qualcomm

Qualcomm has developed three new advanced 3G chips supporting high data speeds and high-end features.

Among them there is one for HSPA+, one for EV-DO Rev. B, and one that combines HSPA+ and EV-DO Rev. B compatibility onto a single chipset. They all measure 12 x 12 mm and are backward compatible with previous generation technologies.

Qualcomm introduced a new chipset for laptop modems that can switch between EV-DO and HSDPA networks.

It is called Gobi and will be available in Q2 2008.

European Union has opened an antitrust case against Qualcomm after six companies, including Broadcom, Ericsson, NEC, Nokia, Panasonic Mobile and Texas Instruments, filed a complaint regarding Qualcomm's unfair and abusive business activities.

According to the complaint, Qualcomm refused to share licensing terms of its mobile technology and has infringed on the EU's competition rules by not offering its intellectual property at competitive rates.

The Federal Court of Appeals has released a stay on the ban against 3G chips from Qualcomm, which means that companies interested in a stay can import new phones with Qualcomm chips in the U.S. during the appellate process.

These companies are: Kyocera, LG, Motorola (which, by the way, has just stopped buying Qualcomm's 3G chips in favor of Freescale Semiconductor and Texas Instruments), Samsung, Sanyo, AT&T and T-Mobile.

Nokia addresses a request to European courts to declare Qualcomm Inc.’s patents in Europe finished thus giving Nokia the possibility to sell handsets in Europe having chips by Texas Instruments Inc. otherwise Nokia would be obliged to pay royalties to Qualcomm.

Nokia presented a patent portfolio license between Qualcomm and TI, made in 2000, to two European courts, one in Mannheim, Germany, the other in the Hague District Court in The Netherlands.

Qualcomm has got the permission from the FCC to launch its MediaFLO mobile TV network in a larger number of markets. 700 MHz band with spectrum on UHF TV channel 55 is where Qualcomm is building the network.

The FCC's decision was that the network can be launched in areas where broadcasters operate on those channels with 0.5% interference, increasing to 1.

A small part of an ongoing battle between the two companies that is taking place in many courts throughout the US and Europe is concerning Broadcom and their patent war with the Qualcomm. Broadcom filed with the International Trade Commission claiming that the Qualcomm had infringed on three patents for cellular chips, however the judge only ruled they infringed on one.

Qualcomm wants to launch MediaFLO in Japan as soon as 2008. MediaFLO is a multi-cast mobile TV standard that offers 20 channels of QVGA video. While mobile TV is already a reality in Japan, Qualcomm thinks the added features of MediaFLO will adapt nicely to the market. Many phones in Japan can tap into terrestrial digital TV signals, but MediaFLO will bring more DVR like functionality.

Since April Japanese broadcasters have been broadcasting mobile specific content, but there is no way to record the video.