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Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Moderated Thread - please read rules before posting -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Eric L who wrote (195)	7/4/2000 1:12:17 PM
From: Dennis Roth	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 197452

Brazil woos new telecom players Published Thursday, June 29, 2000, in the San Jose Mercury News mercurycenter.com Reuters SAO PAULO -- Brazil's burgeoning telecommunications industry, already a patchwork of European and U.S. competitors, is wooing fresh players this year as the government auctions off the latest set of wireless licenses. Brazil plans to sell PCS (Personal Communications Services) licenses, a technology that analysts say could power a third of all wireless phones in Brazil by 2005 and bring in as much as $5 billion in fresh investment. But Brazil's choice last week for a PCS frequency band widely used in Europe -- 1.8 GHz -- and one that's virtually incompatible with existing networks in Brazil will prompt new competitors to enter the game, particularly Europeans, industry experts said. ``The 1.8 GHz option is favorable to those who don't already have operations in Brazil,'' said Luis Carvalho, a telecom analyst at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in New York. ``This is good for new entrants.'' The sale of PCS licenses, scheduled for the end of this year, should add more nationalities to an already multi-cultural industry where the likes of Spain's Telefonica, Portugal Telecom and Bell Canada International Inc. rub shoulders. Brazilian mobile carriers use technologies called TDMA or CDMA. As yet, mobile phones can't roam from those technologies to 1.8 GHz, meaning existing carriers would have to build new networks that wouldn't be compatible with their existing ones. But the PCS auction could catch the eye of companies like Vodafone PLC, British Telecommunications PLC and Deutsche Telekom. They're familiar with the technology known as GSM, used at 1.8 GHz, and have yet to enter Brazil, analysts said. ``It's probable that operators will prefer to stick to one type of technology,'' said Alex Waisberg, special projects manager at Algar Telecom Leste, or ATL, a Rio de Janeiro-based wireless operator. PCS technology is designed to transmit voice and data and allow Internet access over mobile phones at a faster pace. Still, some established carriers in Brazil could be reluctant to cede ground to fresh competitors. For Spain's Telefonica, currently with CDMA and TDMA wireless networks in Brazil, PCS licenses would permit it to extend its footprint into other areas of Brazil. And the fruits are attractive. The Yankee Group research organization estimates the number of PCS users in Brazil will hit 15.7 million by 2005, up from zero now, compared with 31.6 million users of other cellular technologies. Intelig, a long-distance fixed phone company 50-percent owned by Britain's National Grid Group PLC, said Tuesday it was looking for partners to bid for the PCS licenses to offer wireless services. Companies like the Sprint PCS Group component of Sprint Corp. and Bell Atlantic Corp. may also be eager to take the bait, analysts said. Still, the participation of new and existing companies will depend on the game rules. Brazil's telecom regulator, the National Telecommunications Agency, or Anatel, has yet to decide how many licenses will be sold and for what regions. Anatel may also limit existing wireless operators from bidding for PCS licenses in their own regions, analysts said. ============ Eric, Brazil doesn't seem to have slammed the door shut on CDMA on 1800 Mhz. Would Sprint PCS and Bell Atlantic build a GSM network in Brazil if they are allowed to bid. Would the incumbent carriers using CDMA build a GSM network that is incompatible with their existing networks if they are allowed PCS licenses?

To: Eric L who wrote (195)	7/4/2000 8:50:17 PM
From: Dennis Roth	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 197452

Brazil : Ericsson launches CDMA mobile telephone library.northernlight.com Story Filed: Monday, July 03, 2000 9:26 AM EST In September 2000 Ericsson, a company in mobile telecommunications equipment market, is to launch its telephone with technology CDMA and protocol Wap, produced at S=E3o Jose dos Campos, S=E3o Paulo state. According to Ericsson's director Mr Javier Hernandez in 1999 the company invested US$18mil to expand its production line, in order to meet the demand of Band C. Recently Ericsson inaugurated at Curitiba, Parana state its first shop in Brazil. In 1998 Ericsson produced 1.5mil cellular telephone units in Brazil, and in 1999 others 2.6mil aiming to conquer a 55% share in TDMA technology market. For 2000 year the prospect is to produce 4.5mil equipment. Copyright (c) 2000, SABI, all rights reserved. Source: Jornal do Comercio Page: A-10 Date: June 30, 2000 Related Story: Brazil : Ericsson expands research centers library.northernlight.com Story Filed: Tuesday, July 04, 2000 10:25 AM EST Ericsson, a company in telecommunications equipment sector, is investing R$95mil to expand its research centers at Indaiatuba, S=E3o Paulo state, and Fortaleza, Ceara state. The plan is to develop mobile communications segment (TDMA and CDMA systems), fixed communications, and also to create associations with public universities, that will receive others R$10mil investments in 2000 year. Ericsson overall investments in telecommunication equipment are estimated at R$116mil. In 1999 the company destinated a R$74mil investments to modernization and expansion programs, being R$45mil to research. Ericsson had a R$3bil net operational earnings in 1999, versus a R$1.7bil presented in 1998. Copyright (c) 2000, SABI, all rights reserved. Source: Gazeta Mercantil Page: C-7 Date: July 3, 2000 =============== It isn't clear in these articles that the new CDMA phone is for the new 1800 Mhz Band C but it could be.