The CDMA Development Group rolled out news that some CDMA handsets are now selling for less than $35. The figure is the wholesale price from vendors to carriers, not the usual cost-to-consumer metric typically used in such discussions. The CDG gave no word on retail costs to consumers, specific vendors or markets.



In CDMA markets worldwide, one issue among network operators has been the cost of handsets; generally, CDMA handsets cost slightly more than their GSM counterparts. Indeed, handset prices have been cited as a reason why some CDMA carriers have decided to move to GSM technology.

As networks migrate to 3G, consumer uptake is critical, and the advent of presumably more costly, advanced handsets underscores concerns about the cost differentials between the two air interface technologies.

Thus a few market factors that might pique the CDMA Development Group’s interest in trumpeting what it characterizes as encouraging news, particularly as its nemesis gathers its multitudes in Barcelona.

In its announcement, the CDG touted that “3G” CDMA phones had now hit the $35 price point. The CDG uses “3G” to refer to CDMA2000 1x, Revision O and Rev. A. The group did not name specific handset vendors beyond referring to one in China and one in Korea. Among markets, it named Indonesia, and “service providers in Africa, China, Central Asia, Latin America, Southeast Asia and India.”

Visit the CDMA-GSM forum for more news and discussion specific to the networks and associations.

Technorati Tags: cdma development, cdma group, cdma2000, cdma2000 1x

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