CDMA History

History

In July 1985, seven industry veterans came together in the den of Dr. Irwin Jacobs’ San Diego home to discuss an idea. Those visionaries—Franklin Antonio, Adelia Coffman, Andrew Cohen, Klein Gilhousen, Irwin Jacobs, Andrew Viterbi and Harvey White—decided they wanted to build “Quality Communications” and outlined a plan that has evolved into one of the telecommunications industry’s greatest start-up success stories: Qualcomm Incorporated.

Qualcomm started out providing contract research and development services, with limited product manufacturing, for the wireless telecommunications market. One of the team’s first goals was to develop a commercial product. This effort resulted in OmniTRACS®. Since its introduction in 1988, OmniTRACS has grown into the largest satellite-based commercial mobile system for the transportation industry today.

Today, Qualcomm plays a central role in the rapid adoption and growth of 3G and next-generation wireless around the world. Qualcomm has an extensive portfolio of United States and foreign patents, and we continue to pursue patent applications around the world. Our patent portfolio is the most widely and extensively licensed portfolio in the industry with over 195 licensees.This early success led the company to take a daring departure from conventional wireless wisdom. In 1989, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) endorsed a digital technology called Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA ). Just three months later, Qualcomm introduced Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), a superior technology for wireless and data products that changed the global face of wireless communications forever.

The Roots of CDMA are in...Hollywood!?

Once described as the most beautiful woman in the world, actress Hedy Lamarr was one of Hollywood’s most glamorous silver screen goddesses of the 1930’s and 40’s. But Ms. Lamarr had another talent: she was brilliant.

Working together with avante-garde music composer George Antheil, Lamarr came up with the notion that multiple frequencies could be used to send a single radio transmission – a concept that’s now known as frequency hopping. The concept would eventually provide the basis for the CDMA airlink, which Qualcomm first commercialized in 1995. Today, CDMA and its core principles provide the backbone for wireless communications, thanks to the creative vision of one extraordinary woman.
“Films have a certain place in a certain time period, but technology is forever.” - Hedy Lamarr