COSTA MESA, Calif., Nov. 28, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- CDMA operators from around the world met on November 11 and 12 in Mumbai, India to share their successes with the technology and set priorities to ensure continued progress in the coming years. The fourth annual CDMA Operator Summit was hosted by Reliance Infocomm Limited, the largest wireless operator and a leading telecommunication provider in India. The discussions focused on cooperation in the areas of business development, new market opportunities, technology evolution, device availability and global interoperability.
"This year marks the 10th anniversary of the first CDMA network deployment," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org). "CDMA has become a leading platform for 2G and 3G services with 200 operators in 71 countries and nearly 300 million subscribers worldwide. CDMA operators who gathered here represent diverse markets from developed as well as developing regions. Sharing their experiences and needs will enable the industry to focus on issues that are important to continued success."
"We are delighted to have been able to host this year's summit," said B. D. Khurana, group president, Reliance Infocomm. "CDMA has been a tremendous success in India, bringing affordable voice and offering advanced data services to millions, including those who never had access to a phone. This forum enables us to discuss openly the issues facing our industry and our markets and to set priorities to make sure that the needs of our customers are addressed by the CDMA2000 industry."
The Summit is one of the largest gatherings of CDMA operators and has become an important venue for the industry to share experiences, identify market opportunities and provide input on the market requirements for future technology, handset and service development. This year, operators from Asia Pacific, Latin America and North America participated, including Alltel Corporation, USA; Asia-Pacific Broadband Wireless, Taiwan; Bakrie Telecom, Indonesia; China Unicom, China; JSC Altel, Kazakhstan; KDDI, Japan; KTF Co., Ltd, Korea; LG Telecom, Korea; Pacific Bangladesh Telecom, Bangladesh; PT Telkom, Indonesia; Shyam Telelink Ltd, India; SK Telecom, Korea; Sprint Nextel, USA; Tata Teleservices Limited, India; Telecom Mobile, New Zealand; Telus Mobility, Canada; Verizon Wireless, USA; Vibo Telecom, Taiwan; and VIVO Telecom, Brazil.
The summit attendees discussed the vibrant CDMA2000 evolution path, including ways to continue to meet customers' needs and stay ahead of the competition. They also identified areas for greater cooperation including improving interoperability of features and increased participation in the CDG's Global Handset Requirements for CDMA team to ensure greater handset availability and volume-based pricing at all tiers. Many participants noted the increased interest in R-UIM-based CDMA2000 handsets.
The CDMA2000 Operator Summit moves to North America for its fifth meeting in 2006 with the announcement that Sprint will host the gathering.
About CDMA
CDMA2000 is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 131 CDMA2000 operators, providing 124 1X and 24 1xEV-DO commercial networks in 61 countries; additionally, 29 1X and 30 1xEV-DO networks are in deployment. 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. 900 CDMA2000 devices are available on the market, including 150 for 1xEV-DO. For more information on CDMA2000, visit 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. 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