With all the 1XRTT, W-CDMA, IS-95A, B, cdma2000, GPRS, EDGE, DS-CDMA, etc, etc, I'm quite bamboozled.
I think what it all comes down to is QUALCOMM has invented CDMA for mobile applications [Interdigital, Nokia and others have wireless local loop methods which are MUCH easier to do]. They all started off as IS-95A, meaning interim standard number 95 [first attempt]. Then, as the software and ASICs improve and new bells and whistles get added, they start adding letters.
QUALCOMM wants them all to be backward compatible, so the old handsets will still function on the new networks, so hundreds of millions of handsets don't all have to be dumped all at once as the new methods are adopted and network cards are replaced.
HDR is for data only and would take over some of the basestation's channels leaving the others to handle voice calls. These can be swapped to voice or data as demand requires; see WackoWireless price scheme Message 13421665
HDR will be installed on the later editions of CDMA, starting on the IS95B networks {I think}. HDR, by combing channels and going really fast, can get over 1 million bits per second whereas IS95B with voice only runs at 64,000 bits per second.
Something like that anyway!
The W-CDMA and cdma2000 editions are faster, 2 million bits per second and combine voice and data I think, running internet protocol really fast for full WWeb. But W-CDMA won't be backward compatible with cdmaOne and other CDMA networks. Subscribers will depend on multimode ASICs and software to enable them to roam from the insular W-CDMA world of DoCoMo [if they ever manage to get it running] into the cdmaOne, HDR and cdma2000 world which will be in the Americas and a lot of other places.
The W-CDMA proponents are gambling that they can get their system operating before cdmaOne, HDR and cdma2000 take over the world. It's quite a big gamble. The only reason for the gamble seems to be to create some territory where the other world can't enter or at least makes it difficult. There doesn't seem to be technical, economic or other subscriber benefit coming from the W-CDMA plan. It's all about Nokia, Ericy and others trying to nab some royalties and create trade barriers.
Ericy has made sure they are not stuck up that blind alley, by buying the QUALCOMM infrastructure business and going flat out on cdma2000.
Vodafone and others who depend on network effects to leverage their investments to huge profit will NOT want a fragmented WWeb world. They have already forced a very close approximation. Maybe they'll force still more similarity.
QUALCOMM is selling their Intellectual Property to both worlds for the same price, leaving it up to markets to decide.
Now QUALCOMM has decided to help the markets decide by seeking to introduce another network to Japan to compete with NTT, DDI/IDO since they seem to going the W-CDMA way, which could delay things by years. Hitachi, Verizon [Vodafone], Fujitsu, Kyocera, Ericsson, Lucent and others are likely to find the prospect very attractive.
DDI/IDO might prefer to forget the silly W-CDMA effort and get with the real oil, leaving NTT stranded with i-mode running on their scungy TDMA system [which will run out of space].
This is a LOT of fun!
Japan has signed up [a couple or more years ago] to the telecommunications international agreements, so can't just close their market [without serious consequences] to protect NTT's silly plan and ripoff of subscribers.
Just thinking out loud.
Mqurice |
