Begins Work on Spec for CDMA Access to CDPD Services

ATLANTA -- Oct. 26, 1994 -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) today announced that it has completed specifications for code division multiple access (CDMA) asynchronous data and short message services, and has begun work on a specification for access to cellular digital packet data (CDPD) services using a CDMA asynchronous data air link.

The CDMA asynchronous data and short message services are expected to be among the first service offerings available when CDMA is rolled out in 1995.

Cellular customers typically will use the asynchronous data mode for enhanced transmission of large data files and faxes. Packet data mode is especially efficient when only short bursts of information need to be transmitted for applications such as credit card verification, dispatch services and vehicle location. Until now, there has been no North American digital cellular standard for asynchronous circuit-switched or packet data.

The CDG is working closely with the CDPD Forum (an industry trade association of companies that work together on CDPD technology issues and commercial deployment) with the goal that CDMA will serve as an additional air link for CDPD systems.

"Providing CDPD packet data access through CDMA is a natural. We are committed to making all of the CDPD network services available on the CDMA air link," said Chuck Parrish, general manager for GTE Wireless Data and chairman of the CDPD Forum Working Group. "This cooperation between the CDMA Development Group and the CDPD Forum will allow carriers and customers to leverage their investments in CDPD and assure wire-area CDPD coverage through CDMA and AMPS systems."

CDMA is highly efficient for data transmission because of its digital control channel, sophisticated error correction capability and resistance to outside interference (noise). In addition, CDMA data and voice transmissions are private because the CDMA information is encoded before it is transmitted over the cellular air waves.

"We intend not only to offer enhanced voice quality with CDMA, but new digital features that set the technology apart from all others," said John DeFeo, president and CEO, U S West NewVector Group. "These data specifications will provide immediate advantages to CDMA customers and introduce a new era of enriched features and service quality standards to the wireless industry."

Through the short message capability, cellular customers will be able to integrate voice mail notification, digital paging, electronic messaging and telephony in a single portable device.

The CDMA Short Message Specification includes the following group of services:

- Cellular Messaging - alphanumeric messages (up to 256 characters) sent to a cellular subscriber through a variety of mechanisms including a terminal, an operator at a cellular service provider message center, or through automatic voice to data conversion (voice recognition). Messages can be sent to one cellular customer or broadcast to a group of customers. The CDMA cellular phone will store the messages.

- Voice Mail Alert/Notification - automatic notification of a new message in a subscriber's voice mailbox. The cellular customer will be able to access the voice mail system with a "push of a button."

- Digital Paging - service that pages a subscriber by calling the customer's cellular phone number or a paging service number. The customer will receive the page as soon as the cellular phone is turned on. The system also will notify the sender whether or not the page was received. The cellular phone will store pages for retrieval and automatic callback.

The cellular system will have the intelligence to process and store short messages even when the customer's phone is turned off. As soon as the phone is turned on, the customer will be notified of messages, pages or voice mail. The system will forward the messages to the customer and indicate the priority level of the messages so that the customer can scroll through top priority messages first.

"The CDMA short message service and data specifications represent breakthroughs for the cellular industry," said Al Boschulte, president and chairman of NYNEX Mobile Communications. "They allow us to offer our customers a complete personal communications service including both voice and data. This is possible because the CDMA air interface was designed with the flexibility to support future services that our customers will require."

The CDMA Development Group was formed to foster the development of open standards that will facilitate market introduction of CDMA Services. The voluntary group consists of many of the world's largest cellular operators and equipment manufacturers. Currently, there are a dozen technical teams and more than 200 individuals working to define technical specifications for CDMA features and services.