In a triangular deal, German-based operator T-Mobil is partnering with Agere Systems to adopt Samsung’s General Packet Radio Service class 8-cell phone.
The phone, which will be made available commercially during this quarter, uses Agere’s semiconductor chips and software.
The Samsung GPRS wireless handsets equipped with Agere’s integrated circuit and system-level software solution can enable data rates within the T-Mobil network at up to 50 kilobits per second, about five times faster than today’s typical wireless handsets, according to a statement by Agere Systems.
“The combined Agere Systems and Samsung solution has overcome the hurdle of getting the handsets to interoperate with the wireless base stations,” said Klaus Daffner, director of department terminals product marketing with T-Mobil. “It’s one thing for a company to say they have chips and software for enabling GPRS services. It’s quite another-and more impressive achievement-when a major service provider such as T-Mobil finds out that it works under real-world market conditions.”
The goal of the GPRS service, which is a bridge via a software upgrade between the present generation of technology and third-generation services, is to carry data connection at speeds up to 115 kilobits per second, Agere said.
The Samsung phone has been designed to be compact and light and features a large high-resolution graphic liquid crystal display screen with up to 10 lines of text and four tones of gray to provide photo-realism, said the chip maker.
With an Internet key for direct access to the Web and a four-way directional navigation key, the phone offers predictive text input and personal information management, which includes scheduler and to-do lists, noted the company.
“Getting to market fast with a GPRS class 8 wireless handset solution has been made possible because of the productive working relationship between Agere Systems and Samsung,” said Samsung Vice President Byun-duck Cho. “Consumers can truly start to experience the multitude of benefits attainable with wireless high-speed Internet functionality on their handsets.”
Germany-based Optimay GmbH, an Agere subsidiary, developed the chips and software solution. The solution integrates the digital signal processor, microcontroller and a host of analog and mixed signal functions into the baseband chipset.
“T-Mobil’s approval of the Agere Systems and Samsung solution, after rigorously testing it, not only demonstrates that our Class 8 GPRS solution works,” said Richard Lee, general manager of wireless mobile appliances with Agere Systems, “it also verifies its operation in testing by a major GSM operator earlier than others pursuing this market.”
