Qualcomm Chip Helps Global Roamers
A new chip from Qualcomm that enables cell phones to roam between GSM and CDMA networks has finally hit the market in a cell phone by Kyocera Corporation. The GSM1X chip will allow users to use the same phone in Europe and the US, addressing some of the concerns I raised in the Techdirt article I wrote on global roaming in January. Despite the fact that the chip will slightly increase the cost of the terminal, this is really good news for global roamers, however, don't celebrate too soon. Many different countries use different frequencies as well as different air interfaces, so for example, it is unlikely any single phone will work everywhere.
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