2002 CDMA Americas Congress Highlights CDMA2000's Dominant Position in 3G; Leading Operators and Vendors Gathered to Share Their Experiences and Future Plans.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 19, 2002

The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) today reported that more than 1,200 delegates, representing leading operators, infrastructure, handset and test equipment manufacturers, as well as application developers and solution providers, attended the 2002 CDMA Americas Congress and Eighth Annual CDMA Test Forum held Dec. 3-5 in San Diego. During the three-day event, industry leaders spoke of the benefits and tremendous opportunities that CDMA2000 offers.

"CDMA is leading the wireless industry today. It is the fastest growing technology, serving 135 million subscribers worldwide, and dominates the 3G market with more than 25 million CDMA2000 users on five continents," said Perry LaForge, executive director of CDG. "This year's Americas Congress clearly demonstrated that CDMA2000 has given operators a significant competitive advantage in evolving markets for wireless voice and data services."

SK Telecom's Jae Byun, vice president, head of access technology labs, stated: "Since the introduction of CDMA2000 1X and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO services, SK Telecom has seen a 280 percent increase in average revenue per user. Today nearly 50 percent of our subscribers have access to the latest multimedia applications, including video transmission and GPS services at speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps."

"CDMA2000 enabled Sprint to quickly and efficiently deploy the largest all-digital, third-generation wireless network in the United States with a minimum capital investment. With CDMA technology, Sprint introduced the next-generation wireless service PCS Vision(SM) that allows customers nationwide to browse the Internet wirelessly with speeds comparable to a home computer's dial-up connection; check personal and corporate e-mail; download polyphonic ringers and full-color, graphically rich games and screen savers; and take and receive pictures with the PCS Vision Camera(SM) and select Vision-enabled PCS Phones," said Oliver Valente, chief technology officer for the PCS Division of Sprint.

"CDMA's technology innovation allows us to run an efficient network at low cost and to differentiate our services through cutting-edge applications and high-speed data transmissions," said Gerry Flynn, director, advanced technology strategy/standards, Verizon Wireless.

Highlights of the seventh annual CDMA Americas Congress include:

-- Keynote Speakers -- Keynote addresses were given by Ralph de la Vega, president, BellSouth Latin America; Gerhard Weise, executive vice president, Americas, Ericsson; Vivek Tulja, global wireless telecommunications executive, IBM Corp.; Hiroshi Sakai, senior general manager, KDDI; Howard W. "Skip" Speaks, president and chief executive officer, Kyocera Wireless Corp.; Dr. Arun Netravali, chief scientist, Lucent Technologies; Don Listwin, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Openwave Systems; Jacob Christfort, chief technology officer and vice president, Oracle; Dr. Irwin Jacobs, chairman, chief executive officer, Qualcomm; Jorge Rosenblut, president, SmartCom PCS; Oliver Valente, chief technology officer, Sprint PCS Division; Dr. Greg Papadopoulos, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Sun Microsystems; and Brian Shay, president, west area, Verizon Wireless.

-- CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Demonstration -- During the opening session, LaForge demonstrated high-speed data access via CDMA2000 1xEV-DO using Verizon's CDMA2000 1xEV-DO trial network and equipment supplied by Airvana, GTRAN Wireless and Nortel Networks. Additionally, members of the media community were offered 1xEV-DO services during the Americas Congress.

-- CDG Operator and Manufacturer Press Conference -- The CDG hosted a press conference featuring member companies Bell Mobility, BellSouth International, Ericsson, Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks, Qualcomm, Sprint and Verizon Wireless.

-- University of California, San Diego Extension CDMA Engineering Certificate Program Scholarships -- The CDG awarded three $1,000 scholarships for the UCSD Extension certificate program in CDMA engineering to students Jeff Lewis Schulze, Haim Schwartz and Hari Vattikota.

The next CDG event, the 3G World Congress, will be held June 9-13, 2003 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information, visit the event Web site at www.3Gcongress.com. Next year, the Americas Congress will take place Dec. 8-10 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of cdmaOne(TM) and CDMA2000. The 110 member companies of the CDG include many of the world's largest wireless operators and equipment manufacturers. The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support.

Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA-related matters. For more information about the CDG, contact Valerie Christopherson of the CDG News Bureau at 714/540-1030, ext. 14, e-mail: [e-mail], or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.