Here's a snapshot of the Japanese ASIC market gearing up for the WCDMA limited rollout next year.
IC vendors vie for 3G sockets in Japan
By Anthony Cataldo
EE Times
(07/21/00, 3:40 p.m. EST)
Nevertheless, Japan is noted for a crowded field of fiercely competitive domestic cellular phone manufacturers producing ultracompact, full-featured handsets that meet tough price and product specification guidelines set by influential service providers.
The situation has made it tough for large global manufacturers like Nokia and Motorola to crack the market. Yet foreign chip and equipment companies are making progress providing the core technology to domestic OEMs looking for something more than just off-the-shelf components.
"All major cellular phone vendors here doing wideband CDMA are developing their own ASICs," Helton said.
eetimes.com
Standard standards fare. Go Brian!
Wireless coalition prompts IEEE eruption
By Patrick Mannion
EE Times
(07/21/00, 5:11 p.m. EST)
In a strongly worded position statement, the IEEE 802 group cited a number of grievances, including conflicts of interest, potential marketplace confusion, and the undermining of the IEEE 802.16 Working Group's work in the same fixed-wireless space (PAR 802.16.3). The letter demanded that ISTO disassociate itself from the BWIF before the forum holds its first meeting on July 26.
The letter was a reaction to the wording of an ISTO press announcement, which used the word "standard" 16 times and referred to the IEEE 34 times. While this is fine in and of itself, according to Brian Kiernan, chairman of the 802.16.3 Working Group, "the ISTO announcement made no effort to explain the IEEE/ISTO relationship, and in no way makes it clear that the specification produced by the BWIF is not an IEEE-mandated standard." Kiernan explained that the ISTO is not audited by ANSI, while IEEE standards are subject to ANSI approval. "It may not have come to such a head had the statement not used the word 'standard' so blatantly, " Kiernan said.
eetimes.com
There are now officially 4 distinct and competing OFDM-based efforts from Wi-Lan, Cisco, ATT and Lucent's Flarion.
Flarion taps OFDM to deliver mobile data over IP
By Patrick Mannion
EE Times
(07/21/00, 12:03 p.m. EST)
Asked why no one has implemented a mobile scheme based on OFDM to date, despite its inherent robustness in the presence of multipath interference, Mathias responded, "Part of the issue is the complexity and the fact that OFDM has its genesis in the military, thereby limiting the exposure engineers have had to it. However, the pending arrival of 802.11a and HiperLAN2 means exposure will increase, so the cost will come down."
Mathias sees a battle emerging over the next few years between wideband and ultrawideband, CDMA and OFDM for the heart and soul of the mobile communications market
eetimes.com |
