3G? What about CDMA?

Kevin Dean kevin at foreverdean.info
Wed Apr 16 21:14:32 CEST 2008


On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 2:50 PM, Steven **
<montgoss+openmokocommunity at gmail.com> wrote:
> I don't see how GSM is much less "closed" of a network protocol than
>  CDMA (the interchangeable SIM cards being the big difference).

Stop thinking in terms of the technology itself and think in terms of
a userbase. In the majority of the world, a CDMA phone would be a
restriction on the number of carriers you can use and where. In the
US, it's Sprint and Verizon (and even that is only true short term).
There are some Japanese carriers that are also CDMA. Everywhere else
uses GSM. GSM is in every European market, and there are a LOT of
potential customers in Europe.

Openmoko is about openness, not just about "open source". Even the
model being used to sell the devices tries to break away from the "Go
to your carrier's store and buy the device to use on their network"
paradigm. Buy your phone, powered by Free Software, and pick any of
the carriers who use the most common cellular technology on the
planet.


>  The
>  GSM chip is the most locked down hardware on the Neo.  A CDMA chip
>  would be no different.

Even if that doesn't work for you, it's a dumb investment to NOT aim
for the largest market possible. By making a CDMA-based phone,
Openmoko only captures a small percentage of the total number of
worldwide cellular users. As a fledgling brand it isn't feasible to
make BOTH a CDMA and a GSM based product in a debut offering - the
expense is too high with the unknown to big a variable.

>
>  As far as the aims of the Openmoko project, I don't see how CDMA
>  conflicts with that.  I thought one of the aims of Openmoko was to
>  show people the benefits of opensource, mobile computing.  It seems
>  odd to give people choices over everything but the service provider.

Lack of choice is the #1 complaint Verizon got from their customers.
"Verizon Exclusive" phones that they couldn't use off the Verizon
network. Phones they owned from their other carrier that couldn't be
used on Verizon.

Because of this market pressure, Verizon is switching their networks
to GSM so that they can seamlessly compete with GSM providers (which
is the majority of the market). It's in the interest of Verizon AND
the customers to standardize on a single set of technology and GSM is
that standard. It is possible that by the time Verizon's GSM network
is up (2009, from what I heard) the Freerunner will be "mass market".
In that case, the only network that it won't work on is Sprint's. You
can debate over who is exactly at fault in that situation; all the
handset makers worldwide or Sprint.

>
>  -Steven
>
>
>
>  On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 1:14 PM, Kevin Dean <kevin at foreverdean.info> wrote:
>  > GSM is essentially an international standard. With some exceptions,
>  >  CDMA isn't used much.
>  >
>  >  Furthermore, even in the USA, Verizon will be deploying a GSM network
>  >  "soon" (next few years). So a Freerunner WILL work on Verizon in the
>  >  near future.
>  >
>  >  Don't count on a CDMA device, using a relatively "closed" network
>  >  doesn't meet the aims of the Openmoko project.
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  >  On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 2:02 PM, Steven **
>  >  <montgoss+openmokocommunity at gmail.com> wrote:
>  >  > I talk with friends and co-workers about OpenMoko and the Neo
>  >  >  Freerunner all the time.  Inevitably, they say something like "That's
>  >  >  cool.  Will it work with Verizon?" or "That's cool.  Will it work with
>  >  >  Sprint?".  And of course, the answer is no...  I don't think any of my
>  >  >  friends are with at&t (even though they're supposedly the largest
>  >  >  wireless carrier in the US) or any other GSM provider.  They're all on
>  >  >  Sprint or Verizon.  I myself was originally on Verizon and switched to
>  >  >  at&t solely for the Neo.  But most people aren't willing to do that
>  >  >  (and most are locked into contracts with a $250+ early termination
>  >  >  fee).
>  >  >
>  >  >  So, have you considered making a CDMA version of the Neo?  I think
>  >  >  that'd about double your sales in the US.
>  >  >
>  >  >  -Steven
>  >  >
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