CDMA2000 EV-DO REVISION B STANDARD TO BE PUBLISHED IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2006

Evolution to EV-DO Revision B Further Enhances the CDMA2000 Roadmap while Preserving Existing Investments

Portugues

HONG KONG , November 16, 2005 – The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) today announced that the standard for CDMA2000 EV-DO Revision B is on schedule to be published in the first quarter of 2006.  Revision B is a further enhancement to the CDMA2000 standard and significantly increases the data throughput up to 73.5 Mbps in the forward link and 27 Mbps in the reverse link by dynamically allocating multiple radio frequency (RF) carriers across wider frequency blocks.

In addition to supporting mobile broadband data and OFDM-based multicasting, the lower latency characteristics of Revision B will improve the performance of delay-sensitive applications such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), push-to-talk over cellular, video telephony, concurrent voice and multimedia and massive multiplayer online gaming. Since many IP-based applications are real-time in nature, the standard will also support interactive voice communications simultaneously with data sessions and extend the battery life of mobile devices. Revision B will preserve past investments by being compatible with CDMA2000 1X, 1xEV-DO Release 0 and 1xEV-DO Revision A.

“EV-DO Rev. B will mark another breakthrough in mobile communications and will enable operators to retain their first-to-market advantage in advanced capabilities, while increasing their system capacity and lowering cost of delivery,” said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG.  “CDMA operators will be well-positioned to succeed in highly competitive markets today and in the future.”

CDMA2000 EV-DO standards, optimized for data, have introduced a number of enhancements to the 3G technologies, such as increased system capacity, lower cost per bit, lower latency, enhanced QoS, simultaneous voice and data services, longer battery life and connectivity to the All-IP Multimedia Domain (MMD). EV-DO has been commercial since 2002, and since then operators in developed and developing markets alike have seen the usage and revenue from broadband data services rise rapidly.  This adoption is accelerated by the increasing availability and rapidly declining prices of 1xEV-DO devices; there are more than 150 devices, including phones, PC cards and fixed terminals manufactured by 18 vendors today.

The success of 1xEV-DO Release 0, with peak data rates of 2.4 Mbps, has demonstrated that there is a demand for mobile broadband data services. In early 2006, CDMA2000 operators will migrate to 1xEV-DO Rev. A, which will offer higher peak data rates, 3.1 Mbps on the forward link and 1.8 Mbps on the reverse link, and lower system latencies to support delay-sensitive applications.  With Rev. A, operators will be able to introduce advanced multimedia services, including voice, data and broadcast over all-IP networks. The evolution to EV-DO Rev. B (also known as DO Multicarrier) will follow beginning in 2008, and will allow operators to quickly transition to enhanced next-generation interactive services using existing frequency bands and/or new spectrum allocations – without any service interruption to their customers. 

Regarding future strategies, CDMA2000 operators will continue to upgrade their network capabilities and refine business models to deliver seamless access to a broad range of integrated voice, video and data services. The core of this strategy will be to enhance EV-DO beyond Rev. B, to include the seamless integration of other wireless access technologies, smart antennas and all-IP-based core networks.  This strategy will be complemented with efforts to expand the CDMA2000 market by improving global roaming and reducing the cost of handsets to well below $40 through economies of scale and industry initiatives, such as Global Handset Requirements for CDMA (GHRC) and a streamlined test and certification process for CDMA devices.

About 1xEV-DO Revision B
EV-DO Revision B is a CDMA2000 High Rate Packet Data Air Interface Specification that was developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) standards development organization as an evolution to the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT-2000) CDMA Multicarrier (MC-CDMA) standard that is recognized by the International Telecommunications Union and also known as CDMA2000 on a commercial basis.  The EV-DO Rev. B standard will be published in the first quarter of 2006 under document number 3GPP2 C.S0024-B and by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and Electronics Industry Association as TIA/EIA/IS-856-B.

Revision B introduces a 64-QAM modulation scheme, and will deliver peak rates of 73.5 Mbps in the forward link and 27 Mbps in the reverse link through the aggregation of 15 1.25 MHz carriers within 20 MHz of bandwidth.  A single 1.25 MHz carrier and an aggregated 5 MHz carrier in the forward link will deliver peak rates of up to 4.9 Mbps and 14.7 Mbps, respectively. 

About CDMA
CDMA technology’s global reach spans 200 operators in 72 countries. CDMA2000 is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 131 CDMA2000 operators in 61 countries, including 24 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO systems. There are more than 200 million 3G CDMA2000 subscribers.  CDMA2000 has become the technology of choice for cdmaOne™, TDMA, analog and Greenfield operators, and is deployed in the 450, 800, 1700, 1900 and 2100 MHz bands. More than 900 CDMA2000 devices are available on the market.  More information on CDMA2000 is available on the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.

About the CDG
The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA technologies. The more than 100 me mber companies of the CDG include many of the world’s largest wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers. The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support. Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA-related matters. For more information about the CDG, contact the CDG News Bureau at +1-714-540-1030 or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.

# # #

***cdmaOne is a trademark of the CDG
***CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA)