Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)

[khemara_qc]

Qualcomm helping to open up DoCoMos network
Kevin Fitchard, 10.08.04, 3:07 PM ET

Telephony

http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/general/2004/10/08/generalprimemedia_2004_10_08_eng-primemedi...


Qualcomm and NTT DoCoMo today announced a partnership to promote Wideband CDMA roaming and break the Japanese carriers global 3G isolation using Qualcomms MSM6250 chipset.

Qualcomm and DoCoMo revealed they have been working together on interoperability testing of DoCoMos wideband CDMA network and, based upon successful results, will begin field trials of Qualcomms technology over the live Foma network. If the tests prove successful, Qualcomm plans to allow its handset vendor customers to incorporate the technology into their designs, allowing foreign carriers to roam on DoCoMos proprietary network.

While DoCoMo was the first carrier in the world to launch a 3G network, it used a hybridized version of W-CDMA, named Foma, which largely isolated it from other global networks. DoCoMo, however, has been one of the global proponents of W-CDMA and has been searching for ways not only to promote the technology worldwide, but allow carriers deploying the standardized version of the technology UMTS to roam on its homegrown network and popular data service i-mode.

"Its very important for us to cooperate with Qualcomm for the common goal of accelerating the global adoption of W-CDMA," DoCoMo chief technical officer Takanori Utano said in a statement. "We expect that W-CDMA handsets with Qualcomms chipsets will be adopted by many carriers throughout the world and will soon roam in DoCoMos network."

Qualcomm said several handset manufacturers are in discussions with Qualcomm to develop Foma i-mode phones using the new single chip solution and Brew client software. Qualcomm said the first of those handsets will appear in the second half of 2005.

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