Qualcomm

ZTE, Qualcomm behind Aircell Gogo service

Lynnette Luna — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:16:52 -0500

ZTE and Qualcomm announced they've developed the networking platform for Aircell's Gogo inflight Internet service. Aircell's Air-to-Ground service relies on ZTE's EV-DO Rev. A base stations and IP switching platform and Qualcomm's aircraft-mounted modems.

Earlier this year, American Airlines launched Aircell's Gogo mobile broadband service on three coast-to-coast flights, making the service available for $12.95 per flight on its 15 Boeing 767-200 aircraft. And Delta Airlines is offering inflight WiFi access on a substantial number of aircraft. Air Canada will do so in the spring.

ZTE has deployed base stations across the U.S. to support service for Aircell's customers. While en route, subscriber WiFi traffic is transmitted to ZTE's CDMA EV-DO Rev. A networking equipment via Qualcomm's aircraft-mounted modems. The technology was engineered to accommodate the high speed and high altitude of aircraft connecting with the base station. As a result, the service dramatically improves upon previous in-flight wireless services, which were slow, expensive and complex, the companies said.

For more:
- read this release

Related articles:
Aircell CEO: 2,000 aircraft will offer Gogo by year end 2009
American Airlines taps Aircell for in-flight WiFi

Qualcomm drops UMB development effort

Lynnette Luna — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:14:34 -0500

Not surprisingly, Qualcomm said it was dropping development efforts around Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) technology, the proposed 4G path for CDMA networks, in favor of Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology. The move comes after the world's largest CDMA operators such as Verizon Wireless and Canada's CDMA operator have announced plans to move to LTE. CEO Paul Jacobs said in January that he was still hopeful UMB had a chance, despite the fact that Verizon announced its intention to support LTE. Since then, a host of other operators have followed Verizon's lead.

Based on an announcement earlier this year, Qualcomm expects to begin sampling multi-mode chips that include LTE during the second quarter of 2009.

For more:
- take a look at Cellular-News

Related articles:
Verizon says it backs LTE, what's in store for UMB?
Qualcomm CEO: UMB not dead yet

Qualcomm launches platform for low-cost 3G Internet devices

Lynnette Luna — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:42:01 -0500

Qualcomm introduced a low-cost computing platform called Kayak designed to bring Internet-enabled devices to developing countries.

Based on Qualcomm's dual-core MSM7 series chipsets, Kayak aims to take advantage of the 3G networks that are deployed throughout much of the world to offer devices that have the computing power to browse the Internet but are cheaper than PCs or laptops. Eventually, the design could also include Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets, which offer both GSM-based and CDMA-based 3G technologies.

Qualcomm will offer the platform and recommended software applications to device manufacturers. Taiwan's Inventec is making products based on the design and they will be tested early next year over CDMA networks in Southeast Asia. Qualcomm said devices that use the Kayak could plug into televisions, computer monitors or include their own built-in displays. Qualcomm expects devices based on the Kayak to sell for less than $400 when bundled with 3G service.

Qualcomm also announced its Snapdragon chipset, which is optimized for mobile computing and mobile Internet devices, is currently being used in some 30 devices that are in development. The first devices should be released in the first half of 2009.

Qualcomm said some of the companies it is currently working with to develop Snapdragon devices include handset makers HTC, LG and Samsung. The chipset will allow handsets to run on Windows Mobile, Google's Android platform and some Linux-based operating systems.

"Many of the customers we are now working with are new to Qualcomm and are looking to Snapdragon to help them succeed in the mobile space," said Luis Pineda, senior vice president of marketing and product management for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies.

For more:
- check out Cnet
- see this release

Related articles:
Qualcomm working on Android platform
Qualcomm captures mobile chipset lead from TI

Sierra Wireless announces plans for HSPA+ modems

Lynnette Luna — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:34:32 -0400

Sierra Wireless announced it is working with Australia's Telstra, Qualcomm and Ericsson to deliver the first HSPA+ devices capable of peak download speeds of 21 mbps, which is three times faster than currently available HSPA modems. Sierra said shipments for customer trials are expected to begin in the coming months with a commercial launch to follow. Telstra will be the first to get its hands on the devices. The Australian operator recently confirmed it is on track to begin rolling out the new technology to its Next G wireless network by the end of this year. Release

T-Mobile, others file opposition to FCC's AWS-3 test results

Lynnette Luna — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:28:53 -0400

T-Mobile along with AT&T, Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, Nortel, Qualcomm, U.S. Cellular and CTIA filed comments that oppose the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology's (OET) report that use of the AWS-3 band would not pose an interference threat to to the adjacent AWS-1 band occupied by T-Mobile, AT&T and others.

The filers argue AWS-3 spectrum use would cause harmful interference to networks in the AWS-1 band and claim the OET's report was erroneous as the group used incorrect variables in modeling assumptions and made mistakes in logic regarding power levels as well as incorrect estimates of overload interference effects. The group of companies want the OET to reconsider its findings.

The FCC wants to auction the AWS-3 band on a nationwide basis and require the winning bidder to dedicate 25 percent of its network capacity to free broadband service and allow open access to third-party devices and applications. M2Z has been lobbying the FCC to move forward with the auction plan and accuses incumbents such as T-Mobile of stifling competition.

"When generally accepted engineering practices are utilized, it is clear that AWS-3 operations under the Commission's proposed technical limits will cause significant and frequent harmful interference to millions of American consumers," they wrote.

The FCC has not indicated when it will vote to move forward on the issue, but T-Mobile has said it could possibly file a lawsuit if the FCC still votes to move ahead on the plan.

For more:
- read Wireless Week

Related articles:
T-Mobile plans to file objection to FCC AWS-3 interference findings
AWS-3, white spaces clear initial hurdles but will they survive?
FCC: AWS-3 band won't interfere with T-Mobile's WCDMA network

Broadcom gets the latest victory in patent fight with Qualcomm

Peggy Albright — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:25:03 -0400

Appeals courts reviewing previous decisions in the Qualcomm and Broadcom patent disputes have been busy cranking out rulings in the last week. This latest, issued yesterday, favors Broadcom.

On Wednesday the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California upheld a unanimous verdict from a May 2007 jury trial in Santa Ana, Calif., which found certain aspects of Qualcomm's QChat push-to-talk and its EV-DO technologies infringed two Broadcom patents. The court upheld a court's injunction against Qualcomm following that trial, which prevents Qualcomm from selling products that use the infringing patents and it declined Qualcomm's request for a new trial. Qualcomm did prevail over one part of the appeal: the court determined a third patent related to video processing, which the jury said Qualcomm was also infringing, was in fact an invalid patent.

It was only Friday of last week that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit concluded an appeal, requested by Broadcom, of previous rulings at the U.S. International Trade Commission that had come out in favor of Qualcomm. The Federal Court gave some victories to each side. In Broadcom's favor, the Federal Circuit ruled that the ITC should re-investigate an earlier ITC decision that a certain Qualcomm product did not violate Broadcom patents for sending and receiving RF signals, and it sent that particular claim against Qualcomm back to the ITC, where Broadcom can be expected to pursue it once again. In Qualcomm's favor, the appeals court affirmed an ITC decision that certain other Qualcomm chips did not use that technology, and it upheld another ITC ruling that Qualcomm chips did not violate yet another patent.

Several cases between the two companies are still pending. These include the high-profile ITC decision last year that banned sales in the U.S of cellular phones that contain Qualcomm chips that infringe on Broadcom patents, which is still under appeal at the Federal Circuit; another case that was stayed by the Santa Ana court, which Broadcom may take to trial; as well as antitrust and litigation misconduct cases that Broadcom has filed against Qualcomm.

For more:
- see this article in CNET
- see this article in TheStreet.com

Related articles:
Qualcomm, Broadcom each gain in latest court rulings
Qualcomm slapped for violating Broadcom ban
Qualcomm-Broadcom spat slows Sprint's QChat

Qualcomm, Broadcom each gain in latest court rulings

Peggy Albright — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:09:27 -0400

The long-standing and bitter patent disputes between Broadcom and Qualcomm moved a bit forward Friday, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued several rulings that give some success to each side.

In Broadcom's favor, the appeals court vacated part of a ruling that had been previously found in Qualcomm's favor. The previous ruling, which had been issued by the U.S. International Trade Commission, was that eight Qualcomm chip products did not violate a Broadcom patent for sending and receiving RF signals. In its decision Friday, the appeals court revived Broadcom's claim about this patent with regard to one of the Qualcomm chips and sent that particular case back to the ITC. It upheld the ITC ruling in Qualcomm's favor pertaining to the other seven chips, affirming that those seven products did not infringe on Broadcom's patent.

Also in Qualcomm's favor, the appeals court upheld another ITC ruling that the eight Qualcomm chips do not violate a Broadcom patent pertaining to power saving.

The appeals court has yet to rule on Qualcomm's appeal of a prior, more sensational ITC decision that banned the sale in the U.S. of cell phone products built with Qualcomm chips that were ruled to infringe on yet another Broadcom patent.

Last month, a Santa Ana, Calif. federal judge ruled Qualcomm violated an injunction against infringing on three Broadcom patents Qualcomm has been found to use in certain QChat push-to-talk technologies, and the judge ordered Qualcomm to pay the appropriate royalties to Broadcom. In July, Qualcomm and Nokia, which also fought over patent rights for many years, finally settled their differences, to the relief of investors and vendors.

For more:
- see the LA Times

Related articles:
Qualcomm slapped for violating Broadcom ban
Qualcomm-Broadcom spat slows Sprint's QChat
Qualcomm, Nokia end long-standing patent disputes
Nokia gains patent victory over Qualcomm in Germany

Companies step up push to license white-space spectrum

Lynnette Luna — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:17:04 -0400

As companies such as Motorola, Google and Intel lobby the FCC for access to the unlicensed white-space spectrum a number of companies and organizations are making the argument that the spectrum should be licensed. Along with the National Association of Broadcasters, which fears interference from unlicensed white-space devices, Aloha Partners, Qualcomm, CTIA and the Rural Cellular Association are making a last-minute push for licensing the spectrum. House Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) has also called on the FCC to license the spectrum.

The Brattle Group also recently released a new study, which was underwritten by Qualcomm, estimating that the U.S. Treasury could make as much as $24 billion from an auction of white-space spectrum. That figure is some $5 billion more than what was made at the 700 MHz auction.

"There is no evidence for the claim the TV white space would spur innovation in unlicensed applications," stated the Brattle Group in an FCC filing. "Although unlicensed spectrum can provide a good home for low-power, short-range systems and thus facilitate innovation in such systems, the TV white space is ‘overqualified' for such applications. Devoting TV spectrum to low-power, short-range systems is like using land in downtown Tokyo to grow rice."

The FCC is wrapping up tests of prototype devices that access unused television airwaves, called "white spaces," to see if they will interfere with television broadcasts.

For more:
- check out RCR News

Related stories:
Pressure mounting in white space debate
Google steps up white-space lobbying efforts with new web site

Qualcomm demos HSPA+ transfer rate at 20 Mbps

Lynnette Luna — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:39:23 -0400

Qualcomm said it has placed an HSPA+ Release 7 data call at a transfer rate of more than 20 Mbps in a 5-megahertz channel. Such a capability would allow HSPA operators to double the data and triple the voice capacity of their networks compared with current iterations of HSPA, Qualcomm noted.

The transfer rate was achieved using Qualcomm's MDM8200 chipset product. "This is a stepping stone towards commercial deployment of HSPA+, expected early next year," said Alex Katouzian, vice president of product management, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies.

For more:
- take a look at TechWorld

Related stories:
AT&T: HSPA will provide 20 Mbps data speeds
Qualcomm introduces EV-DO/HSPA chip for laptops

Qualcomm, Nokia end long-standing patent disputes

Lynnette Luna — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:52:21 -0400

The many bitter patent disputes between Qualcomm and Nokia have finally ended. The two telecom giants announced they have entered into a new 15-year patent agreement that effectively settles all litigation between the companies, including the withdrawal by Nokia of its complaint to the European Commission and numerous lawsuits filed in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Nokia filed a complaint with the EC in October 2005 with five other companies, which led to a flurry of lawsuits between Qualcomm and its rivals and several regulatory probes into Qualcomm's licensing practices. The two were also miles apart for some time when it came to renegotiating a new license agreement that expired in April 2007.

The new deal comes on the day Qualcomm and Nokia were to appear in a Delaware court to begin a key trial over WCDMA patents, but the judge had delayed the trial by a day. Nokia claimed Qualcomm charges too much for the patents. Nokia now has been granted a license under all of Qualcomm's patents for use in Nokia mobile devices and Nokia Siemens Networks infrastructure equipment. The agreement covers a number of technology standards, including GSM, EDGe, CDMA, WCDMA, HSDPA, OFDM, WiMAX, LTE and others. Nokia also agreed not to use any of its patents directly against Qualcomm, enabling Qualcomm to integrate Nokia's technology into Qualcomm's chipsets.

The financial structure of the settlement includes an up-front payment and on-going royalties payable to Qualcomm. Nokia has agreed to assign ownership of a number of patents to Qualcomm, including patents declared as essential to WCDMA, GSM and OFDMA. The specific terms, however, are confidential.

Qualcomm investors breathed a sigh of relief, pushing the company's shares up 18.7 percent in after-hours trading.

Qualcomm delayed the release of its fiscal third-quarter results for several hours to announce the agreement with Nokia. The company's profits fell 6 percent to $748 million, or 45 cents a share, for the three months ended June 29, down from $798 million, or 47 cents a share, the previous year. Revenue grew 19 percent to $2.76 billion from $2.33 billion.

For more:
- read AP
- see this release

Related stories:
Nokia gains patent victory over Qualcomm in Germany. Nokia patent story
Nokia, Qualcomm head to court this week over CDMA patents. Nokia/Qualcomm story
Qualcomm-Nokia lawsuits continue to fly. Lawsuit story
Nokia sues Qualcomm in Europe. Nokia-Qualcomm story

Qualcomm raises forecasts on 3G sales

Lynnette Luna — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:20:21 -0400

Qualcomm increased its expectations for the current quarter and fiscal year as demand for 3G chips rose. Qualcomm said it anticipates revenue for the quarter ending June 29 to be "slightly above" the higher end of the company's previous guidance of $2.5 billion to $2.7 billion. The company also expects quarterly earnings to reach 54 cents to 55 cents per share compared with its prior forecast of 50 cents to 52 cents per share.

"We are expecting another successful quarter driven by the continued global migration to 3G,'' CEO Paul Jacobs said. "March quarter reports by our licensees indicate an increased mix of high-end devices driving a higher average selling price.''

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

Related stories:
Qualcomm captures mobile chipset lead from TI Qualcomm story
Qualcomm reveals LTE chip plans Qualcomm LTE story

Femtocell announcements bring market momentum; questions still remain

Thu, 22 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

A few big announcements in the femtocell arena this week should give this market some good momentum. First, Qualcomm made a significant yet unknown investment in ip.access' Oyster 3G system, which uses the residential broadband connection to deliver a 3G signal in the home. The move is seen as validating the femtocell concept, especially since Qualcomm is so adept at making the right technology investments.

The Femto Forum also came to an agreement on a standard way femtocells should connect with the mobile core network. The agreement is welcome news as a number of vendors have come up with their own connection standards. Since femtocells are expected to take on various forms with differing capabilities serving different market segments, no operator wants to be locked into a single type of home base station. That fear has discouraged some operators from making the leap from trial to soft commercial launches.

Moreover, picoChip unveiled its first reference designs for LTE femtocells and picocells, which will enable the company's existing femtocell customers--which include ip.access and Ubiquisys--to upgrade to LTE. That's important because it has been suggested that LTE/4G femtocells could be the starting point for 4G deployments. Operators could actually begin their 4G deployment in the customer's home and 3G as the fallback network.

Of course, at least two big unknowns remain: marketing and cost. Will operators market the service as a boon for voice or data? How does one create a clear message around the femtocell market given its own value propositions? Why would I, as a consumer, need another box in my house? How fast can vendors drive down the price of such a nascent technology? At what price will the service attract a mass number of users? The questions are still numerous at this point.

Continuing with the femtocell theme, check out a preview of the latest Industry Voices article from Maravedis below. FierceBroadbandWireless will be featuring a monthly column from Maravedis analysts Adlane Fellah and Robert Syputa. Maravedis is a research and analysis firm focusing on Broadband Wireless technologies including WiMAX, 802.20, TD-CDMA and Wireless Local Loop Systems. For more information, see www.maravedis-bwa.com. --Lynnette

P.S.--Due to the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, FierceBroadbandWireless will be delivered to your inbox on Tuesday, May 27. Enjoy the holiday weekend.

Qualcomm invests in femtocell maker ip.access

Thu, 22 May 2008 06:59:57 -0400

Femtocell and picocell maker ip.access received a financial boost from Qualcomm. The company joined existing investors Cisco, Intel Capital, ADC, Motorola Ventures, Scottish Equity Partners, Rothschild Gestion and Amadeus Capital Partners to fund ip.access' Oyster 3G femtocell system, which uses the residential broadband connection to deliver a 3G signal in the home. ip.access is rumored to have inked a femtocell deal with AT&T.

This move by one of the technology giants in the wireless industry is being seen as validating the concept as well as ramping up the competitive stakes. "Having [Qualcomm's] weight behind us and behind femtocells is good," Andy Tiller, VP of marketing at ip.access, told sister publication FierceWireless Europe. "It's beginning to look like this market is about scale. We need big friends in that kind of market, and Qualcomm is one of those friends."

Ovum analyst Jeremy Green says that while Ovum is still somewhat skeptical about the femtocell business case, Qualcomm's decision to invest in ip.access gives the femtocell proposition more credibility.

This is the second big European announcement from Qualcomm this week. On Monday, the firm announced it was purchasing a 40 MHz chunk of L-band spectrum, prompting speculation that it was planning to use it to deliver mobile TV service.

For more:
- see this press release

Related stories:
Qualcomm wins U.K. spectrum but coy about plans. See this story about Qualcomm's spectrum win
T-Mobile invests in femtocell maker. Read this T-Mobile femtocell article
Rumor: ip.access wins femtocell deal with AT&T. See this article on ip.access and AT&T

Technology-neutral European auctions opportunity for technology companies

Mon, 19 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

European governments have taken an unprecedented move to offer wireless broadband licenses on a technology-neutral basis, and technology companies are taking advantage to foster the proliferation of their technology interests and for a relatively cheap price tag.

Qualcomm last week won U.K.-wide L-band spectrum for $12.9 million, but the company is being vague about its plans for the band, saying it wants to "explore emerging business models and advanced mobile technologies."

Said Andrew Gilbert, an executive VP of Qualcomm: "Acquiring this spectrum will enable us to develop, test and explore a variety of innovative wireless services and technologies that will benefit European consumers and the wireless industry as a whole. The company has a long history of innovation and creating new technology markets."

Earlier this month, Intel Capital was among the winners of Sweden's auction of the 2.6 GHz band, acquiring 50 MHz of TDD spectrum for $26.5 million. Intel is seeking partners to build and operate a WiMAX network. The company plans to rent out the license to partners rather than sell it to grow WiMAX and the market for its Centrino WiMAX-enabled chips.

Of course, Qualcomm has a history of pushing new technologies via license ownership, with mobile TV being the latest. As it was going around evangelizing CDMA in the 1990s, the company bought licenses to begin Leap Wireless to push CDMA. Maybe it wants to prove that Ultra Mobile Broadband, the 4G path for CDMA technology, is a viable one.

It will be interesting to see who bids in the auctions going forward. Might Google make a play for a license and look for someone to run the network so it can guarantee its services on a carrier's network? Will Intel look to win more licenses, and what in the world is Qualcomm doing?--Lynnette

What will Qualcomm do with the U.K. spectrum it won?

Mon, 19 May 2008 06:59:53 -0400

Having won the auction for the U.K.-wide L-band spectrum auction, Qualcomm has been reluctant to define what it might be used for other than to "explore emerging business models and advanced mobile technologies."

Qualcomm spent $12.9 million to win the spectrum right to the 1452 MHz to 1492 MHz band, and competing against seven other hopefuls, Qualcomm claims the license is suitable for offering mobile television, wireless broadband and satellite radio. The spectrum has been released on a technology and service neutral basis, leaving Qualcomm and its partners free to decide what to do next. The frequency band is also available as of now.

Andrew Gilbert, an executive VP of Qualcomm, said: "Acquiring this spectrum will enable us to develop, test and explore a variety of innovative wireless services and technologies that will benefit European consumers and the wireless industry as a whole. The company has a long history of innovation and creating new technology markets."

For more on this story:
-read CNNmoney

Nortel goes its own way with LTE IPR licensing

Thu, 08 May 2008 06:59:56 -0400

Nortel has thrown a wrench into the LTE framework licensing agreement announced last month by seven wireless vendors. The vendor, known to hold some substantial IPR for OFDMA, has snubbed its nose at last month's framework agreement, instead going it alone on LTE IPR fees and announcing what is says is a competitive handset royalty rate of about 1 percent of the handset sales price for its portfolio of LTE essential patents.

The fee structure agreed to by Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, NEC, NextWave Wireless, Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks and Sony Ericsson calls for royalties for LTE that total less than 10 percent of the resale price for handsets and less than $10 for laptops. However, it is up to the companies involved to decide how this (up to) 10 percent is split between them. Nortel's plan would guarantee the vendor makes money.

Qualcomm and Motorola, to other big patent holders, are likely to stay out of the seven-vendor initiative and come out with their own LTE license schemes. How much visibility will that give in terms of industry IPR fees?

For more on Nortel's LTE play:
- read this Nortel LTE royalty press release

Related article:
Key vendors absent from new LTE licensing scheme

ALSO NOTED: Nokia calls for open networks; Intel to invest $500M in Taiwan; and much more...

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:59:51 -0400

> Reports out of Taiwan indicate Nokia Siemens Networks is talking to network equipment vendors such as Gemtek Technology and Accton Technology to create a femtocell base-station joint venture. Article

> Nokia calls for open networks. Article

> Intel said it will invest $500 million in Taiwan with most of that amount targeted for the WiMAX sector. Article

> Aruba Networks announced its new Mobile Remote Access Point (RAP) software that uses a combination of WiFi and wireless broadband connectivity. Release

> Meru Networks brings virtual reality to wireless LAN management. Release

> Qualcomm said strong adoption of 3G handsets helped its second-quarter revenues and profits beat analysts' expectations. Article

Key vendors absent from new LTE licensing scheme

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:59:57 -0400

Six vendors announced they have committed to a framework designed to offer predictable and more transparent IP licensing. Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, NEC, NextWave Wireless, Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks and Sony Ericsson have specifically agreed to royalties for LTE that total less than 10 percent of the resale price for handsets and less than $10 for laptops. However, it is up to the companies involved to decide how this (up to) 10 percent is split between them.

"The adoption of this initiative will reassure operators of the early widespread adoption of LTE technology throughout the consumer electronics industry," Ericsson's SVP, GM and CTO Håkan Eriksson said in a statement.

Notably absent from the agreement are Qualcomm, Motorola and Nortel. Without those major players, will such an agreement work out?

For more on the LTE licensing agreement:
- read this press release from the companies

Related articles:
- Vodafone CEO: WiMAX has a home in LTE. Story on Vodafone
- China Mobile joins Vodafone, Verizon in LTE trial. Story on LTE trials

Qualcomm enhances 1x for EV-DO data capacity

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:59:55 -0400

It's all the rage to to enhance existing mobile technology, including EDGE, so why not make CDMA 1x better? Qualcomm introduced last week several enhancements to the technology that will double voice capacity and make room for more EV-DO data channels.

Qualcomm has included reverse-link interference cancellation technology into it most recent release of CDMA base station chips that will help clear up enough capacity on the 1.25-megahertz channel to double call volume. Such a move is expected to have an impact on data capacity for EV-DO because operators can now reduce the number of channels dedicated to 1x and add EV-DO carriers to increase broadband data capacity. Right now CDMA operators have to make some difficult decisions around mobile broadband since adding another EV-DO carrier means sacrificing voice capacity.

The first chip set line incorporating the enhancements wont' begin interoperability testing and commercially shipping until 2010. From there they have to be incorporated into the manufacturer's base stations and then deployed in new networks.

For more about Qualcomm's enhancements to 1x technology:
- check out this report from Telephony

Related article:
Verizon in a position to dictate data limits Report

Qualcomm CEO admits to slow pace of mobile TV

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:59:55 -0400

Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs said his company's foray into the broadcast mobile TV space, through subsidiary MediaFlo USA, has moved slower than Qualcomm wants. Speaking during the Tech Policy Summit in Los Angeles, the CEO said carriers "haven't spent a lot of advertising on it to this point," adding that they may be waiting for MediaFlo to increase its coverage.

MediaFlo USA has a deal with Verizon, which has launched the service and AT&T Mobility, which hasn't rolled out service yet. "It's not as nationwide as we would have liked," Jacobs said. "We're really waiting for February 2009 to get the real digital transition done."

To read more about Jacobs' views on MediaFlo:
- check out this article from RCR Wireless News

Related articles:
Qualcomm files $240 million loss on MediaFlo Report
Qualcomm acquires Xiam for $32 million Report