An Agenda for the Future – 3G and Mobile TV Applications

The Fourth Regular Meeting of the Assembly of CITEL, held in San José, Costa Rica in February 2006 presented a unique space for policy makers and associate members to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the region. As QUALCOMM continues to develop and deliver innovative digital wireless communications solutions based on CDMA and other technologies, we are encouraged by the way 3G technologies are being used to strengthen economic and social development.

One of the most fascinating developments in the communications industry is in the health sector. It is revolutionizing the way healthcare professionals communicate, interact and diagnose, due in part to the availability of multiple wireless broadband networks and a myriad of devices with critical display capabilities. Basic data capabilities are enabling doctors – such as those in the Kausay Wasi Clinic in the Sacred Valley of Peru – to discuss on-the-spot, diagnose, and treat diseases. CDMA-based wireless broadband networks are also being used by companies such as Global Care Quest (GCQ) in California, a medical information technology developer and systems integrator. GCQ (www.globalcarequest.com) provides the Integrated Clinical Information System Mobile (ICISM), which “gives clinicians instant access to every aspect of a patient's status, securely and remotely, on any wireless enabled device or smart phone. ICIS integrates LAN, WAN, intranet, Internet and high-speed wireless cellular technologies into a seamless network-agnostic system, and delivers it literally into the clinician's hands. Data sets are scaled for the appropriate handheld device and can include diagnostic images, real-time vital signs, lab results, trend data, patient demographic data, live video feeds, clinical notes, and remote bedside monitoring.” VIVO Diagnostico is a service offered by Brazil’s largest wireless carrier, which allows for greater pre-diagnostic care and permits specialists to efficiently conduct remote consultations with patients and to determine adequate medical procedures, treatments or medication. It also enables real-time monitoring of patients among other services. As mobile devices become more powerful and provide local and meaningful content, the trend to incorporate them as daily tools is inevitable.

Another fast-paced area is the Mobile TV arena, where we see solutions that will offer interesting applications for the public sector. Certainly, commercial uses will be the first to be implemented, but these networks will also provide a means to offer educational content, as well as the means to reach a large number of people in cases of natural disasters or tragic events. The growing demand for wireless multimedia services spans the entire wireless industry. FLO (Forward-Link-Only) technology, a multicast innovation and key component of the MediaFLO™ system, is an air-interface technology designed to increase capacity and coverage and to reduce costs for multimedia content delivery to mobile handsets. FLO technology-based multimedia multicasting is air-interface independent, allowing it to complement a wireless operators' CDMA2000®/EV-DO and UMTS/HSDPA cellular network data and voice services, delivering content to the same cellular handsets used on these 3G networks. Engineered specifically for the mobile environment, FLO technology offers in a 6 MHz channel, transmitting up to 20 streaming channels of QVGA-quality video at up to 30 frames per second, 10 stereo audio channels and up to 800 minutes of distributed short-format video clips. The average channel switching time is less than two seconds and reduced network cost is achieved by dramatically decreasing the number of transmitters that need to be deployed. The global standardization of FLO™ technology is driven by the FLO Forum (www.floforum.org), a multi-company initiative.

The momentum of the 450 MHz band continues and it is making it possible for many communities to enjoy voice and high speed data services, both in the region and globally. In March 2006, the Secretary of Communications in Argentina published frequencies in this band to offer telecommunications services. Several cooperatives have set out to offer services, such as Cooperativa Telefónica del Calafate (CoTeCal), who is interested in the Patagonia townships of El Chalten and Calafate. In January 2006, the Peruvian Government and Lima-based operator Valtron signed a contract to deploy a CDMA450 network covering the rural province of Huarochirí. The project will provide fixed, mobile and public telephony, as well as high-speed data to Huarochirí's 32 districts – of which only six currently have limited connectivity. Many other countries, such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, are also deploying services in this band. Payphone operator Tritel Services has completed the testing phase of its CDMA 450 MHz network, and is planning to deploy 40,000 more public payphone booths over the next three years, with an emphasis on covering low-income rural communities. Nordisk in Finland will provide voice and high speed data services for public safety purposes. The use of this band encompasses a wide range spectrum of services, from urban to rural communities.

In Latin America, where most CDMA carriers have upgraded their networks to 3G, the evolution of GSM networks to 3G throughout the region will offer much needed capacity for ubiquitous wireless broadband services.

Flavio Mansi
Vice President Business Development
QUALCOMM International