Increasing Demand for CDMA450 Based Mobile Phones

The CDMA Development Group (CDG) says that increased uptake of CDMA2000 in the 450 MHz frequency band, also known as CDMA450, is placing an increased demand for new multi-mode and multi-band devices.

There are currently 105 operators offering CDMA450 services to more than 20 million people worldwide.

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 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."

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. Twnety-one 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.