3 April 2008
Qualcomm is expected to license the production of its 3.5G module, the Gobi, to Taiwan-based EMS companies and notebook makers, now that it has been certified by a number of telecom operators, including T-Mobile, Verizon, Vodafone and Telefonica, according to market sources in Taiwan.
Since Hewlett-Packard (HP) has decided to design-in Qualcomm's Gobi modules into its notebooks, while Dell is also likely to follow suit before long, notebooks featuring the Gobi modules are expected to hit the market in the second quarter of this year, the sources noted.
Qualcomm is expected to outsource the production of chips for Gobi modules to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) using its 65nm process technology, the sources indicated.
On the other hand, Qualcomm, as a solution vendor, is likely to team up with Taiwan-based EMS companies and notebook makers, including Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), Quanta Computer and Wistron, for module production on a licensing basis, the sources speculated.
Global shipments of notebooks equipped with a 3.5G module are expected to top 120 million units annually in five years, Eddie Chang, president of Qualcomm Taiwan, quoted data from market research firms as indicating.
