Consortium Considering Chip Business
DoCoMo, Samsung, Fujitsu, NEC and Panasonic are apparently planning a JV focused on LTE semiconductors: http://bit.ly/pemUbe
NTT Docomo Inc. and South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. are considering joining forces along with several other Japanese handset manufacturers to develop semiconductors for mobile phones on a new-generation mobile broadband standard, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.
The two companies along with Fujitsu Ltd., NEC Corp. and Panasonic Mobile Communications Co. are planning to set up a jointly owned unit in Japan to design and develop a chip for regulating wireless signals to be mounted on handsets for the LTE standard, in an apparent attempt to challenge the dominance of Qualcomm Inc. of the United States. Qualcomm has been a major supplier of a similar chip for the current 3G wireless mobile communications service.
The proposed venture, in which Docomo is considering taking a major stake, is aimed at reducing development costs by tapping the technologies each company owns, and at developing chips that meet specific demands in various markets, the sources said. Via Mainichi Shimbun.