US: The CDMA Development Group (CDG) announced that CDMA2000 operators and handset manufacturers have formed working groups to aggregate their requirements for different tiers of devices based on the documents developed by the CDG's Global Handset Requirements for CDMA Team (GHRC). The individual working groups focus on ultra-low tier handsets, mid-tier data devices (including 1xEV-DO data card, 1X and 1xEV-DO WorldMode interstandard devices) and CDMA450. This collaboration will enable the operators to offer their customers CDMA2000 products even faster and at a significantly lower cost.

"With over 920 devices, CDMA2000 offers by far the broadest product portfolio of any advanced wireless technology today, ranging from entry-level phones to the most advanced multimedia devices," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "These and other GHRC efforts are examples of the CDMA2000 industry's commitment to deliver products that address the specific needs for voice and advanced data services in markets worldwide."

The GHRC team was formed over a year ago, bringing together CDMA handset manufacturers and network operators to define common requirements across multiple networks to streamline the manufacturing and distribution processes. The team is open to all CDG member companies and, currently, more than 30 CDG member companies, who represent large, medium and small CDMA2000 operators and handset, chipset and R-UIM card manufacturers from around the world, actively participate. The objective is to define common requirements for CDMA2000 devices for services such as voice, SMS, MMS, LBS, BREW and JAVA implementations, as well as 1xEV-DO functionality. The team has already developed eight requirements documents for all tiers of handsets to meet different market needs, ranging from low-tier with basic functionality to high-tier models with the most advanced features.

One example of the success of the CDG GHRC initiative is the collaboration of Reliance Infocomm and LG to introduce a very-low-cost voice and data handset in India targeting price-sensitive customers in underserved areas. Other GHRC initiatives include the cooperation between operators in Asia and Latin America and a number of leading manufacturers to deliver ultra-low-cost devices for developing markets. Also, a group of operators in North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia are working on mid-tier 1xEV-DO data cards. Teams have been formed to develop mid-tier WorldMode, multimode devices for interstandard roaming between GSM/GPRS and CDMA2000 1X/1xEV-DO, and CDMA450 operators from Europe and Asia are working on a low-tier CDMA450 handset and a mid-tier EV-DO card.