Jan 31, 2001 12:00 PM,

Qualcomm speeds up data services

Kelly Carroll

(Telephony) Qualcomm hopes that it has developed an open applications platform for CDMA-based wireless devices that will provide solutions for the wireless industry as it heads toward wireless Internet convergence.

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The platform—Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless—has been positioned so that carriers can enable end users to download applications over the air via their network and configure their wireless devices to suit their personal desires.

"Wireless carriers will be able to offer their users the ability to download applications to their wireless handsets as well as browse the Internet similar to a PC experience," said Gina Lombardi, vice president of marketing and product management for Qualcomm’s Internet Services division. In effect this could allow carriers to drive increased subscriber airtime and maintain optimal bandwidth usage.

"[This] creates revenue opportunities without driving disproportionate increases in costs, enables control of content allowed on handsets, and creates differentiation, personalization and branding opportunities," she continued.

Qualcomm has announced five carrier partners to date, including Verizon Wireless, Leap, KDDI, KTF and Pegaso. The company plans to announce other carrier partners in the future, Lombardi said.

"We have spoken with 20 CDMA carriers worldwide about the BREW platform and have received very positive responses," she said.

Initially, Qualcomm’s handset OEM partners such as Samsung and Kyocera Wireless will integrate BREW onto their handsets license-free, with Qualcomm providing integration support services. Qualcomm then will integrate the download server, the Qualcomm Internet Service middleware and carriers' billing systems so that end users receive only one bill, Lombardi said.

Qualcomm plans to charge a small enablement fee to those carriers that want to enable the entire BREW platform. The company expects the platform to be rolled out in the United States during the fourth quarter of 2001. Asia is expected to see BREW rollout by the third quarter 2001.