COSTA MESA, Calif., June 23, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) today applauded Sprint's announcement to roll out CDMA2000(r) 1xEV-DO services, further establishing 1xEV-DO as the leading technology in bringing real 3G services to life in North America. The carrier's 3G CDMA2000 1xEV-DO high-speed data services will be available to consumers in select U.S. cities in the second half of 2004 and is expected to reach the majority of top U.S. metropolitan markets in 2005.
"The CDMA community has dominated the market for 3G deployments in North America and around the globe," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "CDMA2000 1xEV-DO is the most advanced wireless data technology on the market today for providing high-quality, high-speed wireless access to feature-rich data applications and services. The CDG congratulates and supports Sprint on its decision to efficiently build and supply a nationwide CDMA2000 1xEV-DO network in the U.S."
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO is part of the CDMA2000 family of standards, which also includes CDMA2000 1X, the leading 3G technology. CDMA2000 1xEV-DO is an IMT-2000 3G standard and can deliver data at speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps. It is backward compatible with cdmaOne(tm) and CDMA2000 and is a natural evolution for CDMA service providers, requiring only minor upgrades to the network and minimal capital investment.
SK Telecom was the first carrier to deploy CDMA2000 1xEV-DO in Korea in January 2002. Eight additional networks have been launched, by KT Freetel also in Korea, KDDI in Japan, Vesper and Brasil Telecom in Brazil, PT Wireless Indonesia, APBWC in Taiwan, and Verizon Wireless and Sprint in the United States. There are 47 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO devices available today.
CDMA2000 leads in 3G deployments with 81 carriers in 40 countries on six continents. An additional 22 CDMA2000 networks will be launched in 2004. Today, 47 manufacturers provide more than 520 CDMA2000 handsets, including 58 1xEV-DO models.
More information on CDMA2000 and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO 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 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 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. The subscriber numbers in this release are estimates provided by third parties on a quarterly basis and have not been independently verified by CDG. For more information about the CDG, contact the CDG News Bureau at 714-540-1030, or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
Note to editors: cdmaOne is a trademark of the CDG. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA).