From the June 21, 1999, issue of Wireless Week
The Theme Is Harmonization
By Owen Hughes
HONG KONG--The three Cs--competition, convergence and consolidation--represent the three biggest issues facing the
wireless industry, according to code division multiple access proponents.
Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDMA Development Group, speaking at the fourth annual CDMA World Conference
last week here, said that the technology had experienced "phenomenal growth" over the last 12 months, it had to deal with
competition, convergence and consolidation--specifically, harmonizing competing delivery systems, marrying data and voice and
fostering e-commerce.
Bo Hedfors, Motorola Inc.'s executive vice president and president of the Network Solutions Sector, made a specific appeal for
rapidly harmonizing the different third-generation CDMA standards. Referring to the recent summit in Toronto, he said, "If there
was anything I could ask it's that everybody involved in the critical work should try and stick to the time scale [for harmonization]
as best as possible."
A note of caution, however, was sounded by Lucent Technologies Inc. Asia Pacific President Mike Butcher. "We support
harmonization, but there is a problem with the commercial reality, in particular in the Asia Pacific region. The time frame is not
compatible with the efforts needed for harmonization."
(In a step toward harmony, if not harmonization, newly anointed CDMA vendor Ericsson Inc. announced last week that it had
joined CDG.)
Wireless Internet access was another major theme of the gathering. Keith Paglusch, Sprint PCS senior vice president of
operations, said, "The future of wireless is data and Internet access. The convergence of wireless voice and data is here now."
Hedfors predicted that operators offering wireless Internet access would have a customer base of 1 billion by 2005.
Wireless Knowledge LLC CEO John Major said he thinks business users will provide the initial customer base for wireless
Internet. Sprint PCS Senior Vice President Al Kurtze said revenue from this service would be higher. "We don't want to be in a
flat rate for the Internet in the short term."
Consumers also will form a significant market for the combined technologies, according to Harvey White, chairman and CEO of
Leap Wireless International Inc. "I think the next big change will to move from a more select target to market to the broader
consumer market. That is going to be important to drive the cost down and features up. That is all part of getting coverage to
come on stream in a cost-effective manner."
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