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To: jackmore who wrote (135040)	7/29/2004 5:57:07 PM
From: jackmore	Respond to of 152472

Plastic Dummy a Cell Phone Guinea Pig Posted on Thu, Jul. 29, 2004 KENDRA LOCKE Associated Press NEW YORK - A poorly dressed plastic dummy with a liquid-filled cranium and cell phone strapped to his hand is much like millions of other mobile phone users across the country: He is trying to get better reception. Magnolia Broadband Inc., a small company in Clinton, N.J., has been driving the life-sized dummy, "Bob," around New York and Kansas City, Kan., to determine how its new wireless technology called "antenna diversity" fares in different environments. The company is researching chipsets that incorporate a second, internal antenna into wireless phones. By combining two signals, users get stronger reception and faster data rates. "With two ears, you can hear better," said John Moon, Magnolia's senior vice president of corporate development. The technology - also being researched separately by wireless giant Qualcomm Inc. - is already used in network base stations. But because of space and power considerations, it is only starting to make its way into handsets. Chipsets based on antenna diversity will perform much better than currently available phone add-on products, such as sticker-like antennas advertised to boost reception, said John Jackson, a Yankee Group wireless analyst. "They're not even in the same league - it's apples and oranges," he said. And because the strengthened signals decrease interference, carriers will be able to use spectrum more efficiently - potentially doubling network capacity once most handsets have the technology. The technology should not make handsets much more expensive, Jackson said. Magnolia hopes its chipsets will improve signals both ways - for voice and data coming to and being sent from the phone. Qualcomm is focusing primarily on the signal received by the phone. Because cell phone users tend to demand more content than they send, it is unclear whether the market requires Magnolia's two-way approach, Jackson said. Nonetheless, in areas like South Korea, a market Magnolia has been courting, user-created content is more popular. Magnolia's technology should be available in Korea by mid-2005, followed by the U.S. market by early 2006. Qualcomm's chipset should be available in handsets by late 2005. mercurynews.com