Company Press Release
Tuesday September 14, 7:04 am Eastern Time
Symmetricom and QUALCOMM Combination Yields
Major Development in CDMA Technology
Team Demonstrates Use of CDMA Base Station Without GPS
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 14, 1999--Symmetricom, Inc.
(Nasdaq:SYMM - news), a leading supplier of advanced network synchronization and
timing solutions for the global telecommunications industry, and QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq:QCOM - news),
pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, announced today that they
have successfully demonstrated the ability to synchronize and maintain time and frequency between CDMA base stations
using handset message traffic and span line inputs independent of Global Positioning System (GPS) inputs.
Using software specifically developed for Symmetricom's TimeSource(TM) product line, patented BesTime(TM) clock
systems, and QUALCOMM's patented hand set assist algorithms and software, the two companies demonstrated their
solution using engineering resources and equipment support from Ericsson's CDMA Systems group in San Diego. The
demonstration was conducted over a segment of Ericsson's traffic-carrying cdmaOne(TM) network, which is a part of their
over-the-air (OTA) field test laboratory.
''The requirements of CDMA, coupled with Symmetricom's knowledge of GPS and telecommunication systems, clock
architecture, and timing requirements, make this a natural technology marriage,'' said Mr. Rick Stroupe, senior vice
president of Symmetricom. ''Partnering with a company like QUALCOMM on this project clearly emphasizes our
commitment to providing solutions to the OEM marketplace. This technology allows us to exploit the capabilities of the
CDMA wireless system architecture where GPS is not available. Ultimately this development will benefit consumers by
increasing the number of environments where CDMA cell sites may be installed and by allowing far better connectivity
and fewer dropped calls,'' continued Mr. Stroupe.
The respective companies' proprietary technologies improve the viability of CDMA base station installations in difficult
environments such as in subway station tunnels and underground shopping malls with limited or no availability of GPS. It
is a cost-effective solution that requires no special installation considerations. It does not need to use direct, repeated, or
rebroadcast GPS signals at every cell site in a network. If any cell site in the network has a GPS reference, all cell sites
can be indirectly synchronized to GPS using this method.
''We are pleased with our team's progress in the area of CDMA synchronization and plan to continue collaborating with
Symmetricom to improve on the demonstrated performance which readily exceeds present system requirements,'' said Dr.
Charles E. Wheatley, III, senior vice president of technology for QUALCOMM. ''It's a major win-win for the telecom
industry in terms of future third generation systems which need tight time and frequency control not only for
communication but also for position location,'' he continued. Applying the technique will also benefit vendors by reducing
the cost of each cell site's time/frequency reference system compared to the current standard.
Symmetricom, Inc.'s advanced network synchronization products, the Heartbeat of the Net(TM), play a critical role in the
operation and quality of service of sophisticated telecommunication networks. Symmetricom's synchronization and timing
equipment is installed in telecommunications offices in over 60 countries worldwide. Global customers include network
operators and network service providers. The company is developing products based on its proprietary Global
Positioning System, BesTime intelligent clock and PowerHelix(TM) antenna technologies to address synchronization,
timing, and location needs of global communications markets.
This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is subject to the safe harbor
created by those Sections. These forward-looking statements include statements concerning the Company's expectations
regarding future product availability, demand and shipments. The Company's actual results could differ materially from
those projected in the forward-looking information. Some factors which could cause future actual results to differ
materially from the Company's projected results in the forward-looking information are timing, cancellation or delay of
customer orders, delays in new product development, introduction and production startup, increased competition,
customer acceptance of new products, economic conditions in the Pacific Rim region and elsewhere, customer delays in
qualification of key new products, and the risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's reports, on file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to, the report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30,
1998, and the report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1999.
Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and
datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries,
Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprise and consumers -
the world over.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless
communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. The Company's major
business areas include CDMA phones; integrated CDMA chipsets and system software; technology licensing; and
satellite-based systems including OmniTRACS® and portions of the Globalstar(TM) system. Headquartered in San Diego,
Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P Index and is a 1999 FORTUNE 500® company traded on the Nasdaq under the
ticker symbol QCOM. |
