AirIQ Adds GSM to Wireless Services

AirIQ Inc., Pickering, Ont., Canada, has selected GSM (Global System for Mobile) as its digital communications medium.

The company also offers communications over analog cellular networks as well as the Orbcomm low-earth-orbit satellite system.
"The logical next step for AirIQ is to integrate GSM technology into our location-based services," explains Donald Simmonds, president and CEO of AirIQ. "Leveraging the most dominant technology in use around the world lets us take advantage of low device costs, and expand our commercial and consumer market opportunities globally."
GSM is one of three major digital modes currently available in the North America. The other two are CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and iDen. CDMA is a Qualcomm technology commonly associated with digital communications providers Verizon and Sprint. iDen is the digital system developed by Motorola that underlies the Nextel network.
In North America GSM is provided by T-Mobile and Cingular, which is in the process of taking over AT&T Wireless, also a GSM provider. GSM is the universal standard in Europe and across much of the world. According to the AirIQ announcement, GSM now represents more than 71% of the wireless market worldwide.