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Clearwire Expands LTE Choices in North America
SAN DIEGO and BELLEVUE, Wash., May 8, 2012 - Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq:QCOM) and Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq:CLWR) today announced that Qualcomm will add support for Clearwire's upcoming LTE TDD network to its line of multi-mode LTE chipsets with the inclusion of support for 3GPP's Band 41 (B41) radio frequency. This new enhancement builds on Qualcomm's existing multi-mode, multi-band support for LTE FDD, LTE TDD and major broadband wireless standards, thus enabling OEMs to develop a wide variety of cost-effective, fully harmonized LTE devices for networks around the world.
"The growth of LTE networks and services is closely tied to device manufacturers' ability to develop and commercialize cost-efficient LTE devices," said Steve Mollenkopf, president and chief operating officer, Qualcomm. "By adding support for the B41 band to our LTE chipsets, in combination with providing support for other LTE bands, Qualcomm is enabling OEMs to design cost-competitive devices and offer them in multiple geographies."
"We are pleased that Qualcomm will expand the size of the LTE ecosystem by adding support for Clearwire's LTE frequency bands to their chipsets. By working with Qualcomm, Clearwire will ensure that LTE TDD and LTE FDD will work seamlessly together. This will bring significant benefits to OEMs, network operators and consumers alike," said Erik Prusch, president and CEO, Clearwire. "Qualcomm is a well-established leader in mobile processor and modem solutions. Their Snapdragon processors and Gobi modems are synonymous with fast, low-power mobile computing and high-quality mobile broadband connectivity."
Qualcomm LTE chipsets supporting the B41 band in combination with other LTE FDD/TDD bands are scheduled for commercial availability later this year.