Northern Telecom Ltd is expanding to the Code Division Multiple Access digital cellular equipment business, signing up with the pioneer of the technology, San Diego-based Qualcomm Inc to design, develop manufacture and sell cellular and personal communications services infrastructure equipment. Qualcomm will share with Northern Telecom its designs and the companies will work together to provide fully integrated Code Division systems. The system architecture is optimised for Code Division applications by taking advantage of Asynchronous Transfer Mode-based packet switching in the base station controller. Northern Telecom will also manufacture integrated systems throughout the world, and will source its requirements for Code Division base station and base station controller equipment both from its own factories and from Qualcomm. Financial terms were not given.
