QCOM--Sprint, Samsung, QUALCOMM and 3Com Announce Completion of First Successful North American Voice and Data Field Trial For CDMA Third-Generation Technology
LENEXA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 23, 2000--Sprint PCS, (NYSE:PCS - news) Samsung Telecommunications America Inc. (Samsung), QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq:QCOM - news) and 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq:COMS - news) today announced the completion of the first successful voice and data field trial using standards-based third-generation (3G) Code Division Multiple Access (cdma2000 1x) technology.
The full-scale trial, the first in North America, took place throughout July and August on Sprint PCS' network. The results of the trial validate the anticipated benefits of cdma2000 1x technology and open doors to new wireless consumer and business services.
This trial illustrated the smooth integration of voice and data in one cell at the same radio frequency (RF), as well as the other expected benefits of 3G technology, including faster data rates and increased voice capacity. The test results showed that data rates reached 144 kbps with 35 full-rate voice calls being conducted simultaneously.
The trial, which took place at the Sprint PCS Technology Integration Lab in Lenexa, Kan., was conducted on a test network built with Samsung's 3G Base Station Systems V.4 technology. The system included three fully integrated asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)-ready base stations, a base station controller, base station management and a mobile switching center.
The test yielded exceptional data speeds by splitting the voice and data transmissions once they reached the base station controller. 3Com Carrier Networks Business provided the core data infrastructure to enable the high-speed data calls. The data transmission connected to 3Com's core data infrastructure and tapped directly into the Internet, while the voice portion of the call continued through the mobile switching center (MSC).
In the new cdma2000 1X network, the base station controller (BSC) connects directly -- via a new radio port (RP) interface -- to a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN). The PDSN performs the traffic aggregation function similar to that handled by circuit switches in today's 2G wireless networks. The PDSN uses authentication, accounting and administration (AAA) servers for user authentication and traffic management, then forwards traffic to the Internet.
3Com Carrier Networks provided the PDSN, authentication/billing servers and network management system for the Sprint PCS 3G trial. This core data infrastructure equipment adheres to the IS-2000 series of standards developed by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), so it is interoperable with other standards-based products. This adherence to an open, standards-based architecture helps to maximize the options for wireless and cellular operators to expand and migrate their networks to take advantage of future capabilities.
Samsung's commercially available V.4 technology accommodates current cdmaOne(TM) technology as well as allowing for a seamless migration to future cdma2000 services. Service providers can quickly and cost-effectively migrate to the 3G technology while protecting their investment in current 2G deployments. Samsung's V.4 technology nearly doubles current network voice capacity, giving operators more bandwidth to better service their customers. Customers also benefit from the extended battery life of the handset.
The test was conducted using Samsung's 3G 1x handset, which is commercially available overseas, and QUALCOMM's 3G 1x trial handset, both of which incorporate QUALCOMM's MSM5000(TM) chipset and system software. 3Com supplied the core data network, a crucial system within the network design for data communications.
Wireless data solutions are an integral part of the CommWorks® architecture, 3Com Carrier Networks Business' versatile solution for multiservice packet-based networking. The CommWorks architecture allows service providers to deliver narrowband enhanced data services, IP telephony, wireless data, and broadband access over a single converged network. Standards-based and designed with open interfaces throughout, the CommWorks architecture meets the telecommunications industry's need for a coherent architecture that allows the deployment of multiple services in a single, unified networking environment. The CommWorks architecture helps streamline the migration from today's analog networks to next-generation, packet-based converged networks.
3G CDMA technology will bring consumers more innovative ways to utilize voice and data communications. Possible applications include faster email, Web browsing, video streaming, intranet access and fax communications. It also paves the way for more reliable mobile commercial services such as vehicle-based PCs for transportation and fleet applications, and credit card validation for mobile vendors. Examples of other vertical applications include medical telemetry for mobile emergency services, more accurate and faster meter reading for utilities, and remote burglar alarm monitoring for vending machines.
``By being the leader in the field testing of 3G 1x, we're bringing our customers closer to realizing the full benefits of this exciting new wireless network technology,'' said Oliver Valente, Sprint PCS chief technology officer. ``As the fastest-growing wireless carrier in the United States, Sprint PCS is committed to bringing the benefits of 3G 1x technology and services to our customers as soon as possible. By combining the expertise of companies like Samsung, QUALCOMM and 3Com, we're working diligently to find new ways to meet the emerging demands of the wireless marketplace.''
``We are very pleased with the results of the trial, which underscore why our V.4 will be one of the first 3G 1x systems to be commercially available when it goes live in Korea in October,'' said Jeong Han Kim, president of Samsung Telecommunications America. ``Soon U.S. carriers will be able to offer their customers vastly improved data speeds and greater network capacity for applications. More importantly, we are excited at how a team effort among industry leaders can quickly bring together the best technologies available to meet the new demands of the ever-evolving wireless industry.''
``The results of this field trial underscore our belief that CDMA 3G 1x will take wireless communications to the next level,'' said Don Schrock, president of QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies. ``Businesses worldwide stand to make tremendous gains once 3G becomes commercially available, and our MSM5000 and subsequent 3G1x chipsets will form the foundation for many new devices and services being developed.
``The successful completion of over-the-air packet data calls using 3G technology is a significant milestone in the migration to third-generation wireless networks,'' said Irfan Ali, senior vice president and general manager, 3Com Carrier Networks Business. ``Beyond the increased voice channel capacity and higher data bandwidth, 3G wireless networks offer the promise of enabling a new generation of enhanced applications for wireless data subscribers.''
About Samsung
Samsung Telecommunications America, Inc. a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Company, researches, develops, and markets telecommunications and data communications systems and products throughout North America. STA has four main business groups: Wireless Systems, Wireless Terminals, Networks and Business Communications. For more information visit Samsung's Web site at www.samsungtelecom.com.
Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd., a $22.8 billion flagship company of the Korean-based Samsung Group, is a world leader in electronics, which operates in more than 60 countries.
About Sprint PCS
Sprint PCS operates the largest 100 percent digital, 100 percent PCS nationwide wireless network in the United States, already serving the majority of the nation's metropolitan areas including more than 4,000 cities and communities across the country. Sprint PCS has licensed PCS coverage of nearly 270 million people in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, visit the Sprint PCS Web site at www.sprintpcs.com. Sprint PCS is a wholly-owned tracking group of Sprint Corporation trading on the NYSE under the symbol ``PCS.''
Sprint is a global communications company at the forefront of integrating long-distance, local and wireless communications services, and a large carrier of Internet traffic. Sprint built and operates the United States' first nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network and is a leader in advanced data communications services. Sprint has $20 billion in annual revenues and serves more than 20 million business and residential customers.
About 3Com Corporation
3Com simplifies how people connect to information and services through easy-to-use, connectivity products and solutions for consumers and commercial organizations. The company also provides access infrastructures and IP services platforms for network service providers. For further information, visit www.3com.com or the press site at www.3com.com/pressbox.
About QUALCOMM
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 business areas include integrated CDMA chipsets and system software; technology licensing; Eudora® email software for Windows® and Macintosh® computing platforms; satellite-based systems including portions of the Globalstar(TM) system and wireless fleet management systems, OmniTRACS® and OmniExpress(TM). QUALCOMM owns patents which are essential to all of the CDMA wireless telecommunications standards that have been adopted or proposed for adoption by standards-setting bodies worldwide. QUALCOMM has licensed its essential CDMA patent portfolio to more than 80 telecommunications equipment manufacturers worldwide. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2000 FORTUNE 500® company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market® under the ticker symbol QCOM.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the Company's ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of CDMA components on a timely and profitable basis, the extent and speed to which CDMA is deployed, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 26, 1999, and most recent Form 10-Q.
QUALCOMM, OmniTRACS and Eudora are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. MSM5000, MSM, and OmniExpress are trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. Globalstar is a trademark of Loral QUALCOMM Satellite Services, Incorporated. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc. 3Com and CommWorks are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
