OverSeas WiMax Roundup #9

Here’s a snapshot of the overseas action on the WiMax front:

Asia

Asia will account for over half of all mobile WiMax subscribers by 2013, equating to over 40 million subscribers, according to Juniper Research.

Juniper’s country by country analysis found WiMax well suited to rapid deployment in underserved areas such as India, Korea, Pakistan and Australia.

Government programmes in countries such as Taiwan will help to support this growth, pushing the overall 802.16e market to sales of $23bn by 2013.

“We anticipate that mobile WiMax use will develop after initial demand for fixed and portable services. 802.16e is a flexible platform that can operate in all three modes of use,” said Juniper analyst Howard Wilcox, the report’s author.

“Mobile WiMax will represent a single digit proportion of the Asian mobile broadband base by 2013, which will be a tremendous achievement for this new platform.”

Sweden

STOCKHOLM (WiMAX Day). The National Post and Telecom Agency (PTS) of Sweden announced yesterday that it is now accepting applications from interested parties to participate in the auction of 2500 ~ 2690 MHz radio frequencies.

The auction will commence on April 14, 2008. A total of 15 blocks of spectrum will be offered for auction, 140 MHz of which will be divided for Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) use and one block in the frequencies 2570 ~ 2620 MHz will be for Time Division Duplex (TDD). The FDD blocks will comprise 2×5 MHz of spectrum, and the TDD comprises 50 MHz. Each license will cover the extent of the Swedish territory.

The regulator noted the use of TDD in the FDD frequencies may cause interference on the FDD frequencies. However if “all the license holders who have been assigned FDD licenses wish to use these frequencies for TDD, PTS may, however, following application, allow amended license conditions.”

In a statement yesterday, PTS said the spectrum will be offered on the basis of technology and service neutrality. “This means that the license holder chooses the technology and area of application within the framework of the licence conditions. The license holder may also change technology and use during the term of the license, also within the framework of the license conditions.”

France

OTTAWA, Canada – January 2, 2008 – Wi-LAN Inc. (TSX: WIN) (“Wi-LAN”), a leading technology licensing company, today announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with Tranzeo Wireless Technologies Inc. (Tranzeo) relating to Wi-LAN’s Wi-Fi and WiMAX patents. The license provides for the payment of a running royalty for the lives of the patents and includes a payment in respect of past sales.

Tranzeo’s broad range of point-to-point and point-to-multipoint radios, WiMAX equipment, and mesh network solutions are designed for wireless internet service providers, governments, campuses, military, carriers, enterprise customers, and systems integrators around the globe.

“This agreement is further evidence of our ability to fairly monetize our wireless patented innovations, through negotiation, in the critical Wi-Fi and WiMAX markets,” said Andrew Parolin, VP Wireless Technologies, Wi-LAN. “Our wireless licensing teams are in active discussion and negotiation with a number of companies. We remain confident that our licensing strategy will continue to produce positive results for Wi-LAN.”

Japan

Clarion Ltd displayed a prototype of its next-generation automotive terminal “MiND” (development codename) connected by Wireless LAN at the International CES 2008. The company aims for a constant Internet connection during high speed driving by utilizing WiMAX.

The commercialization is expected in or around September 2008, according to the company. The price will be less than US$700.

WiMAX platform “Menlow,” promoted by Intel of the US, is planned to be adopted in MiND, while Linux will be employed as the OS. The constant internet connection of the prototype, however, was made possible by WiFi, not WiMAX.

The main body is equipped with a 5.2-inch WVGA LCD display and a 4Gbit flash memory. The operating frequency of the processor is 1.1GHz, and the OS is Linux2.6.22. The main body will be installed on a docking station built on the dashboard of a vehicle.

Australia

Sydney, Jan 8, 2008 (ABN Newswire) – Late Monday afternoon Austar (AUN) made the surprise announcement that it has decided to sell its entire WiMAX regional wireless broadband spectrum to the Optus-led OPEL consortium for $65 million to focus its attention on regional pay-TV operations.

The regional pay-TV operator said that access to its spectrum holdings will allow the OPEL venture, consisting of Optus and Elders, to give regional Australia a “brighter broadband future” by building a WiMAX network which can keep pace with the developments in international standards.

“The OPEL network will ensure that regional Australians have access to a broad range of the world’s best broadband access technologies,” Austar said in a statement.

The company also said it is planning to expand its relationship with Optus Wholesale to market broadband, voice and mobile services to its existing and potential customers

Australia

Cheap, mobile, and internet-connected handheld computing devices are the next big thing on the digital horizon according to Paul Otellini, the chief executive of global PC microchip giant Intel.

iTWire reports that, in a keynote speech to the Consumer Electronics Show yesterday, Ottelini said that ultra low power, net-connected pocket mobile devices, using wireless technologies such as WiMax, will become widespread in the next five years.

Otellini argues internet access will become ubiquitous – he believes via WiMax wireless internet technology – allowing people to use more efficient mobile computing devices to access what he calls the “personal internet.”

In what some might consider a self-serving address, Otellini nevertheless crafted a credible story of a future with the internet integrated into the mainstream of consumer electronics and communications.

“The personal internet of tomorrow will serve you – delivering the information you want, when you want it, how you want, wherever you are,” Otellini says.

For his vision to become reality, Otellini said four challenges need to be overcome – microprocessors have to become smaller, more powerful and more energy efficient; the spread of wireless broadband infrastructure needs to accelerate; internet search has to become more efficient; and handheld internet user interfaces have to improve so people can use their voices and gestures to engage with the internet.

Germany

Aktuelle Nachrichten – veröffentlicht durch ad-hoc-news.de: Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today announced that the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) — Asia?s leading test and certification institution — awarded Agilent a contract for Mobile WiMAX Protocol Conformance Test (PCT). TTA provides Mobile WiMAX testing and certification services to the international community and will employ Agilent?s N6430A Mobile WiMAX PCT and development system in its base and mobile station test solution.

?We are pleased TTA has selected our N6430A for its WiMAX? PCT solution,? said Niels Faché, vice president and general manager of Agilent?s Mobile Broadband Division. ?This contract demonstrates our strength in WiMAX protocol conformance testing, as part of Agilent?s Portfolio of solutions across the entire R&D lifecycle.?

Agilent?s N6430A PCT solution delivers a comprehensive suite of test solutions for 802.16-2004/Cor2 D3 Mobile WiMAX PCT and development testing, with a scripting interface to a fully functional radio bearer. The Agilent E6651A portfolio of solutions supports multiple R&D testing needs in addition to PCT, including base-station emulation, RF parametric measurements and Radiated Performance Testing (RPT).

WiMax on the Move.

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