Korea announces home-grown 3G mobile chip

Eonex said Monday it will release a mobile phone with a domestically developed CDMA chip and operating software program. The U.S mobile giant Qualcomm retains the source technologies of code division multiple access (CDMA) and dominates the global CDMA market.

The phone has a 1.3 megapixel camera, 64-chord ring tones and the WIPI wireless Internet platform. It will cost about W300,000 (about US$300.) Eonex earlier became the second company in the world after Qualcomm to develop EVDO chips, which allow telecom companies to provide a video service on mobile phones.

Korean wireless communication chip developer Eonex president Chun Sung-hwan said the release of the new mobile phone would enable Korean companies to compete with global rivals to develop mobile phone chips and third-generation cell phones, reports Chosun Ilbo.

“Mobile phones employing modem chips made of our in-house technologies will be released this week via Korea's primary mobile operator SK Telecom,” Eonex president Chun Sung-hwan said.

“This marks a turning point to challenge the 15-year dominance of Qualcomm in the CDMA modem chip market. Plus, Korea will be able to save a big chunk of money required to snap up CDMA modem chips,” he added.

CDMA is one of two mainstream techniques for mobile telephony services together with global standard for mobile communications (GSM).

Qualcomm developed CDMA technologies but the platform was commercially deployed here in every stage of its generations from analogue to third generation (3G).

SK Telecom became the first to embark on the commercial CDMA2000 1x service in the world by launching the 2.5G applications in Sept. 2000.

The 1X offerings enable people on the go to gain access to their e-mail or check train and subway timetables. Also included in the new service packages is pinpointing location of handset owners, informs Korea.net site.

P.T.