LSI IP Developed for Multi-Standard Modem in Japan

Software and hardware intellectual property or IP for an individual large-scale integration or LSI chip has been developed by NTT DOCOMO, Inc., NEC Corporation, Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd. and Fujitsu Limited. The GSM, W-CDMA, HSPA+ and LTE mobile standards will now be compatible with the tiny, energy-efficient modems utilizing this LSI chip.

The companies have already completed the performance evaluation of the LSI engineering sample chip. They have also completed the interconnectivity testing of the chip with the mobile networks of top vendors. 

As compared to the two chips required in traditional mobile devices for operating on several mobile standards, future mobile devices will only need one chip due to the progress made by the companies. Nearly 20 percent power utilization for communication and stand-by can be decreased by this chip. The single chip will also help to bring down the production expenses for mobile devices.

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project or 3GPP requirements are fulfilled by all mobile broadband standards supported by the chip. DOCOMO-adopted FDD or Frequency Division Duplexing mode is supported by the LTE standard along with TDD or Time Division Duplexing mode. Manufacturers across the world will be able to develop advanced mobile devices using the LTE networks in China and other markets which are expected to adopt the TDD mode.

There is an increasing demand for smaller and more affordable mobile devices in the market. The chip is therefore expected to be quickly commercialized in Japan and other countries by the four partners in collaboration with other top companies in the mobile technology field. A multi-standard chip which will be compliant with the LTE-Advanced next-generation transmission standard is also expected to be developed by the group.

In other news, NTT DOCOMO recently announced a voice-agent application, called Shabette Concier, which enables customers to obtain a wide range of information and perform diverse tasks simply by speaking into their DOCOMO smartphones.

The application, which launches March 1, is for select DOCOMO smartphones running on Android 2.2 or higher, and will be available for free (packet communication charges may apply when downloading or using the app).