Motorola, GTE deliver CDMA data

Using Motorola equipment, GTE will be one of the first U.S. carriers to offer circuit-switched data to customers on code division multiple access networks, testing the service in Cincinnati and Seattle. Circuit-switched CDMA offers mobile access to data.

"It enables all the applications people use with dial-in access," said John Suprock, product manager for CDMA circuit-switched data for Motorola.

CDMA data has advantages over other data options such as cellular digital packet data (CDPD). Users don't need an expensive modem-they connect a current CDMA phone to a laptop via a cable, Suprock said. In addition, operators can offer CDMA data throughout their entire networks, a much larger coverage area than CDPD offers.

"CDMA data is much more robust," said Ira Brodsky, president of DataComm Research.

Also, operators can easily upgrade CDMA networks for circuit-switched data. "The incremental cost to implement data is small compared with, say, CDPD," said Dean Fledderjohn, product manager at Qualcomm. Qualcomm's infrastructure supports circuit-switched data, although no carrier has commercially launched circuit-switched data using the vendor's equipment.

For GTE, Motorola installed an interworking unit that allows the digital data stream from the CDMA phone to interoperate with a standard modem tied to the public network, Suprock explained.

Most CDMA carriers in the U.S. also plan to deploy circuit-switched data this year. However, one potential stumbling block for carriers with networks built by multiple vendors will be ensuring seamless service across large networks.

"They want users to see the same service everywhere," Brodsky said.

Circuit-switched data is the first step in CDMA's migration toward higher data rates and will be followed by packet-based data. Circuit-switched data is an important step in the evolution because it enables fax transport.

"For a lot of mobile people, fax is hugely important," said Randy Crouse, assistant vice president of technology planning and implementation for GTE Wireless.