3G mobiles switch on to Linux

Mobile phone maker Qualcomm has revealed that it will add Linux support to its Mobile Station Modem chipsets, giving the open source operating system on the handset a further push.

The move will enable manufacturers to use Linux on 3G phones designed for the CDMA wireless standard.

"We are expanding the software development environment of our chipsets to address the growing market interest in Linux as well as other third-party operating systems," said Sanjay Jha, president of CDMA technologies at Qualcomm.

Where Europe has standardised on GSM, some operators in the US and parts of Asia have standardised on CDMA, a technology owned by Qualcomm.

Mobile phones often run proprietary software. Symbian, a consortium of phone makers dominated by Nokia, holds the number one spot, followed by Microsoft's Windows Mobile.