Wireless Connectivity

Panasonic Taps Qualcomm Gobi for Broadband Data

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Having scored another important win for its Gobi broadband wireless access technology through a deal with Dell Computer, Qualcomm Inc. said Panasonic also has agreed to use Gobi in at least three families of Toughbook ruggedized notebooks, and will continue to evaluate follow-on versions of Gobi that add WiMax or Long-Term Evolution support.

The Gobi broadband access chip set currently supports EV-DO and HSPA networks, and has added firmware to support HSPA+ and Global Positioning System capabilities. Victoria Obenshain, director of wireless strategy at Panasonic, said one reason for beginning rollouts with the fully ruggedized CF series, which will offer Gobi this fall, is that "first-responder users of the fully ruggedized version are those that are most likely to have to contend with multiple networks.

"This will migrate to the business community at large, but we could see that police and fire in emergencies, as well as the military, were the ones most likely to need multiple services," she added.

Mike Concannon, senior vice president of product management for Qualcomm's CDMA Technologies unit, said Gobi capabilities represent the emergence of software-defined radio (SDR) features in laptops. With special Carrier Selection Application software Panasonic is bundling with the Toughbook, SDR features become virtually transparent to users, he predicted.

Previously, Obenshain said, Panasonic relied on single-air interface modules from vendors such as Sierra Wireless and Novatel to support a single packet-data wireless standard. Gobi represents the first time the company will support multiple networks with a single chip set and a unified software development kit. Concannon said Qualcomm does not see Sierra Wireless or Novatel as competitors; in fact, several module specialists are interested in integrating Gobi into single-card communication modules for after-market notebook sales.

Obenshain said Panasonic is considering several ways to use the GPS services within Gobi " and not just in traditional location-based services, but in tracking lost or stolen laptops and in developing time-stamp functions.

The Toughbook line is designed not just for rugged use, but with multiple layers of security for government and highly-secure enterprise applications. The CF-19 and CF-30 Toughbooks with Gobi will debut in October. Enterprise level Business Rugged platforms, weighing 4.5 pounds, will debut in November. The U-1 Ultra-Mobile Rugged system with Gobi will launch in the first quarter of 2009.

Loring Wirbel

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