The 15th Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union kicks off today in Minneapolis, a meeting whose focus on internal governance and strategic planning could be overshadowed by an item likely not to appear on the official agenda: third-generation wireless technology. The meeting lasts from Oct. 12 through Nov. 7, and is being held at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
While it is unclear whether major policy pronouncements will arise from the ITU gathering-the first in 47 years to be held in the United States-the conference’s real significance could be in the tone that established insofar as where the global community wants to take telecommunications in the next millennium.
Vice President Gore is scheduled to address ITU attendees this week. The ITU, headquartered in Geneva, is an international telecom policy body of 188 members. The organization currently is studying 15 3G technology recommendations from around the globe. ITU is expected to approve a family of standards.
Proponents of Code Division Multiple Access technology, championed by San Diego-base Qualcomm Inc. and used by major carriers in the United States and abroad, and supporters of rival Global System for Mobile communications technology, dominated by Sweden’s L.M. Ericsson and Finland’s Nokia Corp. and deployed in Europe, the United States and throughout the world, both plan to have a presence in Minneapolis.
The North American GSM Alliance announced Aerial Communications Inc., a Minneapolis-based carrier, Nokia and Sonera Corp. are teaming to provide temporary mobile phone service to ITU delegates.
Likewise, Qualcomm is sponsoring the Plenipot and will conduct a CDMA technology demonstration.
Qualcomm, Lucent Technologies Inc. and CDMA carriers from here and overseas aggressively are lobbying U.S. and European Union officials for a 3G standard that harmonizes various CDMA approaches.
GSM proponents embrace wideband CDMA, the only 3G standard approved by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, which is partially based on GSM technology.
However, W-CDMA includes essential intellectual property rights of Qualcomm and the San Diego firm has threatened to sue to protect its IPR if a deal isn’t reached with the EU on 3G.
Having a captive audience of telecom ministers from around the world will give each side a grand opportunity to lobby 3G.
