The CCF Releases New Global CDMA Certification Process

The CDMA Certification Forum (CCF), a non-profit organization that certifies CDMA devices, in partnership with worldwide operators and vendors, announced the global CDMA certification process. This evolutionary certification process, said CCF - facilitates operators and vendors of all sizes to have access to efficient and consistent CDMA device certification process. The certification process as well improves both time and cost to market.

 

In an effort to deliver the fastest and most reliable device certification solution, the CCF merged the earlier CDMA development group (CDG) recommended test guidelines into the CCF process, thereby providing operators and vendors worldwide with a single, comprehensive, affordable, and clearly defined device test process.

 

The CDMA Development Group (CDG) is an international group of companies comprised of CDMA service providers, manufacturers, application developers and content providers. The group aims to accelerate the adoption of 3G CDMA technology by defining the requirements for new CDMA features, services and applications and as well promotes public awareness of CDMA capabilities and developments.

 

"Leading CDMA players Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert) and Telus challenged the industry to develop a single device test process that could support all markets, from emerging to the most mature," said Thomas Erickson, president and CEO of the CCF, in a statement. "The industry rose to this challenge, and, working through the CCF, is now delivering the most efficient, comprehensive, and cost effective CDMA device certification process available."

 

CCF’s new certification process certifies device’s minimum performance, signaling conformance, and infrastructure interoperability - in an efficient way.

 

"Our involvement with the CCF was driven by our belief that CDMA needs a test plan common to all to ensure consistency of results worldwide. The use of a single testing process also removes redundancy, making testing more straightforward and less burdensome without sacrificing the quality of the end product. This new CCF process will greatly benefit the entire CDMA industry,” said Lou LaMedica, director of the wireless handset and device evaluation and implementation laboratory for Verizon (News - Alert) Wireless.

 

CCF said its new certification process helps vendors save up to 4 weeks of test time and also reduces the certification cost by 60 percent, thereby enabling vendors paying less than $80,000 per device.

 

CCF expects that the first certified devices to use this single process will be released hit by the end of this year.