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NEW DELHI: Freescale Semiconductor and Wavesat, a supplier of WiMAX chipsets, software and development tools, are collaborating to deliver a comprehensive reference platform solution for WiMAX-enabled customer premises equipment (CPE).
The two companies are demonstrating the WiMAX CPE solution at the Freescale Technology Forum this week.
“The combined WiMAX CPE reference platform from Freescale and Wavesat is designed to enable a converged wired/wireless business and residential gateway solution,” said David Perkins, senior vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Networking and Computing Systems Group.
“With WiMAX gaining momentum around the world, turnkey platform solutions like ours are what the market needs to drive rapid deployment of broadband wireless technology in cost-effective CPE products.”
According to In-Stat, the number of fixed WiMAX subscribers is projected to reach 16 million by 2010, while mobile WiMAX subscribers will range from 15 million to 25 million. “WiMAX (and WiBro) have their place in the broadband world,” says Norm Bogen, director of networking at In-Stat. “All regions of the world are showing interest in fixed wireless broadband. We believe that Asia will be the largest market for WiMAX and WiBro, followed by Europe and then North America. However, no single region is expected to dominate shipments and subscribers.”
The WiMAX CPE solution combines Wavesat’s award-winning WiMAX chipsets, Mini-PCI design and CPE MAC software with Freescale’s turnkey reference boards. These boards are based on the MPC8349E and MPC8323E PowerQUICC™ II Pro processors built on Power Architecture technology. Optimized for business and residential gateways, the integrated CPE solution supports WiMAX Forum 802.16d-2004 certification. It also is designed for upgradeability to the IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard for mobility in accordance with the WiMAX Forum ETG profile.
“Integrating our WiMAX Forum certified Mini-PCI and MAC software with Freescale’s PowerQUICC II Pro processor-based reference boards will provide our combined customers with a high-performance and flexible WiMAX CPE solution,” said Michel Guay, president and CEO of Wavesat.
“Freescale sets high standards of performance, innovation and quality for its products and platforms, and we look forward to collaborating with Freescale on next-generation WiMAX reference platforms.”
Forthcoming WiMAX platforms are planned to include next-generation Wavesat chipsets and software and Freescale’s PowerQUICC communications processors, host processors and high-performance multicore digital signal processors based on StarCore technology.
“We chose Wavesat’s portfolio because it is the most complete and powerful WiMAX Forum certified solution and features the only WiMAX Mini-PCI on the market,” said Nino Sampietro, managing director and chief technology officer of Telsa. “The platform integration with Freescale fits extremely well in our WiMAX product road map, enabling operators to benefit from today’s WiMAX solutions and evolve with the ecosystem.”
A member of the WiMAX Forum, Freescale is a leading supplier of high-power RF transistors optimized for the performance requirements of WiMAX base stations. Freescale also has engaged with leading WiMAX base station equipment makers, leveraging its scalable processors and 3.5 GHz RF power transistor portfolio.
Freescale’s MPC8349E and MPC8323E PowerQUICC II Pro processor families provide cost-effective, high-performance communications processing solutions for SOHO and home networking applications, including WiMAX-enabled residential gateways.
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