Dallas – November 18, 2008 - ZTE USA, Inc. a subsidiary of ZTE Corporation, a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, and Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions, today announced their collaboration with Aircell® to create the networking platform for Aircell’s new Inflight Internet service, Gogo®, which first began service in August on select American Airlines flights. Aircell’s Air-to-Ground (ATG) service relies on ZTE’s EV-DO Rev. A base stations and IP switching platform and Qualcomm’s aircraft-mounted modems. ZTE, Aircell and Qualcomm’s R&D group worked closely to engineer a custom solution that would maximize the performance of the in-flight service.
ZTE’s base stations are stationed across the
“At ZTE, we are committed to developing customized and flexible solutions that enable our customers and partners to offer their own customers the most innovative and desirable applications and services,” said Dr. George Sun, CEO, ZTE
“Qualcomm was pleased to collaborate with Aircell and ZTE to help enable this unique wireless data innovation,” said Ahmad Jalali, vice president of technology for Qualcomm. “EV-DO Rev. A was a clear choice for creating a powerful, spectrally efficient and high-speed data connection to carry the aircraft’s passenger traffic to ZTE base stations on the ground.”
“When designing our industry-first in-flight mobile broadband service, we were searching for companies that would work hand-in-hand with us to create a flexible and customized networking platform that was optimized for our unique ATG needs,” said Joe Cruz, executive vice president and chief technology officer of Aircell. “We found those allies in ZTE and Qualcomm. As a result, we are able to offer our customers the best possible broadband experience on
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About ZTE
ZTE USA Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ZTE Corporation, a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, is headquartered in Dallas, TX, with offices in Iselin, NJ, Chicago, IL and San Diego, CA. ZTE USA is leveraging ZTE's proven strength in IP and wireless technologies, strong R&D capability, and strategic industry partnerships to bring innovative wireless and wireline solutions and mobile handsets to the U.S. market. www.zteusa.com
ZTE delivers innovative, custom-made products and services to customers in more than 120 countries, helping them achieve continued revenue growth and shape the future of the world's communications. ZTE commits around 10 percent of annual turnover to research and development and takes a leading role in a wide range of international bodies developing emerging telecoms standards. It is the fastest-growing telecoms equipment company in the world and is
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in
Aircell® is the world’s leading provider of airborne communications. As winner of an exclusive FCC frequency license in 2006, Aircell has built a revolutionary mobile broadband network for commercial and business aviation. In 2008, the Aircell Network and its inflight portal, Gogo®, revolutionized the commercial airline passenger flight experience by delivering a robust Internet experience at 35,000 feet. In addition, the Aircell Network provides airlines with connectivity to operations and a path to enhanced cabin services such as video, audio, television and more. A similar feature set is available to Business aircraft operators. Aircell has facilities in
Gogo®, powered by Aircell, turns a commercial airplane into a Wi-Fi hotspot with true inflight Internet access. Passengers with Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs, can surf the Web, check any e-mail, Instant Message, access a corporate VPN and more. For more information about Gogo, please visit www.gogoinflight.com.
© 2008 Aircell LLC. Aircell, Gogo and In Touch, In Flight are trademarks of Aircell or its affiliates. Third- party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
CONTACT:
For ZTE:
Samantha Chen
Bite Communications
Ph: 416-217-0777
For Qualcomm:
Emily Kilpatrick, Corporate Communications
Ph: 858-845-5959
John Gilbert, Investor Relations
Ph: 858-658-4813
For Aircell:
Brenda Chroniak
RF|Binder for Aircell
Ph: 781-455-8250