Intel to launch Wi-Fi WiMAX enabled PCs

Bhaskar Hazarika and R Jai Krishna

NEW DELHI: Chip manufacturer Intel is eyeing the wireless network market in India. The company is planning to launch Wi-Fi and WiMAX dual mode enabled personal desktops.

The dual mode module with Wi-Fi and WiMAX is Intel’s wireless network solution known as ‘Echo Peak’.

“Echo Peak design achieves breakthrough cost points for WiMAX network access. This technology is capable of supporting up to three bands for flexible radio frequency support - 2.3-2.7 GHz, 3.3-3.8 GHz and 5.5-5.8 GHz,” Chandramouli Rao, senior solutions specialist (WiMAX business development division) Intel India.

Rao said that the development team at Bangalore is working on embedding the chip in to desktops. “We are working on it, and shall announce something soon,” Rao informed. Commenting on the market for this product in India, Rao said that it would depend upon the government policy on WiMAX.

“As the Indian government is yet to decide on the WiMAX frequency band and the overall policy for rolling it out, it will entirely depend upon the policy. Globally 2.5 GHz is the standard for WiMAX. However, once announced, notebooks, tablet PCs and handheld devices will drive the market,” Rao said.

The company is launching Echo Peak enabled notebooks in US early 2008 in association with Sprint. Sprint and Clearwire have already announced plans to build out Mobile WiMAX infrastructure to cover 100 million people in US by the end of 2008. Sprint Nextel offers wireless and wireline communications services. Clearwire is a provider of wireless broadband Internet and phone service.