Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: gdichaz who wrote (17358)	10/28/1998 7:32:00 PM
From: Gaffer	Respond to of 152472

For what it's worth, Qualcomm's whisper number is $0.65. I will be thrilled with $0.60. earningswhispers.com

To: gdichaz who wrote (17358)	10/28/1998 8:45:00 PM
From: w2j2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

More from China: BEIJING -(Dow Jones)- Qualcomm Inc. late Wednesday said it thinks the number of users of code division multiple access, or CDMA, wireless-communications technology will reach 20 million by the end of this year. "CDMA is the fastest-growing wireless technology," Jeffrey Balk, Qualcomm's vice president of marketing, told reporters in Beijing. In the U.S., there are twice as many CDMA subscribers than global satellite mobile, or GSM, subscribers, he added. However, debates over global standards for the next generation of mobile telephones are holding back what potentially could be even faster growth for the technology, Balk said. In particular, he added, government regulatory bodies are preventing fair competition by not letting consumers decide among the various systems available. "We want a level playing field for the technology rather than a government mandate of technology," Balk said. San Diego-based Qualcomm is a pioneer in the CDMA standard. Qualcomm and other proponents of the technology argue that CDMA systems will allow providers to make a smoother and more cost-effective transition to the next generation of wireless technology. CDMA technology, unlike GSM systems, will allow for high-speed data transmissions needed for the multimedia applications that will characterize the wireless standard of the future, they say. The most important market for wireless technology companies is Asia, which has become a battleground for GSM and CDMA advocates, Belk said. "Asia has a quenchless thirst for communication," Belk said. "Asia has had some difficulties but telecoms have continued to grow. We're a long way from saturating the market." In particular, China could soon be the No. 1 market for wireless technology and is already the main market for many mobile phone companies, he added. According to China's Ministry of Information Industry, mobile phone users reached 20.1 million at the end of August, an increase of 6.8 million from the year-earlier period. China ranks third behind the U.S. and Japan in the number of mobile phone users. "China could be a key pivotal point in Asia because of the quantity of people who use wireless here," Belk said. In China, however, the GSM standard is widely used. CDMA systems are only under trial operations in Beijing, Shanghai, Xian and Guangzhou. Qualcomm's handset sales in China "are not substantive" because of this limitation, said Belk. Qualcomm is trying to persuade Chinese authorities to allow greater use of the CDMA standard as a way of meeting the country's explosive demand for wireless services. CDMA systems have three to four times the capacity of GSM systems and 10 to 15 times that of analog systems, Belk said. Since 1990, the average growth rate of mobile phone users in China has been about 160%, according to government figures. China expects to have 50 million mobile phone users by the turn of the century. -By I-Chun Chen; 8610 6532-6652; ichen@ap.org

To: gdichaz who wrote (17358)	10/28/1998 11:50:00 PM
From: Jon Koplik	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

To all - Iridium stuff : October 28, 1998 Iridium Set to Launch Call Service But Performance Concerns Mount By QUENTIN HARDY Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Iridium LLC, the long-awaited global satellite-communications system, is preparing to launch commercial service Sunday, despite concerns the voice and short-messaging service appears to be operating below desired performance levels. Iridium employs a $5 billion system of 66 low-orbit satellites to offer communications to or from any point on the planet. Just two weeks ago, according to people familiar with the system's workings, the Washington, D.C., company grappled with severe quality problems at several of the system's "gateways," which link the satellite calls into ordinary telephone networks. The quality of individual calls was good, they said, but some calls took as many as nine tries to get through. Engineers are convinced that last-minute software upgrades, along with other technical adjustments, will sustain an acceptable level of commercial service. To be on the safe side, Iridium likely will introduce the service slowly, concentrating sales in parts of the world where the gateways are working well. That would be in keeping with Iridium's move to limit the number of subscribers who have been testing the service for most of the past few weeks at about 500 users, less than the 2,000 originally planned. Iridium declined to comment. A Sunday launch likely will encourage the investment community, which originally expected service to begin Sept. 23. Iridium Chief Executive Edward Staiano decided to move the start of service to Sunday, however, because of poor technical performance. Iridium had budgeted more than $180 million to create global awareness for the product, and the delay hurt what previously had been an impressive public-relations campaign. Some analysts worry, however, that continuing pressure to commence service may compromise quality, a dangerous and common occurrence among new communications services. Nextel Communications Inc.'s combination mobile phones and walkie talkies, SkyTel Communications Inc. two-way pagers, and a type of voice mail pager offered by Pagemart Wireless Inc. were all products that quickly reached the market, but didn't live up to expectations. In each case, the companies were distracted for years with image problems that kept consumers away. "People can forget that they are operating for their customers, not their stockholders," said Susan Stein, a Goldman Sachs analyst. "When a product doesn't meet expectations, it is really hard to get back. I'm not saying Iridium will absolutely do that, but you have to be careful." Ms. Stein said she tried an Iridium phone about 10 days ago. She said it worked well when the phone could connect through the system, "but it was inconsistent" in successfully completing calls. While the performance appeared to be improving, she noted, "How much progress can you make in two weeks?" Iridium's biggest difficulties, people familiar with the system said, have been in successfully connecting calls among an Iridium handset, the satellite, and the gateway. During the past few days, however, the new software and a series of repositioned antennas have pushed several gateways to their target performance levels. Copyright © 1998 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.