Combo GSM-Wi-Fi Chip Aids Dual-Feature Cell Phones

A transceiver with combined GSM and Wi-Fi capability has been developed by Quorum Systems Inc. The firm said handset makers are evaluating the chip, called the QC2430.

The single-chip integrated circuit is capable of supporting both WLAN and Quad Band GSM cellular applications simultaneously. The development was announced Tuesday, when the firm said it is assisting "early-adopter partners to make their own call-to-network using the QC2530."

Quorum Systems noted that handsets built around the QC2530 will be able to utilize VoIP connectivity and seamless voice roaming over Wi-Fi and cell-phone networks. Handsets with the dual capability will also give users the ability to connect to the Internet in Wi-Fi hotspots.

In a statement, the firm said: "The QC2530 converges 802.11/g WLAN and cellular GSM/GPRS/EDGE technologies in a single die that offers smaller footprint, lower manufacturing costs, and unprecedented flexibility compared with today's multiple-chip approach. This is achieved using Quorum's Multi-Access Technology (QMAT) underlying proprietary intellectual property (IP), which allows the radio resource to be shared, enabling multi-mode functionality while reusing passive and silicon real estate." The firm also said its technology eliminates interference, which had plagued earlier attempts to make multi-mode chips.

The start-up firm is backed by venture capitalists Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers and Enterprise Partners Venture Capital.