Qualcomm Announces EVDO Rev B Chipset

As an update to the recently launched Rev A - the wireless radio broadband data standard that some CDMA mobile carriers like Sprint and Verizon are now using in certain U.S. locales - Qualcomm says the newer version of the spec will surpass revision A, allowing for download speeds of up to 9.3 Mbps.

In February, Verizon Wireless launched its EVDO Rev A network along with the USB720 wireless modem. That modem, in combination with the speedier network, gave Verizon users download speeds of around 450-800 kilobits per second.

EVDO Rev B, while maintaining the capabilities of the latter revision, will enable future applications like mobile TV to run more smoothly on cell phones, Qualcomm said. Additionally, users will be better able to run concurrent applications, like streaming music while making a voice call, or conducting a VoIP conversation while simultaneously browsing the Internet or transmitting multimedia content over the network.

"The evolution of CDMA2000 networks from EVDO Rev. A to EV-DO Rev B allows network operators to remain leading-edge in their service and performance offerings without the need for any infrastructure hardware changes," said Dr. Sanjay K. Jha, chief operating officer of Qualcomm and president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies in a statement Monday.

"Qualcomm's technology will allow 3G CDMA networks to meet next-generation data requirements," Jha added.

According to Qualcomm, the MSM7850 device chipset will support for EVDO Rev B, along with full backward compatibility and will start sampling in the next couple months.

The wireless communications company also said that a software upgrade release that lets its Cell Site Modem CSM6800 solution (a series of CDMA digital baseband modems) support multi-carrier EVDO Rev B will be available by the end of this month.

Qualcomm expects the first commercial EVDO Rev B products to be data modems available in late 2007. Additional wireless devices will be released next year.

Copyright 2007 by Ziff Davis Media, Distributed by United Press International