Qualcomm to invest in CDMA start-ups

Qualcomm, the US-based developer of the CDMA standard, said it would invest up to US$ 100m in
Chinese start-ups that develop CDMA applications and services. The commitment is part
of a U$500m investment plan announced in November 2000. The group hopes the
investment will promote the adoption of CDMA technology in China.
China Unicom said it, had 9.22m CDMA subscribers at the end of May, up from 8.58m a month earlier. China's
number two mobile carrier said it would launch a nationwide pre-paid service in August to
attract more low-budget users.
Mobile phone giant Nokia has been granted a licence to
manufacture and sell mobile terminals using CDMA technology in China. The company's
manufacturing joint venture in China hopes to start deliveries of its first CDMA terminals to
the local market in the second half of this year.