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

To: jmac who wrote (5484)	12/14/2000 9:47:10 PM
From: Eric L	Respond to of 197028

<< W-CDMA licenses were awarded tonight. LG and Hanaro applications were rejected. NO CDMA2000 license awarded at all. This is not good for qcom and add it to a lousy market tomorrow monring and we could see 70's again. >> Nothing unexpected about the decision. The decision was a foregone conclusion. Decision on cdma2000 license (government mandate) will be announced. If we hit 70's it has nothing to do with the decision just announced. Published a few hours ago (before decision announcement). >> Consortiums Applying for IMT-2000 Service Licenses Express Confidence Korea Herald 2000.12.15 Kim Min-hee koreaherald.co.kr With the government set to announce victors in the race for IMT-2000 service licenses today, the four operators in contention yesterday voiced confidence that they would be successful. The consortiums are led by SK Telecom, Korea Telecom, LG Telecom and Hanaro Telecom, the first three of which are bidding for two available licences to deploy W-CDMA (wideband code division multiple access) technology. Korea IMT-2000 is the sole candidate for the less popular cdma2000 network operator. Despite the outward confidence, however, a lot rides on the outcome of the contest. Their future greatly depends on whether they land an IMT-2000 license or not, given that the service is to be the next big thing in the telecom industry and will remain so for some time. "Unless there was some sort of political motive at work during the selection process, and I don't think there was one, we are assured of a ticket to operate IMT-2000 service," said an official of SK Telecom, the largest operator of the second generation mobile communication service in the nation. "There hasn't been a single case throughout the world in which the No. 1 mobile operator was not selected. If SK Telecom fails to win a license, foreign companies will lose confidence in our government," the official said. Korea Telecom, the nation's No. 1 fixed-line operator, emphasized its accumulated know-how, technology and infrastructure as a general communications company. "We must also stress the balanced composition of our shareholders. We mapped it out in such a way that it effectively covers all areas of IMT-2000 service - such as marketing, technology and even distribution," a Korea Telecom official said. "There are profound effects a state company has on the development of an industry. Its priority also lies in the public good, unlike a private company which is designed to create wealth for itself," the official said. LG Telecom, meanwhile, stressed it was the best prepared, technologically, to launch an IMT-2000 service. The LG consortium, tentatively named "LG Glocom" began preparing as early as 1997. It claims it has acquired top-level knowledge in the technology through its operations of Dacom and LG Telecom. An LGT official played down fears that the consortium would face difficulty in financing the project. "Although IMT-2000 is a costly project, estimated as high as five trillion won, it's not that we have to provide all of the funds right away. It will be spread out over several years. For example, we have absolutely no problem putting up some 300 billion won that is initially necessary to start on the project," the official said. As for the need to attract foreign investments, the official said it was not so much for the money's sake as LG Telecom's goal to become a global competitor. LG Computer, for example, formed alliances with IBM and Hitachi, because that way, the world learns its name faster than by going alone," the official said. An official of Korea IMT-2000, meanwhile, said that its own analysis shows it meets all qualifications proposed by the selection committee. "Unless the government intentionally drops us, we should be able to earn a license," the official said. IMT-2000 has been the big buzzword in the telecom business this year. IMT-2000 is a new cellular phone technology which greatly expands the size and speed of transmissions, allowing users to receive high quality color video images. The service promises to provide 2Mbps transmission in a stationary environment, 384 kbps for pedestrians and 144 kbps in moving vehicles. Due to its wide bandwidth, it makes possible wireless multimedia services, faster mobile Internet and intranet access and e-commerce applications in addition to voice services. It would also provide seamless services between fixed and wireless networks as well as global roaming. A panel of judges yesterday finished an eight-day selection process based on business plans submitted by the four contenders at a training center in Chonan, South Chungchong Province. During the review, the jury cut all contact with the outside world. >> - Eric -