 offer transmission speeds between 5 and 10Mbps, but also future Multiple- Input/Multiple-Output (MIMO) HSDPA systems, which are expected to achieve peak data rates up to 20 Mbps. The new chip marks an attempt by Lucent to raise carriers' interest in building faster wireless networks. Such networks would help sell cutting-edge wireless applications, such as video calls, which are projected to create $20 billion in total revenue by 2006, according to Gartner Dataquest, a Stamford, Connecticut-based technology research firm. But don't expect to find turbocharged mobile phones on the market anytime soon. Precisely when the chip is actually used in mobile phones or other wireless devices depends on how fast wireless carriers roll out high- speed networks. In the United States and many other parts of the world, which could take years. Lucent predicts carriers will begin to use the new HSDPA standard by 2006, but that time frame could be sooner if the economy revives and customer demand drives the wireless companies to move faster. "The chip makes Lucent attractive to handset partners, and that broadens our image in the wireless industry," says Bickerstaff. "Now we're not only known for our wireless base stations, we're also becoming known for our chip designs for handsets as well." The potential for further innovations looks very promising," says Chris Nicol, Bell Labs' wireless research technical manager. "We're creating the future, and we intend to stay out in front. NUTS AND BITS-TELECOM HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND MORE 2.12.1 Faster Transistor IBM researchers have developed a hybrid transistor that could mean speed- ier and far less power-hungry wireless devices. The transistor has the potential to improve wireless device performance by a factor of four or reduce power consumption by a factor of five. Transistors are electrical switches that control the flow of current through chips. Boosting transistor efficiency means greater overall computer power, allowing mobile phones, PDAs, and other portable communications dev