CDMA2000 Subscriber Growth History:
March 2001 through June 2004

By Leon Perlman, Editor CellularOnline

What is CDMA?


Code Division Multiple Access, a cellular technology orginally known as IS-95, competes with GSM technology for dominance in the cellular world.

There are now different variations, but the original CDMA is now known as cdmaOne. 

• Latest CDMA Global Subscriber & Operator Numbers
   
• 10 million new CDMA2000 subscribers were added in 3Q 2003
   
• See other cellular technologies of the world
   
• CDMA2000 Coverage & Operators

We now have cdma2000 and its variants like 1X EV, 1XEV-DO, and MC 3X. The refer to variants of usage of a 1.25Mhz channel. 3X uses a 5 Mhz channel.

Wideband CDMA that forms the basis of UMTS 3G networks, Developed originally by Qualcomm, CDMA is characterized by high capacity and small cell radius, employing spread-spectrum technology and a special coding scheme.

Developed originally by Qualcomm and enhanced by Ericsson, CDMA is characterized by high capacity and small cell radius, employing spread-spectrum technology and a special coding scheme.

CDMA was adopted by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) in 1993. In September 1998, only three years after the first commercial deployment, there were 16 million subscribers on cdmaOne systems worldwide.  By May 2001 there were 35 million subscribers on cdmaOne systems worldwide and there are now 60 million.

Over 35 countries have either commercial or trial activity ongoing. There are already 43 Wireless Local Loop (WLL) systems in 22 countries using cdmaOne technology.

Enhancing today's data capabilities is the 1XRTT CDMA standard - this next evolutionary step for cdmaOne operators will provide data rates up to 300 kbps, significant capacity increases as well as extended battery life for handsets.

Worldwide resources are being devoted to roll out third-generation CDMA technology, including Multi-Carrier (cdma2000 1xMC and HDR in 1.25 MHz bandwidth), and 3xMC in 5 MHz bandwidth) and Direct Spread (WCDMA in 5 MHz bandwidth). 

This first phase of cdma2000 - variously called 1XRTT, 3G1X, or just plain 1X - is designed to double current voice capacity and support always-on data transmission speeds 10 times faster than typically available today, some 153.6 kbps on both the forward and reverse links. (see more on  cdma2000)

QUALCOMM owns a substantial portfolio of CDMA patents, including many ``essential'' patents that are necessary for the deployment of any proposed 3G CDMA system, such as Multi-Carrier, Direct Spread, and another system referred to as TD-SCDMA.

QUALCOMM has now granted royalty bearing licenses to more than 75 manufacturers for CDMA and, as part of these licenses, has transferred technology and know-how in assisting these companies to develop and deploy CDMA products. 

A significant number of these companies' licenses cover third-generation applications, including WCDMA, 1x and High Data Rate (HDR). Under terms of QUALCOMM's existing 3G licensing agreements, a licensee will pay the same royalty to QUALCOMM for 3G systems, including WCDMA, TD-SCDMA and 1x, as that licensee pays QUALCOMM for today's CDMA infrastructure, phones and test equipment.

 

Enhancing today's data capabilities is the 1XRTT CDMA standard - this next evolutionary step for cdmaOne operators will provide data rates up to 300 kbps, significant capacity increases as well as extended battery life for handsets.

Worldwide resources are being devoted to roll out third-generation CDMA technology, including Multi-Carrier (cdma2000 1xMC and HDR in 1.25 MHz bandwidth), and 3xMC in 5 MHz bandwidth) and Direct Spread (WCDMA in 5 MHz bandwidth).