Hi Dave,
<< CDMA dominant air interface but may not be the dominant wireless technology? ... how one can have one without the other? >>
Operative word is MAY. When I called myself "technology agnostic" I didn't mean just that I was neutral (which as a wireless user I admittedly am) but that I don't really know (how things will evolve) and out of investment curiosity I'm trying to learn more.
Here is what I think I sort of know <g>:
GSM is a mature and robust end to end digital wireless technology that has evolved through very elaborate and detailed Phase 1, 2, and 2+. specifications maintained by ETSI. The air interface component of the technology is a weak component of the technology, most admit, compared to CDMA.
In 1996 shortly after CDMA commercially launched in the US (a year later than Korea), GSM Operators formed the Third Generation Interest Group (3GIG) to make sure that their interests were maintained (backward compatibility, et al) as the world started to evolve 3G standards.
ETSI is about to publish (December) UTMS standards (evolved GSM) that contain an air interface component called UTRA.
This is what I think but don't know for sure:
UTRA is based on CDMA technology. It is what more specifically W-CDMA (I think) which is not Qualcomm 3G CDMA (cdma2000) BUT Qualcomm will receive royalties and license fees from implementation of the technology and perhaps even sell ASICs and handsets into the ETSI UTMS (GSM?) community.
Here is what I don't know (but have an opinion on).
When ETSI UTMS launches commercially in 2001 or 2002 will subscribers be counted as GSM subscribers, CDMA subscribers, UTMS subscribers, all of the preceding, some new name, VW40??????
I remain long QCOM but an not sure in the year 2005 whether CDMA will be dominant or DOMINANT <g>
Best I could do to respond. Very interested in opinions of, or facts from, others. Your opinion may be better considered than mine. If I recall you are somewhat learned on these matters and I think I've clipped a few of your posts and filed them in my knowledge base.
- Eric - |
