Qualcomm to test double-mode handset
20/2/2003 14:55
Qualcomm (China) Inc., U.S.-based developer of commercial CDMA
technology, will test its double-mode handset, which allows users to switch
between the CDMA and GSM networks, in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province around May this
year, Qualcomm officials announced yesterday.
If the test is successful,
mobile phone users will be able to send multi-media messages and access the
Internet using their GSM handsets on the CDMA network.
Most of the
country's mobile phone users have GSM (global system of mobile
telecommunication) handsets. The 2nd-generation telecom technology has been
incompatible with 3-G CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access)
technologies.
Double-mode operation will primarily benefit China United
Communications Corp., the only CDMA operator in China, which also provides GSM
services, telecom analysts pointed out.
With the phones, an increase in
CDMA users won't come at the expense of GSM registration.
The company has
60 million GSM users and 8 million CDMA users.
Qualcomm is confident
about the Suzhou test, according to its officials.
It unveiled a
double-mode chip last year, which is still being tested by China Unicom, a
project expected to take about eight months.
Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily news
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