Agere Unveils VOIP Chipset

ASCOT, U.K. -- Agere Systems today announced a new chipset that leverages its expertise in two leading technologies to enable low-cost, mobile phone calls over the Internet.

Agere's wireless VoIP phone solution integrates its industry-leading WaveLAN(tm) wireless networking and proven voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology onto a single platform.

In addition, Agere has signed an agreement with NTT-ME Corp., a subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corp., to incorporate NTT's Universal Plug and Play (UPnP(tm)) software into Agere's wireless IP phone solution. As a result, Agere plans to offer a development platform and reference design for handset manufacturers that will enable phones to be built that are interoperable with residential and enterprise broadband VoIP networks deployed by NTT, Japan's largest broadband service provider.

Wi-Fi(tm)/802.11 technology allows users to access the Internet and wirelessly transmit data through network access points. VoIP technology enables converged voice and data connections on phone networks, eliminating the need for separate data and voice cabling, while increasing network efficiency and reducing per-call costs. By combining these two technologies into a single, integrated chipset, Agere's solution will support communications devices that give users the freedom to roam across corporate networks, residential broadband networks and public Wi-Fi hotspots.

Agere's wireless VoIP solution consists of the following components:

As part of its wireless IP phone chipset solution, Agere also will supply software drivers for the uClinux(tm) operating systems, the session initiation protocol (SIP) stack, voice compression codecs, and sample demonstration applications.

Sample quantities of Agere's wireless IP telephony chipset and development platform will be available in September, with volume production expected in the first quarter 2004. Unit pricing for complete chipsets will begin at $30 in sample quantities.

Agere Systems