Himachal Futuristic, Qualcomm in 3G CDMA manufacturing pact

Leading developer of CDMA2000, WCDMA and other advanced wireless technologies Qualcomm Incorporated has signed its first commercial CDMA2000 subscriber unit and modem card license agreement with Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited (HFCL).

Under the terms of the worldwide, royalty-bearing agreement, Qualcomm has granted HFCL a patent license to develop, manufacture and sell CDMA2000 subscriber units and modem card products. The royalties payable by HFCL are at QUALCOMM's standard worldwide rates.

"Qualcomm is pleased to provide a 3G license to HFCL, the first company in India to sign an agreement for the development, manufacture and sale of CDMA2000 subscriber units and modem cards," said Marvin Blecker, president of Qualcomm Technology Licensing. "This agreement will now allow HFCL to participate in the rapidly growing 3G CDMA market and enable them to join other manufacturers in providing Indian operators with affordable, yet feature-rich and innovative wireless products."

"There are currently more than 36 million CDMA subscribers in India and the Indian wireless market has grown ten-fold in less than five years," said Mahendra Nahata, Chairman, HFCL Group. "As the Indian market continues to grow, we believe there will be an increasing demand for more advanced, affordable CDMA2000 wireless devices and this license agreement from Qualcomm, the leader in CDMA technologies, will be a key factor in enabling us to meet this demand. It will also be an important milestone for HFCL to establish a leadership position with CDMA wireless devices in India, as we believe the production of these devices will open up a significant addressable market opportunity for our company."

HFCL, based in New Delhi, is one of the largest private sector companies in India focused on telecom equipment manufacturing and turnkey services. HFCL also undertakes R&D initiatives based upon design and development partnerships with various renowned agencies.

Qualcomm Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leading developer in digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Qualcomm is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2006 Fortune 500 company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol QCOM.