The San Diego company says that end users will be able to customize their handset by simply downloading programs from games to videos over the airwaves.

"Compelling applications will generate consumer demand for wireless Intent access, speeding the deployment of next-generation CDMA wireless services, said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, executive vice president of Qualcomm.

The BREW platform works on CDMA chipsets and various operating systems for cellphones. Initially the BREW software will be shipped only on top of Qualcomm’s CDMA chips, so that users of cellphones on CDMA networks will have access to the new software, but eventually will be made available to phone users on other wireless systems, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The company will release BREW software development kits to developers in May. Kits will comprise of various Windows-based tools that will allow developers to create and test applications in a standard environment for specific phones, the company said.

Qualcomm says that carriers will be able to take advantage of an extensive choice of applications once developers are engaged in the creation of applications for CDMA-based products. According to Dr. Jacobs, 250 million CDMA subscribers will be downloading BREW applications by 2004.

To date, Qualcomm has tentative agreements with carriers worldwide such as Verizon Wireless and Leap of the U.S., KDDI of Japan, and Korea Telecom Freetel of South Korea. In addition, Qualcomm has signed memoranda of understanding (MOU) with a host of software developers such as location-based application developer, Locate Networks, and m-commerce services developer, The Brodia Group.