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Wireless Internet surfing using Code Division Multiple Access technology is about to get easier and faster, according to Qualcomm, which announced Wednesday that a new fleet of products based on its CDMA technology has just arrived in North America.
Internet-enabled handsets, data cards and data modules based on Qualcomm's MSM5105 Mobile Station Modem chipset and software will be faster, more lightweight and easier to use, the company said.
New features on the products include dual-band and tri-mode radio configurations, color displays, dual display, Internet access, two-way short-message service, voice-activated dialing and speaker phone compatibility. Manufacturers of the products include AirPrime, Gtran, Kyocera, LG, Novatel Wireless, Samsung, Sanyo and Sierra Wireless.
"These new (third-generation) products will offer network operators up to twice the voice capacity of second-generation IS-95A/B chipsets, and will enable data rates of up to 153kbps for the first time in North America, making wireless Internet surfing easier and faster," said Don Schrock, president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies in the company's release. The new CDMA2000 handsets will offer talk times from 2.5 hours to 3.8 hours and standby times from 230 hours to 350 hours, and weigh from 99 grams to 123 grams.
The CDMA standard has caught on in the United States and China as an alternative to the more popular GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) standard for wireless communication.
