Qualcomm opens RP office, betting 3G rise to come from emerging markets

MANILA, Philippines- Wireless technologies innovator Qualcomm expects emerging markets such as the Philippines to drive growth in 3G, the third generation wireless standard that allows high-speed multimedia data and voice transmission. This is among the reasons why the company will open an office in the Philippines, Qualcomm president for Southeast Asia John Stefanac told Manila-based reporters on Wednesday. Emerging markets such as the Philippines are expected to provide as much as 70 percent of the expected increase in 3G users around the world, according to the World Cellular Information Services (WCIS). WCIS, which sources its data from the global mobile industry, said that 3G subscribers will grow to 1.4 billion by 2012 from the current 720 million. “There is a lot of interesting innovations that is going to be very applicable to emerging markets like the Philippines, which is an important emerging market. Wireless is becoming more and more part of everybody's lives," he told reporters. Moreover, mobile commerce will help boost 3G usage and growth in the Philippines, a country is considered to be more advanced than others in the said field. Besides involving the transmission of cellphone credits and cash, mobile commerce also covers transactions – financial or otherwise – over wireless phones and other related devices. “People in the emerging market have no less the desire to access the Internet as anybody else in any other more developed markets," Stefanac said. Stefanac also predicted that a “dramatic shift" would occur in the capability of devices beyond mobile phones. “We see consumer electronics convergence taking place, convergence of computing platforms and devices. We want to ensure a whole plethora of devices. We don't think of 3G as just being these handsets. It is more than that in terms of capabilities," he said. But 3G is not without its challenges, Stefanac admitted. After all, different markets may have different needs. "You will have several market segments that can be divided by geographical location, age, job roles. It becomes a little bit more complicated for operators – They have to look at various market segments that is going to require specific devices that only do limited functions," he added. Qualcomm has helped enable a $350-billion industry through its chip sales, licensing and services and applications. "We are a technology innovation company. Our business revolves around 3G. We believe in the functionalities that 3G can bring. We will work with various stakeholders in the 3G ecosystem. It includes government ministries, regulators, operators, OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and media," he added. - GMANews.TV