NXP dual-mode EDGE-WiMAX soln in H2 '08

BANGALORE, INDIA: NXP Semiconductors has said its fully validated reference design for the dual-mode EDGE-WiMAX solution will be made available in the second half of 2008.

The company will demonstrate the reference design at the four-day Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, beginning February 11.

NXP said the dual-mode reference design highlights the extended mobility between the two wireless standards by combining its Nexperia Cellular System Solution 5210 for EDGE networks with the forthcoming Intel WiMAX Connection 2400 solution for ultra mobile and CE devices, formerly codenamed, “Baxter Peak.”

The dual-mode reference design will allow OEMs and ODMs to offer enhanced mobility on a wide range of consumer devices.

The consumer devices include laptops, smart phones, PDAs, cameras, via PCMCIA cards, PCI Express cards, USB dongles or even embedded on a circuit board for ultra-small form factor devices, NXP said in a statement.

Mobile operators with existing GSM/EDGE networks could gradually build a WiMAX data overlay network with the EDGE-WiMAX solution.

Subscribers would be able to enjoy the high speeds of the WiMAX data overlay network where available, and revert to the GSM/EDGE network for coverage and circuit-switched voice, the statement added.

“This joint effort (with Intel) to align product strengths from both companies will give manufacturers an easy choice to create ‘connected everywhere’ devices regardless of technology choice,” said Dan A. Rabinovitsj, senior vice-president and general manager of the Cellular Business at NXP.