Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)

[Data_Rox]

Vodafone to test Flarion wireless gear in Japan
http://www.forbes.com/technology/networks/newswire/2004/05/0...
(another from Cooter)

Vodafone to test Flarion wireless gear in Japan
Reuters, 05.06.04, 3:00 AM ET

NEW YORK, May 6 (Reuters) - The world's biggest mobile phone provider Vodafone Group Plc <VOD.L> will test high-speed wireless gear from U.S. start-up Flarion Technologies in Japan later this year the companies said on Thursday.

Japan's third-place wireless provider Vodafone KK, will try out the emerging technology which supports high-speed Internet and e-mail use on mobile phones, in Tokyo metropolitan areas around mid-year, according to the companies.

Flarion's technology, known as FLASH-OFDM or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, has attracted interest in recent months at phone companies in Europe, The Americas, and Asia that are willing to consider an alternative standard.

The technology competes with wireless standard being installed worldwide today including high-speed technology used in Europe and a rival standard used in the United States.

Flarion does not have a commercial customer yet but its gear is being tested by U.S. provider Nextel Communications (nasdaq: NXTL - news - people). Korean companies SK Telecom <017670.KS>, Korea Telecom <045760.KS> and Hanaro Telecom <033630.K> have also tried out the equipment.

--

http://www.commsdesign.com/news/market_news/showArticle.jhtm...

Flarion flashes with Vodafone trials in Japan
By John Walko

CommsDesign.com
May 06, 2004

LONDON — Mobile network operator Vodafone will start trials of Flarion Technologies' flash-OFDM based wireless broadband system on its Japanese network within the next few weeks.

Though the test network is in Japan, Flarion's director of marketing in Europe, Joe Barrett, says this is very much a "corporate-level" engagement by Vodafone, which is the first European operator to break cover and go public on its work with Flarion.

He told CommsDesign.com there is at least one trial in Europe with a major operator looking at the proprietary technology for delivering fast data over mobile links, but he could not name the identity of the operator or the region.

In the US, Nextel Communications has a major trial of the flash-OFDM technology in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C. area, and last month, the company announced Australian operator Telstra is also investigating the technology. Two of the leading Korean operators, SK Telecom and KT (formerly Korea Telecom) were the first to start trials.

The Vodafone KK trial will cover seven or eight existing sites in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and involve, "a few hundred friendly users", according to Barrett.

The trial will use Flarion's commercially available flash-OFDM PC card modems for laptops and Personal Digital Assistants to field test broadband Internet access, enterprise productivity applications, as well as gaming.

Earlier this year, Flarion released a chip set, reference design kit and two modems targeted at laptops and handsets to help speed the adoption of its technology.

Commenting on the trials, Vodafone Group R&D director Michael Walker said: "We undertake technical trials of emerging technologies to ensure we are well positioned to drive future research into mobile system solutions. Such programmes also enable Vodafone to respond quickly to commercial opportunities with specific market requirements should the need arise."