COSTA MESA, Calif., July 7, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) today announced that increased demand for CDMA2000(r) 3G telephony and mobile broadband services in the 450 MHz frequency band, also known as CDMA450, is placing an increased focus on new multi-mode and multi-band devices to further support both rural and urban communications as well as international roaming. CDMA450 continues to expand rapidly around the world to meet the need for affordable telecommunication services in remote and rural markets, with 105 operators offering 3G services to more than 20 million people worldwide. As a result, the addressable market for CDMA450 is increasing and the global solution is spanning the entire spectrum of 3G devices and services, including voice-centric applications, broadband Internet access, multimedia applications, location-based services and inter-standard roaming services.
To date, over 110 CDMA450 devices have been introduced to the market, including 87 CDMA2000 1X devices, 29 1xEV-DO (Rel. 0 or Rev. A) mobile broadband-enabled devices and 2 WorldMode(tm) devices. The next wave includes CDMA450 EV-DO Rev. A fixed wireless terminals, data cards, modems and handsets; low-cost voice-centric CDMA2000 1X handsets; dual and tri-band capabilities for roaming onto networks using other frequencies such as 800, 1900 and 1900/2100 MHz; and multi-mode capabilities for inter-standard roaming onto GSM/GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA and HSPA networks.
"We see new opportunities throughout the world where CDMA450 can fulfill the need for affordable 3G telephony and mobile broadband services," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "Our focus now is to help bring a broader selection of devices with multi-mode and multi-band capabilities to market, allowing operators to leverage the propagation capabilities of CDMA450 in their rural and urban markets, while also enabling them to offer inter-standard and international roaming services."
CDMA450 is expanding its footprint around the world in underserved growth markets as well as in those with high mobile telephony and Internet penetration rates. With its commercial launch this month, Mobilink will make Chile the seventh country in South America to offer CDMA450 services, while ANATEL in Brazil is currently seeking to allocate 450 MHz spectrum as part of its "digital inclusion" initiative for both urban and rural areas. In Russia, Sky Link operates the largest 3G network in the federation, delivering 82 percent of all 3G traffic and growing its subscriber base by 130 percent year-on-year. 21 operators in 17 European countries are offering CDMA450 primarily to deliver 3G mobile broadband services using EV-DO Rev. A, which is the intent of the recent Serbian 450 MHz license-purchasers Telekom Srbija and Media Works. CDMA450 networks are operating in another 23 countries across Africa and the Middle East and in 20 Asian countries, many of which have gone commercial over the past two years and are trialing EV-DO Rev. A.
The CDG is supporting the growth of CDMA450 through its device initiatives and International Roaming Team (IRT) efforts. A Special Interest Group (SIG) session will be held at an IRT meeting in Maastricht, Netherlands on July 16, 2009, to examine next steps to further enable roaming on CDMA450 devices. The CDG is also submitting public consultation recommendations to Australian and Brazilian regulatory agencies regarding the benefits of CDMA2000 in the 450 MHz frequency band. In addition, the CDMA Certification Forum is streamlining the test process to bring CDMA450 devices to market faster and more affordably, to keep up with the increased demand.
More information on CDMA is available at www.cdg.org.
About CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is a widely deployed 3G technology, with 283 operators in 103 countries and territories serving 472 million subscribers. Counting 2G cdmaOne(tm) subscribers, there are over 480 million CDMA users worldwide. CDMA2000 1xEV-DO is a widely-deployed 3G CDMA (IMT-2000) solution offering mobile broadband to 120 million people across a wide range of devices. CDMA2000 has been chosen by operators in both developed and emerging markets, and is deployable in the 450, 700, 800, 1700, 1900, AWS and 2100 MHz bands. More than 2,110 CDMA2000 devices from over 115 suppliers have been introduced to the market, including more than 528 Rel. 0 and 118 Rev. A devices on 107 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rel. 0 and 65 Rev. A systems. More information on CDMA2000 is available on the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
About CDG
The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA2000 technologies. The more than 140 member 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 CDMA2000 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 CDMA2000-related matters.
The CDG logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2911
Note to editors
cdmaOne is a registered trademark of the CDMA Development Group. WorldMode is a trademark of the CDMA Development Group. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA). All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.