slacker, mightylakers, We should find out. But Dennis and others on the board have kept up to speed on the S Korea Ministry of Communications deliberations on 3G licensing parameters, including choice of technology. And the weight of the news articles released at this point, in my view, is at worst a decision to go with CDMA2000 and DS. How could the Koreans throw in the towel on (i) an incumbent wireless system that has served them exceptionally well and (ii) a booming export industry earning hard foreign exchange in the billions, in exchange for an industry where the Europeans stand a much better chance to eat into their lunch?
Yes, Korea is influenced by events in China and Japan-- political winds blowing from the West. And yes, it makes logical, if not altogether practical, sense to consider a dual standard so as not to be "an isolated island" out of step with the dominant standard. The SIM (whatever the analogous term is in CDMA-speak) card developments of Schlumberger and Gemplus tend to mitigate any fracturing that incumbent CDMA systems might experience.
But the naked, quoted language is, imo, not a fair rendition of what has transpired thus far. Doesn't mean it can't happen.
Albeit Q! says it welcomes 3G roll-out of any flavor, the faster the better, it is almost as if, once Q! commits to a date certain for its own DS chips, that greater legitimacy is given to DS, making it easier for incumbents to switch, rather than fight (twisting an old slogan around).
Steve |
