800mn to access WiMAX by 2010: Forum

PORTLAND, USA: According to WiMAX Forum about 430 million people, or POPS, avail WiMAX globally and this consumer base would grow to 800 million by the end of 2010. Moreover, global WiMAX network deployments would reach 460 million in more than 135 countries for fixed, portable, and mobile networks.

The forum recently received WiMAX Forum Certified seal of approval for its first Mobile WiMAX 3.5GHz product.

Ron Resnick, president and chairman, WiMAX Forum, said: “WiMAX coverage is here. It is the catalyst in global marketplace to deliver 4G broadband Internet access to countries that don’t want to wait. These new deployment numbers reveal the mobile Internet WiMAX ecosystem has achieved strong growth and will continue to satisfy the market demand to deliver high-speed broadband services in 2009. Certified products in the 3.5 GHz band will now give more operators access to the equipment and devices needed to deliver mobile broadband services.”

With more than 430 million POPS already covered by WiMAX services, and new spectrum licenses anticipated to be allocated in countries such as Brazil and India, WiMAX Forum expected to see accelerated growth of WiMAX’s global footprint in 2009. And, the ecosystem could expect to see continued subscriber growth as consumers and enterprises recognise the availability of WiMAX as a high-speed low-cost alternative to other Internet technologies.

Sean Maloney, executive vice president, Intel, said: “After several years in development, 2008 was the year that WiMAX became a global reality. In both emerging markets and mature countries, companies and governments are deploying 4G WiMAX networks to help bridge the digital divide and bring affordable, super-fast mobile broadband to their citizens. As countries look to accelerate broadband in 2009 to address economic recovery, WiMAX is ready – it’s the right technology at the right time. There is no need to wait - WiMAX is a reality today.”

WiMAX Forum certifies first 3.5 GHz products

Signaling continued WiMAX momentum, the WiMAX Forum announced that Samsung and ZTE Corporation received the WiMAX Forum certified seal of approval for products for the 3.5 GHz spectrum band.

This milestone also marked the first of many certified products to come out of the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) lab in Korea, one of the six global WiMAX Forum Designated Certifcation Laboratories (WFDCL).

Samsung’s 3.5GHz base station, a U-RAS Flexible, is a new addition to Samsung’s WiMAX Forum Certified products in 2.3GHz and 2.5GHz bands.

This base station was now being deployed for Lithuania’s first WiMAX commercial service. U-RAS Flexible is separated into two parts, including the digital unit and remote radio head. The optic interface between digital unit and remote radio head minimises cable loss. Its powerful RF output effectively covers macro network areas. It adopts Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology and is ready for beamforming, ensuring consistent quality service for years to come.

ZTE’s 9100+R9100 base stations also achieved certification. These add a new frequency band to ZTE’s resume, which already includes WiMAX Forum certified products in the 2.6 GHz and 2.3 GHz bands. ZTE B9100+R9100 are distributed base station systems developed on MicroTCA hardware platform equipped with features such as easy upgrade path, compact design, and low total cost of ownership (TCO).

It supported advanced MIMO technology, which enhances the signal transmission quality of single base station. ZTE’s most recent products were certified at Taiwan WFDCL Bureau Veritas ADT.

More than 50 Mobile WiMAX certified products achieved certification in 2008. Currently, more than 35 WiMAX Forum member companies manufacture WiMAX base stations, 30 companies provide PC Cards, USB modems, MIDs, and other personal devices, 25 companies produce chipsets and reference designs, and six of the top seven global device manufacturers develop WiMAX products.

The WiMAX Forum estimated that by 2011 there will be more than 1,000 Mobile WiMAX Forum Certified products found throughout the world.