QUALCOMM to participate with Bell Mobility in concurrent trials of CDMA and GSM technologies for PCS in Canada

Business Wire, Dec 22, 1994

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 22, 1994--QUALCOMM Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) Thursday announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Bell Mobility, on behalf of its Mobility Canada network partners, to participate in concurrent Personal Communications Services (PCS) trials of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), a European technology based on Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA).

These trials, which will begin this week in the Toronto area, will represent the first side-by-side test of the two technologies performed by a wireless carrier anywhere in the world.

The trials will be conducted in the 1.9 GHz frequency range using CDMA PCS base stations, base station controllers, network interface and portable phones from QUALCOMM. The trials will test in parallel CDMA and DCS-1900, an up-banded version of GSM for PCS applications, using similar test conditions. System performance will be examined in a variety of surroundings, including indoor, outdoor, mobile and pedestrian environments. The goal of the tests is to determine the merits of each technology in the areas of voice quality, coverage, in-building penetration, hand-off, power control, microwave coexistence, and to test the PCS guard band.

"We believe the results of these trials will be of great assistance to potential PCS operators in their technology selection process," said Allen Salmasi, president of QUALCOMM's Wireless Telecommunications Division.

"QUALCOMM is pleased to be working with Bell Mobility, a leader in the wireless field, on this important comparison of the CDMA and DCS-1900 technologies. We are confident that these trials will demonstrate CDMA's inherent advantages, and are excited about the prospect of introducing the technology in Canada. QUALCOMM looks forward to Bell Mobility's objective report on the relative value of the two technologies."

"Customers are confused by the proliferation of technologies and the many changes in the telecommunications industry. That is why Bell Mobility is testing multiple technologies now, before Industry Canada awards commercial PCS licenses next year," said Joe Sarnecki, vice president, Network Service, Bell Mobility.

"This is the only PCS trial that will provide the needed breadth of information about the many leading technologies. Canadians can rest assured that Bell Mobility and its Mobility Canada partners will continue to deliver the best possible communications solutions to meet their needs."

CDMA is a North American digital cellular standard that is being installed by cellular carriers in 1995 in the United States. The PCS derivative of CDMA, known as PN-3384, has recently been approved for ballot as an ANSI standard by the Telecommunications Industry Association and the Standards Committee T1 Telecommunications.

CDMA has also been adopted and is scheduled for deployment in 1995 by carriers in Argentina, Hong Kong and the Philippines. Korea chose CDMA as the national cellular standard and plans to deploy systems in early 1996.

In Chile, Entel Movil (a joint venture between the Chilean long-distance carrier, Entel Chile, and QUALCOMM) has requested allocation of a PCS license using QUALCOMM's CDMA technology. CDMA is currently under evaluation in Brazil, China, India and many other countries around the world for cellular, PCS and wireless local loop applications.

Mobility Canada, a corporation established to delivery quality mobile communications, operates Canada's largest cellular and paging networks. Together, Mobility Canada partners have invested a record $1.3 billion in wireless technology products and services and directly employ over 3,500 Canadians. Overall industry estimates of job creation in related service, manufacturing and distribution sectors of wireless technology exceed 100,000.

The Bell Mobility family of companies offers a complete range of wireless communications solutions -- cellular, paging, data and airline passenger communications services, as well as the sale of cellular hardware and private radio systems. Bell Mobility companies are subsidiaries of BCE Mobile Communications Inc., a publicly traded company which is 65 percent owned by BCE Inc.

With headquarters in San Diego, QUALCOMM develops, manufactures, markets, licenses and operates advanced communications systems and products based on its proprietary digital wireless technologies.

The company's primary product areas are the OmniTRACS system (a geostationary satellite-based, mobile communications system providing two-way data and position reporting services), CDMA wireless communications systems and products, and, in conjunction with others, the development of the GLOBALSTAR low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite communications system.

Other company products include the Eudora by QUALCOMM electronic mail software, VLSI components and communications equipment. -0- NOTE: OmniTRACS is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Inc. GLOBALSTAR is a trademark of Globalstar L.P. Eudora is a registered trademark of the University of Illinois licensed to QUALCOMM Inc.