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To: JohnG who wrote (51656)	11/24/1999 2:28:00 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

*CDMA in Europe<European Socialism only works when undemocratic, authoritarian boards and commissions are empowered to decide what is best for the citizens--the governments No 1 natural resource.* > You are quite right JohnG! My job used to be the technical and environmental side of diesel and gasoline for BP Oil International. I sat through meetings with these EC commissioners. They wanted Europe-wide specification and controls. They do it for beer-head and cucumber bend. They do it for heaps of things. It's mostly protectionism of vested interests at the expense of the public. Diffuse costs and concentrated benefits is the driving mechanism. They'll do it for telecommunications [as already done with GSM]. They are now stuck with CDMA for 3G but they'll still try to get the racing-stripes version, although that will give them problems with competing elsewhere in the world where cdma2000 will rule. The infrastructure and handset producers are getting nervous though and are calling for a cloning process for W-CDMA so that they can actually produce the thing in working condition. The difference between cdma2000 and W-CDMA has narrowed and keeps narrowing. There is NO technical merit in W-CDMA over cdma2000 [that has been demonstrated]. Neither is there an economic merit [such as backward compatible to prior investment, trained salespeople, designers or anything else]. The only possible merit is exclusion of competition. cdma2000 and Clone, just like IBM PC in the 1980s, will be the way it goes. If the Ericky gang do an Apple with W-CDMA, they'll go the same way. Good luck to them if they go for a weird proprietary standard which doesn't even have the advantage of a technical lead [as Apple had]. Mqurice PS: The EC commissioners wanted common fuel specifications although diesel freezes in Sweden but not Spain. Cities in the wealthy north wanted clean air, whereas those in the poorer south wanted cheap fuel. Octane requirements are higher in hot, low-lying areas than in cold, high locations. Volatility is a risk and cost in hot climates but needed in cold climates to make engines run well. Stuff like that. Interestingly, the Environmental Commissioners nearly all smoked. The meetings stank! Literally. These 'environmentalists' were supposed to look after European air quality. What a joke it all was. Meanwhile, lead emissions were poisoning their children's developing brains - they still have lead in gasoline in some places. Thanks John, but no Thanksgiving down under! I guess expats will eat some turkey...happy holidays to y'all.