Qualcomm wins BWA spectrum in 2.3GHz band in India

MUMBAI, INDIA & SAN DIEGO, USA: Qualcomm Inc. has announced that it is a provisional winner of BWA (Broadband Wireless Access) – unpaired spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band – in four telecom circles in India.

Qualcomm was one of 11 bidders participating in the BWA auction and has provisionally won one, 20 MHz slot of spectrum in the circles of Delhi, Mumbai, Haryana and Kerala. Qualcomm’s final bid was Rs 4,912.54 crore or approximately $1.045 billion.

LTE is best suited to address the demand for high-bandwidth mobile broadband services in India’s 2.3 GHz band and can seamlessly interwork with current and future 3G HSPA and EV-DO networks.

Qualcomm offers the industry’s first 3G/LTE multi-mode chipsets, which will enable a seamless mobile broadband experience for consumers while roaming within India or globally through the use of integrated multi-mode devices. Qualcomm will continue to play a central role in the LTE ecosystem with a focus on enabling the creation of devices and services best suited for the Indian market.

“Qualcomm innovations helped trigger the wireless revolution in India by making mobile communications affordable and accessible,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. “Along with our ecosystem partners, we are now poised to accelerate the mobile broadband revolution with 3G HSPA, EV-DO and LTE to the benefit of all Indians.”

“Qualcomm congratulates the Indian government on the successful completion of the 3G and BWA auctions and is pleased with the opportunity to now enable the entire addressable market in India with its advanced wireless solutions. LTE offers a seamless consumer experience by complementing 3G HSPA and EV-DO networks, protecting the significant investment Indian operators have made in securing 3G and BWA spectrum,” said Kanwalinder Singh, president of Qualcomm India and South Asia, and senior vice-president of Qualcomm.

“Our bidding objective was to secure an enabling role in the continued success of Indian operators with 3G and beyond, and we are extremely gratified we met that objective. With its ecosystem partners, Qualcomm will now foster the deployment of LTE, so Indian consumers can enjoy the benefits of 3G now and 3G plus LTE in the future.”

Qualcomm anticipates the Government of India formally approving results of the BWA auction shortly. Qualcomm will soon announce its Indian partners in compliance with the applicable Indian Foreign Direct Investment regulations. The company and its partners will work towards demonstrating LTE technology with the goal of creating LTE infrastructure and device ecosystem that, in concert with 3G networks and devices, will support India’s broadband goals. Qualcomm and its partners will decide the venture’s strategy in due course.

Qualcomm’s goal is to attract one or more experienced 3G HSPA and/or EVDO operator partners into the venture for construction of an LTE network in compliance with the Indian Government’s rollout requirement for the BWA spectrum, and then to exit the venture.

LTE has strong and growing industry support, with commitments from global ecosystem partners, including operators, chipset vendors and equipment suppliers. Eighty operators have made firm commitments to deploy LTE networks in 33 countries, and 22 LTE networks are expected to be in service by the end of 2010, according to GSA.

Leading operators worldwide are committed to a complementary 3G and LTE strategy.