Wireless and Internet Industries Merge at the CDMA Americas Congress

San Francisco, CA, November 30, 1999 -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) today highlighted a decade of CDMA milestones and exciting opportunities for operators and manufacturers in the new millennium at the 1999 CDMA Americas Congress, which is being held this week in San Francisco. CDMA leads the industry in providing the highest quality voice services, and is delivering wireless Internet and information services as part of today's fixed and mobile networks. Used by more than 16 million subscribers in the Americas and nearly 42 million worldwide, CDMA is the predominant global technology of choice for third generation (3G) services and devices.

Executives from Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Yahoo! and Cisco Systems are delivering keynote presentations discussing the convergence of the Internet and wireless industries, which correspond with the theme of this year's Americas Congress - - "Moving Beyond Voice." "CDMA has enjoyed tremendous success. Ten years ago, I would have never predicted the number of accomplishments that we have achieved," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "We expect to see this record-breaking pattern continue in the new century. As advanced wireless Internet and multi-media applications are offered, CDMA will again grow at a phenomenal rate in the next year. The CDG and its members will continue to evolve CDMA into the next generation with the first phase of 3G services to be available on CDMA networks in 2000."

CDMA technology milestones include:

• 1989 - Pioneers gather to develop an advanced global digital wireless standard, resulting in CDMA as a cellular concept
• 1989 - First CDMA demonstration takes place in San Diego
• 1993 - CDMA IS-95 standard is approved
• 1993 - Korea selects CDMA, making it the only digital wireless standard used in the country
• 1995 - CDMA accepted as a PCS standard in the United States
• 1995 - First commercial CDMA system launches in Hong Kong
• 1996 - United States CDMA cellular service is made available
• 1996 - PCS PrimeCo turns on nationwide PCS service in 14 cities
• 1997 - Commercial systems deployed in 100 United States cities
• 1997 - Japan selects CDMA, branding its service cdmaOne™
• 1998 - CDMA subscribers reach 12.5 million in 30 countries on five continents
• 1999 - More than 65 companies are licensed to build and sell CDMA products
• 1999 - 1XRTT completes standardization
• 1999 - CDMA reaches nearly 42 million subscribers worldwide

The Americas Congress is holding panel discussions about issues impacting the wireless communications industry in the next millennium such as today's wireless information and Internet services, and the evolution toward 3G. Additional topics include CDMA as a capacity solution for the urban core, and the benefits of CDMA for Latin America.