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Why no WCDMA, or GSM for Qualcomm "breakthrough" with VoIP over mobile?

It's no surprise, of course, to see that Qualcomm didn't announce results of any tests of how well voice-over-IP (VoIP) works over GSM data, or GPRS. Not only is this unlikely to be very effective, but Qualcomm and the GSM world are at a state of armed confrontation, where peace can only be maintained by steadfastly ignoring each other. But why did the tests not include Qualcomm-owned WCDMA technology, used in 3G wireless in Europe?

The PR announcement quotes Dr. Roberto Padovani, chief technology officer of Qualcomm, boasting about how well digitised voice can be carried, Internet-style, over EV-DO (data only wireless) and how popular this is: "Operators globally have committed to the rapid deployment of CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. A," Padovani said.

Why no mention of European 3G? It's not because Qualcomm objects to the technology; it's CDMA or code division multiple access, which is a Qualcomm intellectual property.

One possible reason could be the fact that Qualcomm now owns a rival data-only technology, in the form of Flarion's Flash-OFDM - which is looking very promising as a low-cost alternative to WCDMA. It not only carries more data to more users in the same geographical area, but can be used on far more effective frequencies than the WCDMA 2.1 GHz band.

No overt mention of the technology in the Qualcomm announcement means that it has learned some subtlety in its lobbying in Europe, where it has powerful enemies. It may mean no more than "we'd better not remind Europeans that we own Flarion" - but it could also mean a shift in policy to promote Flash-OFDM more heavily as a wireless data technology.

Qualcomm could not be reached for comment by press time.

  Tags: Qualcomm,  Flarion