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The International Trade Commission voted late on June 7 to ban the import of wireless devices that use Qualcomm chips (EVDO / HSDPA / WCDMA) and chip sets that infringe on certain Broadcom patents from entering the United States.

The ban affects cell phones, PDAs, broadband cards and other similar devices intended for consumer use. However, the ITC excluded existing models of such devices from the ban, allowing cell phones already on the market to continue to be sold.

Still up in the air is exactly how this ban will take place, and whether it will take place at all. Qualcomm announced in a press release that it would appeal; Verizon has announced that it would attempt to get the White House to overturn the ban; and both companies involved have said that they are negotiating a cross-licensing deal.

The companies most affected, Sprint and Verizon Wireless, have yet to release any statement regarding the impact from the ITC decision. However, both companies are certainly affected given their dependence on Qualcomm chip sets for a variety of uses including EVDO.

According to EETimes:

"only 11 mobile-phone models will be caught up in the ban this year, or about 0.9 percent of new phone model introductions for the year."

Until this dispute is settled, carriers will only be able to launch new phone models that have already been imported into the US in final versions ready for sale.

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• Federal Jury Finds QUALCOMM Infringes Three Broadcom Patents - May 29. 2007
• QUALCOMM Disagrees with ITC Decision and Seeks Stay and Presidential Veto of ITC Ban on Imports of Future 3G Mobile Broadband Handset Models - June 7, 2007
• Qualcomm fallout limted - EETimes 6/10/2007