Docomo, NEC, Panasonic Mobile, Fujitsu develop LSI intellectual property for multi-standard modem

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NTT Docomo, NEC Corp, Panasonic Mobile Communications Co and Fujitsu Ltd have jointly developed the software and hardware intellectual property for a single large-scale integration (LSI) chip that will enable small, energy-efficient modems to support the GSM, W-CDMA, HSPA+ and LTE mobile standards. Performance evaluation of the LSI engineering sample chip was completed previously, and as of today, all testing required to confirm interconnectivity to the mobile networks of major vendors has also been completed.

The development means that modems in future mobile devices will require just one chip, rather than two chips required in many conventional cases, in order to operate on multiple mobile standards. The single chip reduces power consumption by about 20% during both communication and stand-by, as well as decreases the production cost for mobile devices.

All mobile broadband standards supported by the chip meet 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications. The LTE standard supports FDD (Frequency Division Duplexing) mode adopted by Docomo and TDD (Time Division Duplexing) mode expected to be adopted for LTE networks in China and other markets, which will help to further the development of advanced mobile devices by manufacturers worldwide.

The four partners, in addition to other major players in the mobile technology field, working through a joint venture currently being planned, aim to commercialize the chip in Japan and other countries as quickly as possible in response to market demands for smaller and more affordable mobile devices. The group additionally plans to pursue development of a multi-standard chip that is also compliant with the LTE-Advanced next-generation transmission standard.