Qualcomm FlashLinq Promises Broadband-Speed P2P Mesh Networks

With Qualcomm's chipsets inside a huge number of the gadgets we take for granted, when the company starts talking about new wireless tech we generally tend to listen. Latest to compete for SoC space is FlashLinq, a peer-to-peer mesh networking technology that uses dedicated spectrum to create dynamic, broadband-speed links between devices up to a kilometer apart. Qualcomm expects FlashLinq to be used to extend cellular networks without installing fixed base-stations, together with enabling geo-social networking.

"FlashLinq's direct discovery and distributed communications allows operators to naturally extend their cellular networks. The technology can efficiently support new and enhanced services in areas such as direct local advertising, geo-social networking and machine-to-machine communications" Ed Knapp, senior vice president of business development and engineering, Qualcomm

FlashLinq is a synchronous TDD OFDMA technology and can handle thousands of nearby devices; it also packs its own interference management. Qualcomm describes the technology being used to create "neighborhood-area networks" which consist of fixed and mobile devices – for instance, at a concert or festival, multiple phones could mesh together and exchange information, or reduce load on cellular base stations by routing calls more intelligently.

SK Telecom is signed up to trial FlashLinq in South Korea, with an eye on how they can commercialise the technology. Qualcomm will be demonstrating it next week at Mobile World Congress, so we'll be sure to stop by and check out how well it works.

Press Release:

Qualcomm to Demonstrate New Peer-to-Peer Technology at Mobile World

SAN DIEGO – February 08, 2011 – Reflecting its continuing research and development into new connectivity models, Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) will demonstrate its newest advancement in peer-to-peer wireless technology at the GSMA Mobile World Congress, Feb. 14-17 in Barcelona. The Company's technology innovation, called FlashLinq™, enables devices to discover each other automatically and continuously, and to communicate, peer-to-peer, at broadband speeds without the need for intermediary infrastructure.

FlashLinq advances a concept known as proximal communications, whereby users can continuously connect, disconnect and communicate directly with other mobile users at broadband speeds based on their physical proximity. The technology is designed to complement traditional cellular-based services and serve as a scalable platform for new types of applications.

"By expanding the operator model of managed services to the frontier of proximal communications, Qualcomm continues to demonstrate its leadership in wireless technology and innovation" said Ed Knapp, senior vice president of business development and engineering for Qualcomm. "FlashLinq's direct discovery and distributed communications allows operators to naturally extend their cellular networks. The technology can efficiently support new and enhanced services in areas such as direct local advertising, geo-social networking and machine-to-machine communications."

FlashLinq is a synchronous TDD OFDMA technology operating on dedicated licensed spectrum and is distinguished by its high discovery range (up to a kilometer), discovery capacity (thousands of nearby devices) and distributed interference management. By enabling the simultaneous discovery and communication of thousands of proximal devices, FlashLinq can effectively create a "neighborhood-area network," where fixed and mobile peer applications can interact directly.

Qualcomm plans to collaborate with SK Telecom to trial FlashLinq in South Korea and explore potential commercial uses.

"Throughout its 27-year history, SK Telecom has always embraced cutting-edge technologies because we are committed to giving our customers the most advanced capabilities and user experiences," said Dr. Jong Tae Ihm, SK Telecom's senior vice president and head of the Institute of Network Technology. "We see Qualcomm's FlashLinq technology as a key enabler to a range of new and innovative services based on proximal networking."

Qualcomm's FlashLinq P2P technology will be demonstrated at Barcelona's Fira Convention Center in the Company's exhibit, located in Exhibit Hall 8, #8B53.

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, KSE: 017670) is Korea's leading telecommunications provider with more than 25 million subscribers, which accounts for more than 50% of the total market. The company, established in 1984, reached KRW 12.46 trillion in revenue in 2010. SK Telecom was the first to launch and commercialize CDMA, CDMA2000 1x, CDMA EV-DO and HSDPA networks, and it currently provides cellular, wireless Internet, mobile media, global roaming service and more. For more information, please visit www.sktelecom.com or email press@sktelecom.com.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a world leader in 3G and next-generation mobile technologies. For 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of wireless communications, connecting people more closely to information, entertainment and each other. Today, Qualcomm technologies are powering the convergence of mobile communications and consumer electronics, making wireless devices and services more personal, affordable and accessible to people everywhere. For more information, visit Qualcomm around the Web:

www.qualcomm.com