Texas Instruments Chairman Makes Live Phone Call from India
to Europe on TI’s Single-Chip Cell Phone Solution
Live Call Marks Next Step in Delivering TI Solutions for
Ultra-Low-Cost Handsets
NEW DELHI, INDIA (August 8, 2005) – At a press event
hosted today by the Cellular Operators Association of India
(COAI), Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) [NYSE:TXN] Chairman
Tom Engibous announced that TI has made a live phone call from
India to Europe, further proving its single-chip cell phone
technology. Engibous made the phone call on a live cellular
network, demonstrating the next step in TI’s strategy to deliver
a single-chip cell phone solution for ultra-low-cost handsets
in emerging markets, such as India.
It is estimated that 80 percent of the world’s population
has wireless coverage. However, only about 20 percent subscribe
to wireless services due largely to the cost of mobile phones
(source: GSM Association). This represents a huge opportunity
for delivering mobile services to large sections of the world’s
population. In India alone, roughly 11 percent of its total
population has telecom connectivity with a mobile subscriber
base of 58 million (source: Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India, June 05). TI’s cost-effective single-chip cell phone
solution enables handset manufacturers to capitalize on the
burgeoning opportunities in India and other emerging markets
worldwide.
“The mobile phone is already indispensable in established
markets, and wireless will become even more useful in countries
where today the availability of wired communication is limited,”
said Engibous in his remarks to the press. “TI developed its
single-chip cell phone solution specifically to narrow the
‘digital divide’. Our customers can use this technology to
make ultra-low-cost handsets affordable in largely untapped
consumer markets such as India, China, South America, Eastern
Europe and other emerging markets.”
TI announced last December that it had delivered the industry’s
first single-chip solution for mobile phones. Typical mobile
phones require multiple chips to operate, which add to the
overall cost. Developed through TI’s advanced 90nm CMOS manufacturing
technology, the single-chip solution is now sampling and targets
the mass-market voice-centric marketplace. Leveraging TI’s
DRP™ (Digital RF Processor) technology, TI’s single-chip
cell phone solution integrates the bulk of handset electronics
onto a single chip to dramatically reduce cost, power requirements,
board area, and silicon area – performance factors that are
crucial for high-volume entry-level mobile phones.
Developed initially for GSM/GPRS handsets, TI’s single-chip
cell phone solution is paving the way for future single-chip
solutions for additional air interfaces. With a roadmap designed
to even further reduce system costs, TI is committed to continuing
to drive down overall handset costs for emerging markets.
Recognizing the need for affordable handsets in developing
countries, the GSM Association (GSMA) introduced its Emerging
Markets Initiative earlier this year. With a goal of delivering
up to six million handsets in the first six months, GSMA is
working with manufacturers to deliver products at a price point
below US$40, with the potential to add 100 million connections
per year.
"Continued innovation to design costs out of handset manufacture
is a key factor in achieving greater affordability of mobility
for developing markets," said Rob Conway, CEO of the GSM Association. "The
GSM Association, having facilitated the creation of a new Ultra
Low Cost handset segment, welcomes this announcement from Texas
Instruments as another step in the industry's efforts to connect
the unconnected."
Also at the press event, Engibous announced the first cell
phones built entirely in India, from concept to design to production.
Based on TI’s TCS chipset family, the GSM/GPRS handsets have
been developed by Indian companies BPL and Quasar for Primus.
The handsets also include TI’s BRF6150 single-chip Bluetooth® module
and other TI components, including audio amplifier, LED drivers,
voltage regulators and standard logic/linear components. These
designs will serve as platforms for development of a variety
of handsets for different market segments, from ultra low-cost
to mid-range voice- and feature- rich data-centric handsets.
The first phones based on the TI and BPL cooperation will be
available in September 2005. Primus phones will be in production
later in 2005.
Texas Instruments – Making Wireless
TI is the leading manufacturer of wireless semiconductors,
delivering the heart of today's wireless technology and building
solutions for tomorrow. TI provides a breadth of silicon and
software and 15 years of wireless systems expertise that spans
handsets and base stations for all communications standards,
wireless LAN, Bluetooth and Ultra Wideband. TI offers custom
to turn-key solutions, including complete chipsets and reference
designs, OMAP™ application processors, as well as core
digital signal processor and analog technologies built on advanced
semiconductor processes. For
more information.
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and
analog technologies to meet our customers' real world signal
processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the
company includes the Educational & Productivity Solutions business.
TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing,
design or sales operations in more than 25 countries.
Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol TXN. More information is
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Statements contained in this news release regarding the wireless
communications market and production and availability of TI
wireless devices and other statements of management’s beliefs,
goals and expectations may be considered “forward-looking statements”
as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995, and are subject to risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed or implied by these statements. The following factors
and the factors discussed in TI’s most recent Form 10-K could
cause actual results to differ materially from the statements
contained in this press release: qualification of TI wireless
devices and actual customer demand for wireless devices. TI
disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking
statements as a result of developments occurring after the
date of this press release.
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