Thu 27 Mar 2003
This is a very turbulent time in world events. Regardless of your feelings about how we reached this point, the USA and UK are presently engaged in battle in Iraq, and many are in harms way… both military personnel and innocents. How does this relate to wireless? It shouldn’t really. But today it was reported that US Rep. Darrell Issa, who represents a district in southern California, has been encouraging a change to post-war strategy. According to reports, the U.S. Agency for International Development intends to install a GSM wireless network in Iraq after the hostilities have ended.
Mr. Issa, however, sees a flaw with that plan.
According to Issa, the plans call for the use of GSM air-interface technology, and that is a problem. ‘If European GSM technology is deployed in Iraq, much of the equipment used to build the cell phone system would be manufactured in France, Germany and elsewhere in western and northern Europe. Furthermore, royalties would flow to French and European sources, not U.S. patent holders,’ he says. Instead, Issa wants the agency to deploy CDMA technology, which was developed by San Diego-based Qualcomm. He urged the agency to use ‘American-developed’ CDMA cell phone technology.
I understand that representatives especially see their role as bringing as much money to those they directly represent as possible, in this case Qualcomm. But this whole thing makes me sick. This is not a political issue or American vs. European issue. Let the people of Iraq get something that’s actually useful, a system that’s interoperable with their neighbors.
Normally I would not look to a politician to understand anything technical. And this is truely proving the point in this case. Mr. Issa - please stick to something you know about. Leave CDMA vs. GSM alone.
