Qualcomm partners with 3G-network vendor

Qualcomm announced it has struck a cdma2000 equipment licensing deal with Airvana, a privately held vendor that manufacturers high-speed wireless network components and modem cards.

Qualcomm awarded Airvana a licensed for cdma2000 1xEV-DO, the “data-only” rung in the Code Division Multiple Access’s 3G evolutionary ladder that most industry experts consider the first full-fledged CDMA 3G technology. Qualcomm also announced it will make an undisclosed equity investment in the firm as part of Qualcomm efforts to drive the rapid development of wireless high data-speed technologies.

Qualcomm says its DO technology can support data rates of 2.4 Mb/s, which is enough to handle high-bandwidth applications such as streaming video. While the technology supports only data traffic, it is designed for rapid upgrade to cdma2000 1xEV-DV, which will carry IP voice and data over the same channels.

--Kevin Fitchard, staff writer