wireless industry constituents."
Johnson continued, "At this year's conference we look forward to having engaged discussions with BREW operators, device manufacturers, publishers and developers regarding what is next for the wireless industry. We also expect the unveiling of new tools and technologies from QUALCOMM to support the development of next-generation wireless services."
Johnson will kick off the conference on Tuesday, June 8, followed by the conference's first keynote speech, entitled "A Journey Through the Wireless World," by Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, president of QUALCOMM Wireless & Internet Group. Dr. Sanjay K. Jha, president of QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies, will deliver the keynote speech on Wednesday, June 9, entitled "Enabling Tomorrow's Devices."
The BREW 2004 Developers Conference includes more then 30 business and technical sessions aimed at providing attendees with information on the latest development tools and networking opportunities. An illustrious group of top executives from key wireless BREW operators will also present at the conference, including Verizon Wireless International, VIVO, Hutch, KDDI, KTF, Midwest Wireless, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless.
Recognizing Innovation
Following Dr. Jha's keynote speech on Wednesday morning will be the BREW 2004 Developer Awards ceremony, hosted by Gina Lombardi, senior vice president of marketing and product management for QUALCOMM Internet Services, and Mike Yuen, director of BREW Developer Relations for QUALCOMM Internet Services. The awards highlight and recognize the imagination, excellence and achievement of BREW application developers in six categories: Best Productivity/M-Commerce Application, Best Entertainment Application, Best Game Application, Best Location-Based Service Application, Best Communications Application and Best Information Application.
Showcasing BREW Applications
The BREW 2004 Partner Pavilion offers conference attendees a place to connect, network and create new business opportunities while viewing and experiencing the latest BREW-enabled devices and applications from a wide array of global companies taking advantage of the BREW solution. Companies participating in the BREW 2004 Developers Conference as sponsors or in the Partner Pavilion include:
Platinum Sponsors:
Verizon Wireless
VIVO
Gold Sponsors:
JAMDAT Mobile Inc.
U.S. Cellular Corporation
Silver Sponsors:
ACCESS, Co., Ltd.
AGmobile
ALLTEL
Motorola, Inc.
Samsung Telecommunications America
Bronze Sponsors:
Agilent Technologies
Kyocera Wireless Corp.
LG InfoComm U.S.A., Inc.
Rocket Mobile, Inc.
Welcome Reception Sponsor:
Single Touch
NetCafe Sponsor:
NAVTEQ
Bottled Water Sponsor:
ATI
Engineering Support Lab Sponsor:
KTF
Luggage Tag Sponsor:
NSTL, Inc.
Conference Notebook Sponsor:
KDDI
Conference Pen Sponsor:
China Unicom
Tabletop Exhibitors:
Air Media
Faith West
Four Corners
Z-Axis
Media Sponsors:
RCR Wireless News
Software Development
Tele-Semana
Wireless & Business Technology
Wireless Week
Exhibitors:
Anyka (Guangzhou) Software Technology Co., Ltd.
Chasma, Inc.
DotPhoto
Downtown Wireless
eMbience Inc.
FusionOne
Hudson Entertainment
IBSnet Co., Ltd.
Indiagames Ltd.
Kayak Interactive
M7 Networks, Inc.
Macrospace
Magnithink International
(M)Forma Group, Inc.
Media Socket
MessageVine, Inc.
Networks In Motion, Inc.
Reaxion
Summus
Tourmaline Networks, Inc.
V-Enable, Inc.
WIZ Technologies
Xpherix Corporation
BREWfest, an exclusive celebration for conference attendees on the evening of Tuesday June 8, will feature a live performance from iconic pop group the B-52's. For more information on the BREW 2004 Developers Conference, please visit www.brew2004.com.
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 26 manufacturers have offered more than 135 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, Hutch in Thailand, Telstra in Australia, VIVO in Brazil, BellSouth Chile, BellSouth Colombia, BellSouth Ecuador, BellSouth Guatemala, BellSouth Nicaragua, BellSouth Panama, BellSouth Peru, Telefonica Moviles in Peru, Movicom in Argentina, Telcel and Movilnet in Venezuela, Verizon Dominican Republic, Verizon Wireless Puerto Rico, Pelephone in Israel and Zapp in Romania.
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.
QUALCOMM and BREW are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For further information please contact Michele Bakic, QUALCOMM Internet Services, +1-858-651-4017, mbakic@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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: QUALCOMM Incorporated
Cellular South Expands CDMA
06.02.04
http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=53729
JACKSON, Miss. -- With the Quarter One 2004 completion of a $38 million expansion of its CDMA 1XRTT network, Jackson, Mississippi-based Cellular South has added more than 100 cell sites to enhance and extend its network since September 2003. In the last five years, Cellular South has invested more than $260 million in network improvements.
Due to the CDMA 1X overlay of its network in Alabama and Florida, plus the additional cell sites, the company's CDMA 1X network has increased by twenty percent and provides seamless coverage from Memphis, Tennessee, through Mississippi, Coastal Alabama and the Florida Panhandle to Walton County. With its network now 100 percent CDMA 1X, capacity for voice and data traffic is in place to support the company's groundbreaking flat-rate Unlimited Calling Plan, unlimited text messaging service and plans for rollout of enhanced wireless data services.
"Building and maintaining a wireless network can almost be compared to a chess game. We've added towers and cell sites in strategic locations throughout our region - focusing on improving existing service and providing service where the national carriers won't," said Hu Meena, Cellular South president. "Most national wireless companies won't extend their networks into some of the rural areas we serve, but the new towers fit nicely into our long-term plans for growth."
In addition to increasing coverage where there were gaps or limited service, network improvements and expansion has primarily focused on making the switch from TDMA to CDMA 1XRTT. Now that the conversion is complete, the company has launched a new marketing campaign to encourage its customers to upgrade to the newer technology. Efforts appear to be working. In the third quarter of 2003, 46 percent of Cellular South customers utilized TDMA technology and as of the first quarter of 2004, that number has declined to 27 percent, reflecting the swift move to the CDMA network.
"Providing the best service possible, and focusing on what customers want most, better call clarity and fewer dropped calls, has helped us achieve a better than industry average churn rate," said Meena. "Our churn rate has decreased from 2.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2003 to 1.7 percent in the first quarter of this year."
Cellular South plans to launch its data application services on its CDMA 1X network in Quarter Three 2004. The company will offer an array of BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless) services and picture messaging.
"Now that we have elevated our system to a level where we have significantly improved call clarity and reduced our dropped call rate, we're introducing enhanced 1X games, photos and Internet email," said Meena. "We've chosen BREW applications because they allow us to create a better user experience by controlling capacity. Therefore, we won't cannibalize our spectrum for data services. We're adding data and keeping network quality, which is most important to our customers."
Cellular South