LG Electronics Tests HSPDA, Ready for 3G WCDMA Push into Nor

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LG Electronics has recently made another successful test-run of its 3.5-generation HSPDP (high speed downlink packet access)-enabled mobile phone in North America, and is now pushing to penetrate the global 3.5G mobile handset market.

LG Electronics announced that it has made a successful demonstration of 3.5G high-speed data transmission at CTIA 2005, using Lucent Technology's 14Mbps download-supportive WCDMA system, as well as its own-developed commercialized HSDPA-enabled mobile phone.

LG Electronics successfully demonstrated HSDPA mobile handset's downloading of DVD video and large-capacity multimedia-feature music in a Web server-based 1.4Mbps transmission environment, as well as other innovative services available in a 3G mobile infrastructure.

The model is the same type as the HSDPA whose test run was made successful at Nortel lab on March 6, the first of its kind in the world. Equipped with Qualcomm's MSM 6275 chip, it is the industry's first multi-mode mobile phone that can support not only the existing 3G WCDMA platform, but also 2G GSM, 2.5G GPRS, and 2.75G EDGE. The company's successful test runs of the model in Europe and the U.S., both promising WCDMA markets, is profoundly meaningful.

The commercialized HSDPA service, which is a pre-4G multimedia technology that will lead the 3G mobile services, will be introduced starting 2006 to Korea, Europe, the U.S. and other WCDMA service-provided countries, after its networks are structured and its technology is upgraded starting in the second half of this year.

The HSDPA service, which can provide a data transmission environment with a maximum speed of 14 megabits per second, i.e., seven times faster than EVDO service, and five times faster than existing WCDMA service, enables a smoother video telephony and downloading of large-capacity multimedia data even on the road. The HSPDA service thus enables high-speed wireless Internet connection via mobile phones, PDAs and notebook PCs while on a bus, subway, and high-speed bullet trains.

In particular, the HSPDA will likely be launched by operators centering on U.S.'s largest mobile operator Cingular in North America's WCDMA market in the second half of this year, and the American market is paying keen attention to the expected introduction of HSDPA service, a technology upgraded a notch form the existing WCDMA service.

Since LG Electronics was selected as the strategic handset provider in December 2004 by Cingular, and is fast leading the HSDPA-enabled handset market, it is thus set to widen its presence in North America's 3G and 3.5G mobile handset market.