samsung

Samsung developing own baseband for LTE and WiMAX

Lynnette Luna — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:07:55 -0500

Samsung Electronics said it is developing its own baseband silicon for both LTE and WiMAX technology to help lower the cost of its handsets and reduce its exposure to IPR royalties.

Samsung said it is already sampling its mobile WiMax chipset to engineers. The company historically as relied on chips from Qualcomm but began diversifying its suppliers last year and brought Broadcom and Infineon in the fold. The Broadcom and Infineon chips supposedly use a software stack from Comneon, a joint venture between Infineon and InterDigital Communications that reportedly does not rely on Qualcomm's patents.

It's unclear how quickly Samsung will be able to incorporate its own chipsets in its devices and whether they will be used in its early LTE and WiMAX devices. It's highly likely Samsung will use Qualcomm LTE chipsets since Qualcomm has an aggressive schedule for LTE. Qualcomm is aiming to release engineering samples by the second quarter this year.

For more:
- read EE Times

Related articles:
Qualcomm announces aggressive plans for LTE
WiMAX Forum certifies first mobile WiMAX products

InterDigital, Samsung settle 3G patent dispute

Lynnette Luna — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:07:09 -0500

InterDigital and Samsung settled two long-standing patent-infringement lawsuits just as the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) was about to make a decision on whether to recommend banning imports of Samsung phones containing 3G phones.

The patents pertained to 3G technology used in Samsung's Balckjack II and Instinct smartphones. According to the Wall Street Journal, InterDigital has garnered some $1.5 billion from wireless patents. Apple and Research in Motion license its technology but Samsung was a hold out until the settlement along with Nokia. InterDigital has a lawsuit pending against Nokia. A judge is set to hear the case in May 2009 and rule in August, with an ITC ruling due by the middle of December.

For more:
- read the WSJ (sub. req.)

Related articles:
InterDigital signs iPhone patent deal with Apple
InterDigital wins patent dispute against Samsung

picoChip unveils LTE femtocell reference designs

Thu, 22 May 2008 06:59:53 -0400

picoChip unveiled its first reference designs for LTE femtocells and picocells, which will enable the company's existing femtocell customers to upgrade to LTE since the new kit can be combined with the company's HSPA products. The designs also run on the same common hardware platform as its WiMAX base-station reference designs. Ubiquisys and ip.access are among picoChip's customers.

For more:
- read this Unstrung article

Related stories:
picoChip, mimoOn develop LTE base station reference design. See this story on picoChip and mimoOn
picoChip receives strategic investment from Samsung. Take a look at this story about Samsung's investment in picoChip

Samsung's t339 may be next Hotspot@Home phone

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:59:54 -0400

According to an FCC filing, Samsung's t339 has 802.11 built in, which has led to speculation that the device is slated for T-Mobile USA's Hotspot@Home service. The t339 would be yet another mid-range phone for the service, which got a BlackBerry 8300 Curve added to its lineup last September. In a recent interview with FierceBroadbandWireless, T-Mobile Product Manager David Sholkovitz said the operator plans to offer some 10 WiFi-enabled devices by the middle of this year that will work on the operator's Hotspot@Home UMA service.

For more about the WiFi-enabled device:
- check out this post from Engadget Mobile

Related articles:
Wi-Fi Alliance focuses on driving Wi-Fi enabled devices Report on WiFi devices
T-Mobile adds landline service to HotSpot-at-Home Report on T-Mobile's UMA service

WiMAX Forum certifies first mobile WiMAX products

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:59:57 -0400

The WiMAX Forum announced the first mobile WiMAX products to receive a certified seal of approval, a critical step the forum says will ensure interoperability between various mobile WiMAX equipment. Four base stations and four subscriber units for the 2.3 GHz band were approved from Posdata, Runcom Technologies, Samsung Electronics and Sequans Communications.

The forum also announced it will introduce certified mobile WiMAX equipment for the 2.5 GHz band during the next few months, which is important to Sprint Nextel as it plans to deploy its network in the band before the end of the year. In all, the forum says it will certify more than 100 products by the end of 2008.

For more about the WiMAX Forum's certification of mobile WiMAX products:
- read this report from Unstrung

Related articles:
- The CTIA news that didn't happen Report on Sprint's WiMAX plans
- On the Hot Seat with WiMAX Forum's Ron Resnick WiMAX Forum report

ALSO NOTED: Softbank Mobile faces 3G glitch; Samsung introduces HSUPA handset; and much more...

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:59:51 -0400

> The Global Mobile Suppliers Association's latest HSPA devices survey identified 637 HSDPA products have launched, representing an annual growth of 150 percent. Article

> Softbank Mobile said a system glitch in its facilities disrupted communications for its 3G mobile phone service. Article

> Samsung Electronics introduced its first cell phone to support faster upload speeds using HSUPA technology. Article

And Finally... Where now for European spectrum auctions? Editorial

China Mobile moves ahead with TD-SCDMA

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:59:54 -0400

China Mobile announce plans to commence commercial trials of China's 3G technology TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) on April 1. The carrier plans to set-up the commercial trials in eight cities across the country: including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Five of the soon-to-be 3G-enabled cities are hosting events for the Olympics this summer. The carrier plans to give 20,000 users handsets worth between $300 and $400 each and a data card free of charge. The initial handsets that will be used in the trial were made by China's Lenovo, Hisense, ZTE and New Postcom as well as South Korea's Samsung and LG.

For more on the trials:
- read this article from Xinua

Related articles:
- Japan's IPMobile to flip from TD-CDMA to TD-SCDMA Report
- Viable 3G business case for China rests on TD-SCDMA Editorial

Prediction: Non-traditional vendors will rise up

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 06:59:53 -0500

Higher speed data networks are ushering in opportunities for alternative vendors beyond the big companies such as Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent. Chinese vendor Huawei saw some significant momentum in 2007 with UMTS deals with the industry's largest operators: Telecom Italia, Vodafone and T-Mobile International. Companies that missed out on the 2G and 3G revolution such as Samsung and Fujitsu are looking to WiMAX to propel them in leadership positions. Look for some aggressive moves from these types of vendors to gain the trust of operators.

Sprint launches three WiMAX markets as planned

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 06:59:57 -0500

Sprint has soft launched its WiMAX network this week in Chicago and Baltimore-Washington D.C. as planned. The initial trial is limited to Sprint employees only and the carrier has not disclosed what hardware the users will have to connect to the network. Nokia and Samsung have both inked deals with the carrier for WiMAX-enabled devices. These initial test markets will become commercially available during the first quarter of next year and Sprint expects a full commercial launch during the second quarter of 2008.

In related news, WiMAX chipmaker Beceem announced the completion of initial interoperability testing between Beceem's chipset and Sprint's WiMAX infrastructure as part of the Sprint Mobile WiMAX device launch preparations.

"This is a big deal because it signifies the technical readiness of the overall solution. It means the network is ready to go in 2008," said Beceem's Lars Johnsson, vice president of business development, in an interview with FierceBroadbandWireless. "It's really the building block for everything else to follow

Big deal because signifies the technical readiness of the overall solution. On top of that is product availability and channel and distribution models, subscriber management and it's really the building block for everything else to follow.

For more on Sprint's WiMAX trial and Beceem's announcement:
- read this article from InformationWeek
- check out this release

Related articles:
Forsee out at Sprint, WiMAX plans questioned Article
FiberTower inks WiMAX backhaul deal with Sprint Article
Sprint's WiMAX deal to undergo a tweak? Article

ALSO NOTED: Nokia Siemens upgrades Telenor to HSDPA; Atheros announces single-chip 802.11n solution; and much more...

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:59:51 -0500

> Samsung, NXP Semiconductors and T3G Technologies today announced the world's first TD-SCDMA HSDPA/GSM/GPRS/EDGE multi-mode mobile phone. Article

> Nokia Siemens is upgrading Telenor's network in Norway to HSDPA technology. Article

> Atheros announced a single-chip 802.11n solution. Article

And Finally... The Ferreira Construction building in Branchburg, NJ is the first "Net Zero Electric" commercial building in the United States thanks to wireless sensors. Article

Motorola completes femtocell trial

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 06:59:54 -0500

Motorola completed a femtocell trial with an unnamed European wireless operator. The company said that it was able to provide a fully integrated and tested solution based on open standards interfaces. The trial included customer premises equipment and 3G devices, as well as a core network concentrator, systems integration services and CPE management.

Of course, Motorola isn't the first company to complete a femtocell trial or offer a femtocell solution. In September, Sprint debuted a femtocell service using CDMA in Denver and Indianapolis. The solution, called Airave, uses equipment from Samsung.

For more about Motorola's femtocell trial
- see this press release for more details

T-Mobile Katalyst Pic

Mike Dolan — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 10:11:43 -0500

Samsung Katalyst:

T-Mobile's Hotspot@Home service gets skinny phone

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 06:59:54 -0500

T-Mobile is set to sell a more attractive-looking device for its Hotspot@Home service. Sometime next month the Samsung Katalyst will hit T-Mobile store kiosks. The thin slider phone features, of course, a WiFi radio to move between GSM and WiFi hotspots. But it doesn't really include much else. It has a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, music player and myFaves, to name a few. T-Mobile will likely price this on the low end.

For more about Samsung's Katalyst:
- read this posting from The Boy Genius Report
- Katalyst image

T-Mobile sells first 3G phone, WCDMA rollout near?

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 06:59:55 -0400

T-Mobile is selling its first 3G device in select retail stores in New York City. The Samsung T639, a quad-band GSM/EDGE and WCDMA 1700 MHz clamshell, is the first phone compatible with T-Mobile's WCDMA network, which isn't running yet. T-Mobile won 3G licenses in the 1700 MHz band in the 2006 AWS auction and is currently building out its 3G network. The phone's introduction likely indicates T-Mobile may be ready to roll out its WCDMA network in some markets.

For more about T-Mobile's 3G phone:
- read this article from Phone Scoop

Sprint launches femtocell service in two markets

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 06:59:53 -0400

Sprint launched its CDMA femtocell service in Denver and Indianapolis. The "Airave" femtocell is a rebranded version of Samsung's Ubicell, and aims to boost cellular coverage for Sprint subscribers while they are at home. Here's what the device looks like (click to enlarge):

While Sprint is not counting any of the minutes an Airave-equipped customer uses at home against the subscriber's calling minutes, the service costs an additional $15 per month for individuals and $30 per month for subscribers with family plans. The Airave itself costs $49.99 at Sprint stores. The service will expand throughout the Denver and Indianapolis areas and will be launching in Nashville soon. Expect a nationwide launch early next year.

For more on the Airave:
- read the press release

Related Article:
SPOTLIGHT: Innovation of the week: Femtocells take flight

ALSO NOTED: picoChip receives strategic investment from Samsung; AT&T launches WiFi-enabled BlackBerry; and much more...

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 06:59:51 -0400

> picoChip received a strategic investment from Samsung. Release

> AT&T has launched the WiFi-enabled BlackBerry 8820. Release

> Cisco Systems said it plans to acquire wireless spectrum management startup Cognio for an undisclosed sum. Article

> Alaska Airlines intends to be the first U.S. carrier to offer a broadband satellite-based system. Article (WSJ sub. req.)

And Finally... Telsima announced contracts with tier-one operators and that it will be shipping a total of 10,000 WiMAX base station sectors and 100,000 WiMAX subscriber stations in 2007. I'll tell you how it did it on Monday. Release

Ericsson introduces HSPA platform for mass market

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 06:59:53 -0400

Ericsson introduced the U335 WCDMA mobile platform designed to enable handset providers to create mass-market HSPA multimedia devices capable of offering services such as mobile TV, mobile video blogging and other services that require both high uplink and downlink data speeds.

Unlike Ericsson's previously announced HSPA platforms, which have focused primarily on PC-card products and high-end feature phones, the U335 is the first platform that enables affordable HSPA devices for all segments of the market. the platform supports mobile TV standards MBMS, DVB-H and Unicast and includes imaging, video and music capabilities.

To read more about Ericsson's HSPA platform:
- check out this release

Related Articles:
Ericsson Bolsters Its 3G Network For Mobile TV. Report
Samsung, Ericsson settle two-year patent dispute

InterDigital signs iPhone patent deal with Apple

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 06:59:54 -0400

Apple signed a seven-year, $20-million plus patent deal with InterDigital to cover the current iPhone, according to a filing InterDigital made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The deal is retroactive to the day Apple released the device in June and appears to cover the use of EDGE technology.

For more about Apple's deal with InterDigital:
- read this article from Cnet

Related article:
InterDigital wins patent dispute against Samsung

Samsung to lead N.Y. WiMAX build-out for Sprint

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 06:59:54 -0400

Sprint has announced that Samsung will lead the build-out of its New York WiMAX market, making the vendor responsible for the manufacture and installation of radio access equipment, chipsets and mobile devices for the venture. Samsung is also set to lead the build-out of the WiMAX networks in Washington, DC; Baltimore; Philadelphia; Providence and Boston. Samsung said its WiMAX business could turn profitable within three to five years. Nokia, Motorola, Intel and others are also working with Sprint on its WiMAX build-out. The carrier recently predicted that the WiMAX network would cost up to $5 billion in capex by 2010.

For more on Samsung's WiMAX responsibilities:
- read this article from Yonhap

Related Articles:
Sprint outlines "Xohm" WiMAX plans. Article
Sprint and Clearwire merge WiMAX networks. Article
Sprint CTO champions WiMAX. Article
Google gets open access on Sprint's WiMAX network. Article

Cincinnati Bell launches WiFi/cellular service

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 06:59:54 -0400

Cincinnati Bell Wireless launched a new converged WiFi/cellular service, called CB Home Run, that allows subscribers to use one handset that switches between a WiFi and cellular network.

Cincinnati Bell is using the Nokia 6086 UMA-based handset, which allows both WiFi and cellular connectivity. The phone will connect to either network based upon the best coverage. CinBell expects subscribers to use WiFi networks in their homes and offices as well as in the company's more than 300 WiFi hotspots. The operator is offering the phone for about $65 with a $15 rebate.

T-Mobile USA has been testing a similar service and is expected to launch it sometime this month. The service, called Hotspot at Home WiFi/mobile service is being tested in Seattle. Nokia and Samsung supplied phones.

For more about CinBell's converged service:
- see this CNET article