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Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JohnG who wrote (32698)	6/19/1999 9:07:00 AM
From: JohnG	Respond to of 152472

Canadian LMCS--Is Q involved here?? High-speed wireless telecom ready for rapid expansion TORONTO, Jun 17, 1999 (The Canadian Press via COMTEX) -- Canada's telecommunications market witnessed the birth of a new national competitor Thursday. But it's a safe bet few Canadians have heard of MaxLink Communications. The Toronto-based company announced it had acquired rival WIC Connexus and affiliate Regional Vision Inc. in a $48.3-million deal that gives MaxLink access to 207 communities across Canada. MaxLink and Connexus are both startup companies working on a relatively new type of telecom technology known as local multipoint communications systems, or LMCS. ''This is very new,'' said Joel Bell, chief executive at MaxLink. ''It's not in the market yet... But five years from now, we won't be able to imagine doing business without high-speed broadband connectivity.'' LMCS is a wireless service that transmits and receives calls, data, Internet and other digital traffic via rooftop antennas instead of wires. ''It's relatively easy to deploy because it doesn't mean carving up streets and going through sewer pipes,'' said George Karidis, associate director at the Yankee Group in Canada, a research firm based in Brockville, Ont. ''It means finding the right rooftop and connecting to the existing wiring in the building.'' LMCS can handle video conferencing, virtual private networks, electronic commerce and almost any other type of digital communication. The download and upload speeds are roughly 300 times faster than the quickest dial-up services and 10 times faster than cable modems. More importantly, LMCS will give businesses and some consumers a cheaper alternative to high-speed fibre-optic lines, which are typically reserved for big businesses in big cities. ''It's broadband capability beyond the economic reach of fibre,'' said Bell. That means high-speed services could soon become a more feasible option for small businesses in small towns. Bell said he expects commercial service to be introduced in the Ottawa-Hull area within weeks. Later this summer, Montreal and Calgary will sprout tiny LMCS antennas, followed by Toronto and Vancouver. The newly merged company expects to spend $1 billion in the next four years bringing LMCS to the rest of Canada. ''The excitement comes from the possibility that this is a new way to provide... high-speed connectivity,'' said Roger Poirier, president of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association in Ottawa. ''The interest in this has really been driven by the Internet.'' But MaxLink's urge to merge has been driven by the federal government's recent decision to allow more competitors in the LMCS market, said Karidis. Industry Canada has been disappointed with the lack of progress made by MaxLink and Connexus. Indeed, technical glitches have kept LMCS in the test stage since the first licences were issued more than two years ago. ''The technology has failed to keep up with market expectations,'' said Karidis. Bell agreed. ''We have all been disappointed,'' he said. ''The technology needed debugging... and that takes time.'' A licence auction will be held in October, ''which means ... it's going to get some heavy hitters into the game.'' In the United States, WinStar Communications Inc. of New York and Teligent Inc., based in Vienna, Va., already offer commercial, wireless broadband services in scores of cities. Copyright (c) 1999 The Canadian Press (CP), All rights reserved.

To: JohnG who wrote (32698)	6/19/1999 9:47:00 AM
From: Art Bechhoefer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

The relationship between Sony and QCOM is advantageous to both sides. It is likely Sony's new WLL project will involve use of CDMA. QCOM, meanwhile, through its manufacturing facility jointly owned with Sony, is learning from one of the best teachers how to manufacture handsets efficiently. I think one can say with certainty that any wireless communication links to be built in the future will all involve some aspect of CDMA, since there is no other more efficient or better performing system.

To: JohnG who wrote (32698)	6/19/1999 10:56:00 PM
From: Boplicity	Respond to of 152472

Sony to Offer Wireless Telecommunications in Japan's Big Cities Tokyo, June 10 (Bloomberg) -- Sony Corp., the world's second- largest consumer electronics maker, said it will build a wireless local telecommunications network in Tokyo, Osaka and other major Japanese cities and will offer connections in conjunction with home electronics and online services. Sony will first target ''heavy personal users'' by providing high-speed Internet access to home offices and others, the company said in a statement. The move creates a powerful local rival to Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp., the former government monopoly for domestic phone services, which still dominates local telecommunications. NTT relies on charges to other carriers for use of its phone network for at least 40 percent its phone-related revenue. Sony's service will allow local users to connect to long-distance and international lines without passing through NTT wires. NTT's other rivals, such as KDD Corp. and Japan Telecom Co. are also offering wireless connections to large corporations, allowing companies to rely less on NTT. Sony will receive a Type 1 license from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications Ministry next week, a first for a manufacturer, and will start offering Internet access and other services by July 2000. Building a local wireless network is faster and cheaper than laying the fiber optic lines most major telecommunications providers use. Sony expects to invest 10 billion yen ($83.3 million) in the network over its first three years. Sony on Friday shares rose 140 yen to close at 12,290.