All:
Sorry if this has been posted, I have lifted this off of the Ericy thread.
exchange2000.com
2. GLOBAL CONVERGANCE AND
HARMONIZATION
The submissions of 3rd-generation IMT-2000 radio
technology to the ITU on June 30, 1998 reflect strong
convergence around the WCDMA standard. Of the
10 terrestrial radio systems proposed, six build on
WCDMA. It is featured in proposals from Europe,
Japan, the United States, South Korea and China.
WCDMA is a key ingredient in each of these six
proposals that also include the TDD mode of the
UMTS standard. In the case of China, the proposal is
for WCDMA on top of a TDMA&TDD structure.
Therefore, WCDMA is the only technology to garner
truly global support.
The six proposals are known by various names:
ARIB/JAPAN – WCDMA
ETSI/SMG – UTRA/UMTS
T1P1/USA – WCDMA/NA
TIA TR46/USA – WIMS
TTA/South Korea – Global CDMA II
CATT/China – TD-SCDMA
But all of these submissions to the ITU are based on
WCDMA as the enabling technology.
In addition to global convergence around WCDMA,
there has also been notable progress in "harmonizing"
the WCDMA standard with other technical proposals
– including TD-CDMA technology and cdma2000,
the broadband version of narrowband IS-95.
For example, ETSI's submission to the ITU, called
UTRA (for UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access), draws
on both WCDMA and TD-CDMA technology.
ETSI's January 29, 1998 decision to adopt UTRA
was made only after the careful evaluation of multiple
submissions. It was based on a joint proposal from a
truly broad spectrum of the global communications
community, including such vendors as Alcatel,
Ericsson, Matsushita, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Nortel,
Siemens and Sony.
Harmonization between WCDMA and cdma2000 has
been provided for through the work of ARIB's Ad
Hoc-S group. These efforts took place at the request
of cdma2000 supporters. The outcome of the group's
work has already been incorporated into the ETSI and
ARIB WCDMA standards. Many leading companies
have expressed a willingness to implement the Ad
Hoc-S results as a basis for a global WCDMA
standard.
This does not mean, of course, that regionally-based
standards like cdma2000 should not have a place in a
possible IMT-2000 "family" of standards. These
alternate standards ensure that all operators regardless
of 2nd-generation technology choice have an
evolutionary path to 3G.
In terms of a global standard, however, WCDMA is
clearly the preferred technology. Free of any
2nd-generation constraints, it offers a superior
technical solution and one better attuned to the 3G
needs of the global community.
6. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
An integral part of any standards-setting process is the
full commitment of the industry, and all of its players,
that any IPRs related to the standard will be licensed
on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.
The fact that WCDMA is the result of research by so
many players means that many companies hold IPRs
that relate to WCDMA.
ETSI in its January 29 decision took specific initiatives
to limit the effects of potential aggregated royalties with
regard to WCDMA. This should facilitate the adoption
of WCDMA as an open-ended and truly global
standard.
In one instance, a company that has participated in the
ETSI and ARIB decision-making process has
threatened to withold licenses for what it claims are
valid WCDMA IPRs unless the standard is modified
to its benefit.
Despite a thorough investigation, Ericsson has found
no reason to believe that ETSI's present WCDMA
standard would infringe upon any valid IPRs claimed
by this company.
Ericsson is of the opinion that it has patents and/or
pending application(s) for patents that are essential to
the two different proposed 3G standards based on
WCDMA and cdma2000.
Note to all: Pending US Applications are considered secret. When one applies for a patent in Europe, the Application is published (whether a patent was granted or not) in 18 months. Applications, in the US, are never published, unless the applications issue to a patent
Ericsson is fully prepared to grant license to these
patents on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory
terms subject, however, to conditions of reciprocity
which are required to create fairness in a
multi-standard environment.
How nice of Ericy...See, Gregg, the world is, indeed, fair.
Ericsson wants each country, or region, to be able to
choose among the alternative global standards without
being hindered by unequal IPR policies. Ericsson will
therefore grant licenses to the alternative 3G standards
on the basis of full reciprocity on a global scale
between treatment of essential IPRs for these
standards. This means that Ericsson is not prepared to
offer licenses to anyone who do not apply such
reciprocity in its licensing commitments and who, by
such non-reciprocal action, hinder free choice on equal
terms between alternative standards.
In order to promote a healthy growth of the
telecommunications industry and equal access to
communications to all levels of society, Ericsson
supports a low royalty compensation approach.
dave |
