Citing public interest, the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry (CTIA – The Wireless Association) has sent a letter to President Bush asking him to veto the U.S. International Trade Commission’s (ITC) recent decision to ban the importation of certain Qualcomm chips and chipsets.

In the letter, CTIA President and CEO Steve Largent argued the ban would hinder 911 emergency communication, cause “economic disruption,” and “force the redesign of virtually all handsets that utilize the chips.” Largent asked the President to support the decision of ITC Chairman Daniel Pearson, who dissented from the Commission’s resolution. The ITC determined the Qualcomm chips infringed a patent held by Broadcom. According to Largent, the chips are critical to wireless networks owned by AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint/Nextel and T-Mobile among others.

CTIA