The success of the next generation of high-speed voice and data wireless services will greatly depend on the capability of end-user handsets to deliver services that meet users’ expectations. One company committed to the development of sophisticated end-user devices is chipset developer PrairieComm, Inc. of Rolling Meadows Inc. Last week at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, France, the company released production samples of its PCI3800 EDGE integrated baseband processor supporting GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and TDMA wireless communications.

For handset manufacturers, the baseband IC will enable the development of voice and high-data rate wireless devices for use in markets where GSM or TDMA is deployed.

Commenting on the benefits of the technology to carriers, Jim Kamka, vice president of product marketing for PrairieComm, explained, "PrairieComm’s common-platform architecture allows us to develop processors that support multiple air interfaces," and, "as a result, carriers can support legacy standards while simultaneously offering a clear migration path to 3G services."

According to the company, the PCI3800 enables data rates of up to 384 kbps in a mobile environment, which will allow carriers to offer their subscribers wireless services previously unavailable in a mobile environment.