Go CDMA Wireless Technology

ZTE Corp achieved the leadership position in the global market share for CDMA BTS network solutions with 30.3% share as per market research firm, IDC’s 2010 Global CDMA Market and Prospects research note.

According to the research, by Q1 2010 ZTE had recorded shipments of more than 250,000 base stations.

Li Jian, General Manager for CDMA & LTE products at ZTE, said, “The evolution from CDMA to LTE is not something which can be achieved overnight. The networks of the two systems must therefore meet high connectivity and interoperability requirements. By providing comprehensive product offerings for both CDMA and GSM networks, we help operators handle concurrent operation of two or more networks. This is why we have won recognition from all leading operators in the world.”

“ZTE’s strength in CDMA does not stop at pricing and commitment,” commented Godfrey Chua, Research Manager at IDC. “The company is increasingly known for its innovations and efforts to push the technology forward.”

This is an interesting turn of events for CDMA promoted primarily by US manufacturers like Motorola and Lucent.

Indian CDMA-based cellcos are facing a protracted wait for any additional 3G spectrum after the country’s armed forces revealed that they would not release frequencies in the 1900MHz band in the immediate future. According to India’s Economic Times, in a recent meeting between the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Defence Ministry the latter rejected demands by the regulator to vacate the spectrum it currently holds in the 1900MHz band, instead seeking exclusive rights to frequencies in that band. The DoT however said that such exclusivity could not be granted, as the 1900MHz band represented ‘the only growth path for CDMA operators and had already been allocated for auction’.

The armed forces have also reportedly refused to commit to a date for the release of 10MHz of 2G spectrum, despite having previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding last year under which it agreed to hand back 2G frequencies in phases based on the progress of the alternate communication network that BSNL and MTNL are jointly building for the forces. The DoT is seeking an immediate release of the agreed spectrum on the basis that the alternate fibre backbone is now 90% completed. Defence Ministry officials however have said that it will only review the DoT’s request after the fibre-optic network stabilises.

Sprint and Verizon Wireless are apparently set to focus more attention on femtocells in the near future, with the availability of 3G products a key driver. According to reports, Sprint has just made available its first 3G device, manufactured by Airvana, while Light Reading Mobile noted a Verizon Wireless job posting which indicates the operator is looking for a product manager for its in-building offerings, with 3G femtocells deemed a “key project.” The main advantages of 3G femtocells is their ability to provide improved in-building coverage for data services, as well as voice. According to a recent survey by Dell’Oro Group, while 1 million femtocells will ship during 2011, this will grow to 62 million in 2014, with less than 20 percent of these being CDMA-family units.

It was noted that Sprint is offering its EV-DO femtocells free-of-charge to customers with reception issues in their homes, compared with many other operators worldwide which are charging for femtocells – Sprint also charges for its 2G femtocell devices. Although calls and data connections are routed through a user’s home DSL connection, Sprint will take traffic into account as part of its monthly voice and data allowance limits. Verizon is, in contrast, looking initially to target enterprise users, with femtocells having the potential to form part of a fixed-mobile convergence solution. AT&T already offers a 3G femtocell solution for its WCDMA network.

A potential deal between Apple and Verizon — which could result in a CDMA iPhone capable of simultaneous voice and data — is still being ironed out, according to one Wall Street analyst.

Shaw Wu with Kaufman Bros. issued a note to investors on Monday, in which he said he expects Apple to expand the iPhone to another carrier in the U.S. next year. Apple needs this, he said, to maintain high growth, as the company’s smartphone nears saturation on the AT&T network.

The current front-runner is Verizon, which is said to be in talks with Apple for a “SVDO” iPhone which would allow both voice and data at the same time, something not possible with a traditional CDMA phone on Verizon’s network.

While Wu believes that the iPhone will eventually come to Verizon, that could happen as late as 2012, he said, if Apple decided instead to go another route: both T-Mobile and Sprint.

“It is notable that signing up both T-Mobile USA and Sprint would almost be the equivalent of Verizon (in terms of subscribers),” he said. “For point of reference, AT&T has 90 million wireless subscribers compared to 93 million at Verizon, 48 million at Sprint, and 34 million at T-Mobile USA.”

Wu said sources have indicated to him that important details are still being ironed out between Verizon and Apple, including technology and economics. But while the companies are in talks, he said it would be “premature” to rule out T-Mobile and Sprint.

However, the growth of Android on the Verizon network also provides Apple with an incentive to make the iPhone available on the carrier, he said. Making the iPhone available to Verizon customers would be the best way to address the growing presence of Android phones, Wu wrote.

While Apple and Verizon are said to be eying SVDO for the iPhone for now, the companies are said to be viewing that option as an interim device until a full-fledged long-term evolution (LTE) 4G phone debuts in a few years.

“From AAPL’s perspective, the debate is whether it makes sense to roll out an interim CDMA iPhone sometime in 2011 or perhaps wait until LTE becomes more available in 2012,” Wu wrote.

Reports of a deal between Verizon and Apple are, of course, nothing new, and have persisted for years. But recently, a number of rumors have pointed toward a January 2011 launch for a CDMA iPhone available on the largest wireless network in the U.S., Verizon.

Apple has reportedly gone as far as to build early CDMA iPhones that are currently in the engineering verification test phase. That is one step below device verification test, or DVT status, which takes place right before production. The iPhone 4 handset that was found in a bar this year was a DVT handset.