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To: Wallace Rivers who wrote (11849)	5/23/2001 9:30:29 AM
From: ronho	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 34857

China Unicom ignites competition for accepting CDMA2000 1x equipment order By Lee, Eun-yong Wednesday, May 23, 2001 China Unicom, a provider of second mobile communication services and code-division multiple access (CDMA), has decided to launch its synchronous 2.5 generation mobile phone (CDMA2000 1x) service by the end of the year. Consequently, both domestic and foreign communication equipment providers are preparing themselves for obtaining the right to supply the equipment. According to a source related to the industry on May 22, China Unicom is planning to select a supplier for the CDMA 2000 1x equipment who can afford the 500 million dollar tag for the three million lines that will be required, by the end of the year. Furthermore, China Unicom intends to begin conducting business on a trial basis and is set to begin providing commercial services as of next year. To achieve these aims, China Unicom has scheduled a conference for technological exchange regarding CDMA2000 1x technology for the end of the month. The contractors for the second generation CDMA equipment, such as Samsung Electronics, Lucent Technologies, Motorola, Ericcson, and Nortel Networks have been invited to attend the conference. Based on the outcome of the planned CDMA2000 1x conference, China Unicom will reportedly prepare a concrete plan for the provision of third generation mobile communication services. In response to these moves by China Unicom, both domestic and foreign communication equipment providers are hurrying to assert their dominance in the CDMA2000 1x and third generation mobile communication equipment market that has been created by the Chinese concern. Given Samsung Electronics' experience in supplying SK Telecom and KTF with a commercialized CDMA2000 1x system in Korea, it is convinced of its superiority in international competition. Similarly, LG Electronics, which recently entered the North American CDMA2000 1x equipment market, is expecting that new opportunities will arise as a consequence of the China Unicom announcement. Samsung Electronics said, "The second generation CDMA equipment that we have been contracted to supply to China Unicom can easily be converted into CDMA2000 1x, what's more, the CDMA2000 1x EV(Evolution)-DO(Data Only) system, an evolved model, is about to be developed, thus showing our superiority in the technology". Also emphasizing its technological superiority, LG Electronics said, "We at LG Telecom have succeeded in constructing a stable commercial CDMA2000 1x system and are exporting the related systems to the American BWI, all of which testify our preparedness in technological capability". A person related to the industry predicted, "Domestic equipment providers are strong competitors in the bid to provide the 2.5 generation equipment order of China Unicom. Furthermore, they provided the CDMA2000 1x service for the first time in the world and have considerable experience in installing the related systems".

To: Wallace Rivers who wrote (11849)	6/1/2001 2:21:25 PM
From: S100	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 34857

Cell Phone Gear Makers Have a New Mantra: Look, Ma, No Hands By Julie Mitchell Investor's Business Daily As lawmakers mull sanctions on drivers who use cell phones en route,makers of mobile accessories are preparing for a boom in sales. Why? Much of the proposed legislation exempts drivers that use hands-free technology. That means it's OK. to talk and drive, if you have a speaker phone or headset, "Such devices are" already popular. But if punitive laws go into effect, millions more people may embrace hands free technology. What's more, cellular service providers are tweaking their offerings 'to" allow you to use a phone while keeping your .eyes on the road. "You can program your phone over the Web, enter the names, and then tell your phone to call whomever you like without ever touching it," said Stewart Asimus, a senior divisional vice president at Fort Worth, Texas-based RadioShack Corp., the largest cell phone retailer in the U.S. As cell phone users grow in number, chatting while driving 'is a hot button. According to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, there are more than 116 million wireless, subscribers in the U.S. And it seems increasingly common to find people with one hand on the wheel arid the other clutching a tiny phone. Statistics from a 1997 report in the New England Journal of Medicine suggest drivers using cell phones are up to four times more likely to have an accident. That's similar to the rate of drivers who have been drinking. The issue is raising hackles with state and local governments, as well as consumer groups. As many as 300 U.S. cities arid more than 30 states have proposed bans on the use of phones while driving. And both the U.S. House and Senate are dealing with proposed bills on the topic. But all that could be good news for hands-free gear makers, which have a variety of devices on the market. Mobile accessories allow callers to talk and dial without touching the phone. They include earpieces with built-in microphones, headsets, speakerphones and speakerphone adaptors. According to consumer electronics retailers, these are among the hottest-selling cell-phone accessories on the market. It's estimated that 12 million Americans have already adopted hands-free technology. .Earpieces, or "ear buds," are made from soft gel-like plastic and fit directly in the user's ear like an earplug. They transmit both the riser's voice and the voice of the person 'on the other end of the line via a tiny built in microphone. Most, such as those made by Jabra Corp. of San Diego, will work with any cell phone. Users plug the device into the standard 2.5-mil1imeter jack on the phone or adaptor. Over-the-head headsets use a speaker and a small microphone or a larger boom mike. They also typically have an on/off button on the cord. Speakerphones,-sometimes called hands-free navigators-can be mounted in a vehicle. They allow users to talk, without worrying about wearing peripherals. And certain cars are designed to integrate the speakerphone's controls into the dashboard or steering wheel. Cell-phone accessories are made by all major wireless phone manufacturers, such as Motorola Inc. and Nokia Corp., and by several others, Safer driving may not be the only selling point of hands free gear, Because it prevents users from holding the handset, it may reduce risks from cell-phone radiation. Cell phones emit low-level radio frequencies. Though no study has proven that this radiation poses dangers, the issue- still is being investigated. Prices for the simplest hands-free gizmos range from $20 to $30 for different models of Nokia headsets to $40 for a Jabra earpiece. A Sanyo Corp. speakerphone costs $179. "You get what you pay for," said RadioShack's Asimus. "There's some low-cost stuff out there, but for high quality you'll pay a little more. Cheaper headset cords tend to pick up-a lot of static, and inexpensive speaker phones can't filter out background noise from the sound of your voice." Wireless safety figures into all of RadioShack's cellular advertising and publicity, Asimus says. "We stock 10 different types of cell-phone headsets," he said. The Jabra earpiece is the top seller, he says. Ear buds and speakerphones are RadioShack's No.3 best selling cell phone category. They trail ;,cigarette lighter adaptors and phone cases or clips.