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

To: slacker711 who wrote (5070)	11/30/2000 3:56:59 PM
From: tradeyourstocks	Respond to of 196499

They could wait for GPRS/TDMA terminals but those would likely be at least a year away (and probably more). I guess that's the reason. ATT was relying on EDGE for 2.5 and 3G but today's news confirms that EDGE wont be ready. Going to GPRS/GSM can be seen as a desperate move to have something beyond CDPD<gg> in 2001. I see this move as a major opportunity for PCS and Verizon to gain much of ATT's market share over the next 2 years. As for Q shareholders, it would have been beneficial today if ATT was switching to the right technology but over the next few years all of those ATT customer switching to PCS and Verizon will certainly be benefiting QCOM. MicroE

To: slacker711 who wrote (5070)	11/30/2000 4:40:30 PM
From: EJhonsa	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 196499

My understanding is that GPRS is a data-only service....all of the current GPRS phones are GPRS/GSM. If a T customer bought the new tri-band Ericsson phone, they would have data services in the GPRS areas but wouldnt they have to roam onto VSTR's network for voice? GPRS is a data-only service, but not in the same way that, say, HDR is data-only. With GSM/GPRS, capacity can be dynamically shared between voice and data, much like 1x. I think this has something to do with the fact that GPRS uses the same modulation scheme as GSM. For this reason, the current GPRS upgrades that are taking place are mostly software-related on the radio side. This, in turn, is why they don't cost a whole lot. On the other hand, TDMA-EDGE builds off of the GPRS air interface, and thus requires independent, data-only channels to be used, much like HDR, and forces a TDMA operator to implement new hardware on the radio portion of their network. Meanwhile, although GSM-EDGE allows for voice and data resources to be dynamically shared, since EDGE requires a modified modulation scheme in order to be implemented, new hardware's needed once again. On another note, this deal still leaves me asking a couple of questions: 1. What does AWE have planned for its TDMA/AMPS properties in the 800 Mhz. band? I'm curious as to whether any of their suppliers have agreed to make GSM/GPRS equipment for this band, and if not, whether AWE plans on implementing TDMA-EDGE. 2. If they plan on tearing out existing TDMA equipment in the 1900 Mhz. band to make way for GSM/GPRS, in order to keep the loss of TDMA capacity from causing problems, won't they initially have to buy some customers new handsets as well? 3. Considering that GPRS will be far cheaper to implement, that there should be a good number of GSM phones with GPRS support available (900/1800/1900 tri-modes should help out here), but only a limited number of EDGE handsets in supply, that EDGE offers only 2x greater spectral efficiency over GPRS, and that plans for W-CDMA are in the works, will AWE bother with EDGE in the 1900 band? All in all, the execs at Verizon and Sprint PCS have to be smiling right now. While AWE spends a fortune tearing down existing equipment, and building out a completely new network from scratch, all that their company will have to do next year is change a few channel cards and perhaps install some new software...and they'll still somehow end up with better technology to offer to their subscribers. Eric

To: slacker711 who wrote (5070)	11/30/2000 6:45:32 PM
From: John Biddle	Respond to of 196499

They could wait for GPRS/TDMA terminals but those would likely be at least a year away (and probably more). And it's possible that phone companies have been putting big pressure on AWE because they don't want to have so many different kinds of phones. They're getting killed on margins and more combinations hurts. Giving them even more leverage they're probably talking about not wanting to support TDMA/WCDMA, either. It's possible, in my view likely, that a deal was cut with ERICY & NOK for GSM/WCDMA phones at a discount if AT&T went GSM. Expect Cingular to follow. We'll eventually clean up on WCDMA but in the US it's now further into the future.