Qualcomm Inc, seeking to cut costs in the face of slowing demand for cell phones, has stopped developing a next-generation wireless technology called Ultra Mobile Broadband and is making small-scale layoffs.

The wireless chip maker will instead put its resources into a rival high-speed technology called Long Term Evolution, which some of its major customers, such as Verizon Wireless, have backed, said Qualcomm Chief Executive Paul Jacobs.

Jacobs told an annual analysts’ meeting on Thursday that there are no plans to undertake “a large layoff across the company” as he expects a modest market recovery in the second half of 2009.

Qualcomm issued weaker-than-expected full-year forecasts last week, leading some investors to question how sure it could be of its outlook in the difficult economic environment.

“We’re trying to do as good a job as we can predicting the market. With that said there’s still some uncertainty out there,” Jacobs said, citing challenges in predicting phone volume sales and product mixes for 2009.

After opening the meeting by joking “Wasn’t fiscal 2008 a nice time?” Jacobs said he was still seeing growing demand for advanced cell phones, putting Qualcomm in a good position as it sells technology licenses as well as chips.

“We’re looking at difficult times in the near term, but the long term strength of the company is strong,” he said.

Qualcomm wants to increase business from existing cell phone makers such as Sony Ericsson, as well as sell chips to market leader Nokia after ending their legal battles with a technology licensing agreement.

The company is also looking for growth beyond cell phones with its Snapdragon chips, aimed at consumer electronics such as pocket computers or low-power laptops. Qualcomm expects the first devices in the first half of 2009.

As for MediaFLO, its mobile television business, Qualcomm plans to expand it beyond the United States, where it has its own network to kick-start demand for the technology. Chief Operating Officer Len Lauer said Qualcomm could look to buy airwaves in markets such as India.

The company said its estimate, given about three years ago, for spending $800 million on developing the MediaFLO USA network was outdated but it did not give spending details beyond saying that 2009 capital spending would be lower than 2008 spending for the network.

The MC760 supports all computing devices equipped with Type A USB ports, including most desktops, notebooks and PDAs, to provide instant mobile broadband access anywhere a cellular signal is available. With out of the box support for a variety of operating systems including Windows (Vista, XP, 2000), Mac and Linux, the MC760 enables users to surf the Internet, check email and access important business documents.

Novatel Wireless Ovation MC760 EV-DO USB Modem

“The launch of the MC760 reinforces our commitment to deliver the most advanced mobile broadband solutions for our customers,” said Peter Leparulo, chairman and CEO, Novatel Wireless. “The MC760 is perfect for those seeking an extremely light, compact, plug-and-play USB modem to accompany their mobile lifestyle.”

The Ovation MC760 will be commercially available before the end of 2008.

HTC announced the dual-radio GSM/WiMAX T8290 handheld, dubbed “MAX 4G”, today. Rumors and photos surfaced last month of an HTC Windows Mobile device with a Russian user interface and claims of WiMAX support. Russian operator Scartel and HTC Corporation today announced the dual protocol handset as a featured device for its Yota mobile WiMAX service.

Voice calls over the cellular GSM service use a SIM card from a range of Russian network operators. When both callers are using the Yota WiMAX network, the call will automatically be routed as a VoIP session. The Yota phone service also supports unique business applications, allowing users to switch between English and Russian contact records while providing functionality such as call holding, conference calling and video calling using the VGA camera on the front of the device.

HTC MAX 4G GSM/WiMAX Phone for Scartel's Yota service

The HTC MAX 4G was created to take advantage of Yota’s high-speed Mobile WiMAX network without compromising on ease of use. The device includes a 3.8″, 800×480 WVGA touch screen display. The HTC MAX 4G also integrates a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Running Windows Mobile 6.1, the HTC MAX 4G incorporates HTC’s proprietary Touch FLO 3D user interface.

Users can automate contact synchronization and upload photos and video clips using Yota’s Yap-yap service. Images taken with the integrated 5MP camera can also be geo-tagged using coordinates from the integrated GPS.

HTC MAX 4G Specifications:

• Processor: Qualcomm ESM7206A 528 MHz
• Platform: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• Device Control: TouchFLO 3D
• Network: Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE at 900/1800/1900 MHz and Mobile WiMAX at 2.5~2.7 GHz
• Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
• Navigation: Integrated GPS
• Camera: 5.0 megapixel autofocus main camera with second front-facing VGA camera
• Display: 3.8-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 480 x 800 WVGA resolution
• Memory: 256 MB ROM / 288 MB RAM / 8 GB embedded Flash
• Additional: Motion G-sensor (automatically rotating picture) and Proximity sensor (saving energy while talking by switching the display off)
• Radio: FM tuner
• Ring tone formats: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, QCP, MP3, WMA, WAV; 40 polyphonic and standard MIDI format 0 and 1 (SMF)/SP MIDI
• Battery: Li-Pol, 1500 mAh
• Talk time: GSM: up to420 minutes
• VoIP: up to 230 minutes
• Standby time: GSM: up to 350 hours
• VoIP: up to 50 hours
• AC Adapter: Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz; DC output: 5V and 1A
• Dimensions: 113.5mm x 63.1mm x 13.9mm
• Weight: 151 grams (with battery)

The Yota Mobile WiMAX network offers high-speed wireless Internet access anytime and anywhere. The basic Yota Home package will provide subscribers with instant access to online games, maps, messaging and file exchange applications while on the move. Additional services provided by Yota on the HTC device include:

• Yota Video: A full video on demand (VoD) service lets users watch their favorite movies and videos from their personal Yota catalog anytime, anywhere.
• Yota TV: View any of nine simultaneous broadcast television channels. Fourteen free channels are initially available with plans to expand to 23 by the end of 2008. The device includes TV-out capability, allowing users to watch content on a big screen.


Yota TV on the HTC MAX 4G

• Yota Music: An extensive online music catalog of more than 50,000 titles, including a wide range of music from both international and independent music labels. Users can choose to either play the tracks direct from the online catalog, or download them to the MAX 4G’s on-board flash memory.
• Online Books: A separate catalog of electronic books is available, so users can download, read and enjoy a broad range of books while on the move.

“The introduction of the HTC MAX 4G represents the culmination of a close partnership between HTC and Yota to develop the world’s first integrated mobile GSM/WIMAX handset,” said Peter Chou, CEO and President, HTC Corporation.

“Russia is a key strategic market for HTC and Yota’s Mobile WiMAX network sets a new global benchmark for next-generation mobile services.”

Scartel’s first mobile WiMAX cities are Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Scartel is owned by WIMAX Holding Ltd. and employs 420 people.

The Yota-branded HTC MAX 4G will be available in Russia before the end of 2008.

The LIVEview system installed on each bus comprises a ProGuard digital video recorder (DVR) developed by 21st Century CCTV, connected to a Moovbox M200 Mobile Broadband Gateway from Icomera. Cameras fitted inside and outside the bus record images continuously to disk but the new Moovbox technology means the driver can activate a high-speed link whereby operators can view live or recorded footage in real time. The TfL deployment is the first stage of an initiative by 21st Century CCTV and Icomera to offer live mobile video streaming technology to municipalities and transport operators for public safety applications.

TECHNOLOGY: Icomera Bus Contract

“Transmitting CCTV streams is a bandwidth-intensive task,” said Ola Sjölin, Icomera CEO. “Our mobile gateways employ patented switching and load balancing technology that leverages multiple cellular backhaul links to provide the fastest possible connection for public safety applications such as this.”

“The Moovbox has a proven track record of successful deployments with some of the world’s largest transport operators, many of whom also use our ProGuard DVR technology for in-vehicle security,”
said David Dent, Managing Director of 21st Century CCTV.

Even with stronger consumer sales of iPhone, and the mobile phone market’s normal seasonal uplift after Q2, domestic handset purchases by adult consumers declined 15 percent year over year in Q3 to 32 million units. Consumer handset sales revenue fell 10 percent to $2.9 billion, even as the average selling price (ASP) rose 6 percent to $88.

Top-selling handsets and mobile phone brands
“The displacement of the RAZR by the iPhone 3G represents a watershed shift in handset design from fashion to fashionable functionality,” said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for NPD. “Four of the five best-selling handsets in the third quarter were optimized for messaging and other advanced Internet features.”

The top handset models in rank order, based on unit sales in Q3, were as follows:

1. Apple iPhone 3G
2. Motorola RAZR V3 (all models)
3. RIM Blackberry Curve (all models)
4. LG Rumor
5. LG enV2

Popular features
When it comes to the specific features that motivated U.S. consumers to purchase, 43 percent of handset buyers cited the need for a camera and 36 percent noted the ability to send and receive text messages. Mobile phones with a QWERTY keyboard experienced the greatest year-over-year rise in sales; 30 percent of handsets were sold with this feature in Q3 2008, versus just 11 percent the year prior. Also this quarter 83 percent of phones purchased were Bluetooth enabled (versus 72 percent last year), and nearly seven in 10 (68 percent) of phones purchased in Q3 were music enabled (versus 49 percent last year).

“A growing data divide continues in cellular handsets,” Rubin said. “Those who see the value in wireless Internet access are justifying the investment, whereas voice-centric users have little incentive to upgrade, which is obviously detrimental to operators who seek to sell data plans and media access services to their subscribers.”

Methodology: NPD compiles and analyzes mobile device sales data based on more than 150,000 completed online consumer research surveys each month. Surveys are based on a nationally balanced and demographically representative sample of U.S. adults. Results are projected to represent the entire population of U.S. consumers age 18 and older.

Much of the growth will come from motor vehicles whose share of the installed base is expected to double from about 30% in 2008 to 60% in 2013. “The total number of mobile network connections used by machines now equal that of a medium-sized European country. While the market for personal communication has reached its saturation point, the machine communication market will continue to grow for many years to come. Berg Insight strongly advices mobile operators to become more actively involved in this market in order to position themselves for the future”, commented Tobias Ryberg, Senior Analyst, Berg Insight.

Source: JLM Pacific Epoch

The sessions included mobile video streaming and various high data rate applications. The demonstrations also included execution of applications priority which guarantees throughput using quality of service (QoS) aspects of the LTE standards.

The lower frequency bands provide better coverage and in-building penetration, which is a requirement for many mobile operators. In North America, the 700 MHz spectrum auctioned earlier this year is part of the worldwide “digital dividend” - spectrum in the 470~862 MHz bands that has been freed by the switch from analog to digital TV. The digital dividend is viewed by mobile operators in the U.S., Europe, and much of the rest of the world as a valuable resource as existing and new mobile broadband networks quickly consume current spectrum allocations and operators are pushed towards providing connections to rural areas.

In Europe digital dividend spectrum encompasses the current TV broadcast 790~862 MHz bands. It is expected to be auctioned between 2009~2012, coinciding with mobile operators’ plans to deploy LTE.

Motorola’s flexible LTE eNode-B architecture can be tailored to meet each customer’s specific requirements by using frame based-mounted radios and remote radio heads. This design allows many spectrum bands to be supported in the early stage of LTE and accommodates a wide variety of LTE deployment scenarios across newly available spectrum as well as existing GSM, UMTS and CDMA bands. The 700 MHz radio head, for example, can be modified to operate in 790~862MHz to provide operators a solution to deploy LTE in the “digital dividend” spectrum as soon as it becomes available in the various regions.

The handset incorporates a 3″ display with 240×427 resolution, supports HSDPA, 1-Seg and a global roaming service. Color options include white, black, orange and gray. The unit measures 50×106.1×15mm and weighs 111g.

Casio 830CA HSDPA Camera Phone

Source: AVING.net

“The rapid development and benefits of wireless technology has seen mobile broadband evolve from UMTS / HSPA / HSPA+ to LTE which offers more efficiency than other networks,” said Ihab Ghattas, Assistant President, Huawei Technologies Middle East during the SAMENA Telecommunications Council’s Convergence to Jordan 2008 conference this week. “Expectations are that by 2015 LTE subscriber base will reach 400-450 million generating revenues of almost EUR 150 billion.”

According to ABI Research, nearly 300,000 LTE Base Transceiver Stations will be installed and network operators will invest a total of almost $18 billion in LTE capital infrastructure by 2014.

“LTE and SAE (System Architecture Evolution) are 3GPP (3rd Generation partnership projects) concepts defining long-term evolution for radio access technology and core network respectively but when enhanced they are no longer inseparable,” added Mr. Ghattas. “LTE can be deployed by operators with heavy UMTS investments as a complement at hot spots as well as by operators who plan to directly deploy LTE on a wide scale.”

Huawei is the main sponsor and participant of LTE research and standardization with more than two hundred contributions in LTE RAN in 2006 (and 7% of total contributions) as well as being a member of NGMN.