IMO:Nokia has far greater problems..While WCDMA employs both FDD and TDD..TD-SCDMA IS TDD! And Nokia and IDCC have a Contract relationship with IDCC's TDD Patent Portfolio well beyond 2007! TD-SCDMA is 3GTDD!
June 26, 2004
The GSM Association and the TD-SCDMA Forum signed an agreement to co-ordinate the development of the two 3G standards. Through closer co-operation, the two organisations will promote interoperability and international roaming between the two technologies and so maximise economies of scale for the benefit of end-users, operators and manufacturers.
The GSM Association is the global trade association representing more than 630 GSM and 3GSM mobile operators worldwide, while TD-SCDMA Forum was established in China to promote the development and commercialisation of TD-SCDMA.
Chosen by 98% of operators who have been allocated radio spectrum in the 2GHz band identified by the International Telecommunications Union for 3G, 3GSM exploits "paired" spectrum, with users speaking or transmitting data on one radio channel and hearing responses or receiving data on a second radio channel. By contrast, TD-SCDMA transmits and receives data in different time-slots on "unpaired" radio channels.
Both 3GSM and TD-SCDMA can be deployed on GSM core networks and both technologies are now being standardised by 3GPP, a partnership of standards bodies representing China, Korea, Japan, the United States and Europe.
"TD-SCDMA and 3GSM are compatible technologies, a factor recognised in the decision to standardise TD-SCDMA through the 3GPP," said Rob Conway, CEO of the GSM Association and Member of the Board. "The synergies mean opportunities for TD-SCDMA to complement 3GSM not just within in China, but on a global basis."
"3GSM is building on the seamless roaming, interoperability and economies of scale that have created a global market of more than one billion GSM users. Through co-operation with the GSM Association, we aim to extend these world-beating values to TD-SCDMA," said Mr. Ling Haifeng, the Secretary- General of TD-SCDMA forum.
hereafter is the"Joint Declaration":
WHEREAS, WCDMA and TD-SCDMA are both international third generation mobile standards approved by ITU£»
WHEREAS, as 3GPP standards for FDD and TDD, WCDMA and TD-SCDMA share a common core network;
WHEREAS, as 3G standards for FDD and TDD, there is no conflict in bandwidth usage;
WHEREAS, as 3GPP standards for FDD and TDD, both WCDMA network and TD-SCDMA network can be deployed independently.
THEREFORE, as trade associations representing WCDMA and TD-SCDMA respectively, GSM Association and TD-SCDMA Forum are willing to join hands and cooperate with each other to promote the development and prosperity of the third generation mobile technology, WCDMA (FDD) and TD-SCDMA (TDD). The parties hereto reached the following agreements:
1. GSM Association will make full use of its existing resources to assist TD-SCDMA Forum in the promotion and the adoption of TD-SCDMA in the world market.
2. The parties will cooperate actively in areas of common concern, including the exchange of views as to how to best support operators, vendors in terms of international roaming and interoperability as well as operating strategies by way of organizing various seminars and paying visit to each other etc.
3. The parties shall encourage vendors to support and develop common platform for use by both WCDMA and TD-SCDMA and shall encourage the vendors to support the development of WCDMA/TD-SCDMA dual mode terminals.
4. GSM Association and TD-SCDMA Forum are willing to cooperate closely and use their joint efforts to deepen and strengthen their partnership and create a win-win situation in the upcoming third generation mobile communications era.