Qualcomm Seeks Ally For Venture

California-based Qualcomm Inc, a digital wireless communications technology and products company, is scouting for a joint venture partner in India to manufacturing code division multiple access (CDMA) handsets in the country.

The company also plans to set up a software park at Chennai or Bangalore to meet its in-house software requirements. A decision in this regard would be taken soon, sources said.

The company's move to scale-up its Indian presence follows the telecom commission chairman, A V Gokak's, announcement that the tender for wireless in local loop (WiLL) equipment for basic services (private operators), covering 15 cities, will be announced any day. This will open a huge market for WiLL equipment.

 

The company has been upbeat on India eversince the department of telecommunications (DoT) allowed the use of CDMA technology for WiLL. CDMA is patented by Qualcomm and its worldwide use is on the upswing.

In addition to manufacturing and marketing its own products, Qualcomm has licensed its CDMA technology to over 45 other leading telecommunication manufacturers.

Qualcomm has already installed equipment worth $100 million in Rajasthan and Punjab where it is the vendor for Shyam Telecom and Essar respectively. The company hopes to post a turnover of $300 million over the next two years from its Indian operations. The company is currently on a drive to promote Eudora, its E-mail software package. Eudora provides connectivity to Internet and intranets without the need for specialised gateways or servers. Talks are on with the Indian Railways to promote OmniTracks, Qualcomm's two-way mobile satellite communications and tracking system.

Qualcomm, along with Alcatel and Loral, will begin providing satellite-based digital communications through a constellation of 47 satellites covering the globe under the Globalstar project in 1998.

India is likely to emerge as a major user of CDMA technology and by the end of next year there will be more than a million subscribers for private operators of basic services alone.