Samsung makes European move

Samsung Electronics Co., Asia’s largest mobile phone maker, announced yesterday that it will team up next year with two of the world’s leading technology companies to provide faster cell phone services in Europe. In a statement, Samsung said it would work with Vodafone Group Plc., the world’s largest cell phone service operator, and Qualcomm, a maker of mobile phone chips, to offer high-speed downlink packet access, known as HSDPA technology. Samsung will manufacture handsets, and Vodafone, which boasts more than 170 million subscribers in 27 nations, will provide the service. Qualcomm, based in the United States, will supply semiconductors for the phones. The financial details of the partnership were not disclosed. HSDPA can transmit audio and video data seven times faster than the current third-generation standard, wideband code-division multiple access, also known as WCDMA. Samsung said users will be able to conduct video conferences and download a feature-length film in less than two minutes. Early in the month, U.S.-based Cingular Wireless became the world’s first provider of HSDPA services, offering it in 16 cities under the brand name Broadband Connect. No HSDPA service has yet been commercialized in Europe, however. According to Gartner Inc., the world’s largest information technology research company, the number of handsets using the HSDPA service is expected to reach 26 million units by 2007 and surpass the 100-million mark by 2009. Samsung expressed confidence as it enters the race to be the first cell phone maker to offer the service in Europe and capitalize on the potentially lucrative business. “The fact that Vodafone chose us over other cell-phone makers,” said Lee Ki-tae, president of Samsung’s mobile phone division, “proves the high quality of our technology in next-generation cell phone protocol.” Peter Bamford, chief marketing officer at Vodafone, said the partnership with Samsung would help Vodaphone provide good service on quality phones. by Chang Chung-hoon