[SatNews] Good news for GLONASS users...

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) now has product support for the Russian GLONASS satellite system and the capability to use both the GPS and GLONASS networks simultaneously for greater location performance. The additional signals from this expanded satellite network provide more accurate location information for the growing number of location based applications and services. The first GLONASS capable phone is the MTS 945 from ZTE, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon MSM7x30™ chipset. The Snapdragon MSM7x30 chipset and software solution allows this smartphone to take advantage of both the GPS and GLONASS (a worldwide satellite positioning system developed by the Russian government) satellite systems. Support for both satellite networks is currently integrated into Qualcomm’s Snapdragon MSM7x30 chipset and software solution and will be supported moving forward on select Snapdragon and feature phone chipsets with Qualcomm’s latest GPS engine.

“ZTE is first to market with a smartphone that supports both the GPS and GLONASS satellite systems, taking full advantage of the functionality which has been integrated into our Snapdragon MSM7x30 chipset and software,” said Raj Talluri, vice president of product management for Qualcomm. “Supporting both positioning technologies gives users of ZTE’s latest smartphone the benefit of up to 55 different satellites when calculating their global position for navigation or any location-based application. The result is more accurate location performance, all over the world, particularly in challenging urban environments where the combination of narrow streets and tall buildings can degrade accuracy.”

“According to our estimates, the market of GLONASS-enabled devices will grow at high rates,” said MTS Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Mikhail Gerchuk. “Support of the Russian satellite navigation system provides extra reliability and precision for users and we are delighted to offer the first GLONASS-enabled device, powered by Qualcomm’s chipset, to consumers.”