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Comcast Launches WiMax Service in Chicago

Michael Licata on December 1, 2009

comcast-chicago-launch

Comcast launced its Wimax service in Chicago December 1. Comcast will use the network set up by Clearwire.

Wireless internet consumers may purchase a small USB modem that is usable with most laptops. The service will start at 49.99 per month for one year. Comcast hopes to bundle the offer with their home internet service as to provide users with a discounted rate for both packages. Comcast will also offer a higher-priced package that connects to Sprint’s 3G network when the 4G network is unavailable.

Clearwire and Sprint both offer WiMax services in Chicago. Both are separate from Comcast and each other. Sprint’s WiMax services launched a month ago.

Chicago becomes the fourth city in which Comcast offers WiMax services. The others are Philadelphia, Atlanta and Portland, Ore.… Read the rest

Media G3 Announces Launch Plans in Silicon Valley, U.S.

Michael Licata on November 27, 2009 | 3 comments

silicon-valley-Media3G-map-wimax-launch

MediaG3, Inc. released its report on the progress of its developing WiMaX service roll-out strategy throughout the United States. It also announced its updates indevelopment on WiMax services in Silicon Valley.

Some statistics from Media3G’s report are listed below:

Estimated Silicon Valley metro market shows a potential subscriber base of 1,764,999

Percentage of households using broadband and wireless services are 74%

Available broadband and wireless subscriber base is 1,306,099 households

Estimating subscribers’ revenues exceed $3,265,000/year initially

“Imperial Wireless is excited to bring its IW4G WiMax Super Fast Mobile Broadband and Internet Phone Services to the vast market of Silicon Valley residents, businesses, students and mobile professionals. We endeavor to provide an invaluble service by offering our speedy mobile Internet experience on the go. Having this capability otherwise restrictive to their home or the office computing experience, has proven to offer a dramatic shift in effectiveness and quality of lifestyle,” said Val Westergard, Chairman, MediaG3, Inc. “We’re pleased to provide a valuable new category of Internet services designed to make people’s lives more enjoyable and more productive, wherever they happen to be in our coverage area.”

In launching U.S. WiMax coverage, MediaG3 plans include using 30 carrier grade cellular towers, which were successfully acquired earlier this year and will be used to support the network expansion in key markets throughout the United States.

MediaG3′s IW4G is a New Generation of WiMax

The 4G customer experience is similar to Wi-Fi, but without the short-range limitations of a traditional Internet hot spot. IW4G gives you average mobile download speeds of 3 to 6 mbps with bursts over 10 mbps.

As the Internet integrates deeper into daily life, the opportunities to stay connected and be productive are enhanced by IW4G in numerous ways through mobile internet technology.

Parents that want full Internet connectivity for kids studying or playing games in the back of the family minivan. A mobile professional who is unsatisfied with the speeds andlimitations of 3G modem cards or the need to seek out Wi-Fi hotspotsA commuter interested in working or accessing entertainment sites like Hulu or Pandora on the way home.

For these and many other customers, IW4G’s simple and innovative pricing provides ultimate flexibility. IW4G’s mobile and residential plans can be purchased by the day or by the month, and with several no service contract options available. IW4G offers several simple choices for broadband connectivity.

Mobile users simply plug-in IW4G’s … Read the rest

Brightpoint Signs WiMax Contract with Time Warner

Michael Licata on November 25, 2009

Brightpoint Inc. received a contract to provide an integrated supply chain management system for the next-generation (4G) WiMAX network. Yesterday, the company announced that it entered into an agreement with Time Warner Cable Inc. to provide transportation management, inventory management, device customization, fulfillment, and reverse logistics for the Time Warner’s upcoming WiMAX ventures.

Time Warner launched WiMax networks in three North Carolina markets on December 1. Brightpoint will provide an easier supply chain solution to Time Warner Cable. It supports the launch of Road Runner Mobile including wireless data card, accessory and collateral fulfillment and returns, triage and repairs.

Brightpoint enhanced its portfolio through more product offerings including full range of sales & distribution, logistics, and activation services. Management continues to seek new operational initiatives that offer improved customer handling of PDA’s, data and 3G/4G wireless devices.… Read the rest

Broadcaster Invests in DigitalBridge WiMax!

Kathleen Regalado (Kathleen@goingwimax.com) on November 24, 2009 | 3 comments

According to TVB, WiMax provider DigitalBridge Communications has secured a third round of equity financing from investors. One of the investors include Schurz Communications, which also has 10 TV stations in its portfolio of media properties. DigitalBridge previously raised $50 million in equity funding the National Rural Telecommunications Coop, Paladin Capital Group, CNF Investments and Novak Biddle Venture Partners, All contributed to the latest round of funding with Schurz. The amount for this round was not disclosed

“Joint commercial rollouts will be announced during 2010, with DigitalBridge engineering, constructing, and operating the broadband wireless networks and local Schurz teams promoting, selling, and supporting innovative product bundles,” the companies said in a joint release.

Todd Schurz, CEO of Schurz Communications said demand for broadband was increasing.

“Also, our newspapers and broadcast station brands already have millions of unique visitors, tens-of-millions of page views and deliver millions of online videos each month,” he said. “We anticipate further digital growth as more mobile devices access our content and services at 4G speeds. Schurz is uniquely positioned locally, as we already have significant sales and marketing forces in place to offer this first-of-its-kind partnership.”

DigitalBridge said it’s launched new wireless broadband service in 15 communities nationwide over the previous three years. The company, along with Clearwire Communications, recently leased 2 GHz spectrum from South Carolina’s Educational Television organization.… Read the rest

Dallas Time Warner Cable Customers to Get WiMax in December!

Kathleen Regalado (Kathleen@goingwimax.com) on November 24, 2009 | 1 comment

timewarnercable-clearwire logos

Time Warner Cable who is reselling Clearwire Mobile WiMax service and bundling it with the company’s existing broadband, TV and VoIP services said in October that they’d be launching their service starting December 1st in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, Charlotte and Greensboro. TWC is now indicating that they’ll also be launching the service in Dallas starting December 1. Pricing for the “up to 6 Mbps” service ranges from $39.95 a month to $79.95 a month depending on the bundle option chosen.

The bundle options are:
Road Runner Mobile 4G National Elite: gives customers unlimited access to both Time Warner Cable`s 4G Mobile Network and Sprint’s 3G EVDO network for $79.95 if you’re a Roadrunner Standard or Turbo customers.

Road Runner Mobile 4G Elite: gives customers unlimited access to the Time Warner Cable 4G Mobile Network for $49.95 if you’re already a Roadrunner Standard or Turbo customer.

Road Runner Mobile 4G Choice: gives customers access to the Time Warner Cable 4G Mobile Network for $39.95 if you’re already bundling at least two Time Warner Cable services. The tier also caps usage at 2GB per month.

Users get additional discounts if they’re triple play customers. According to Time Warner Cable, they’ll be expanding the service into Honolulu and Maui later this year, and into San Antonio and Austin in early 2010.… Read the rest

Intel Invests $25 Million in Tech Companies!

Kathleen Regalado (Kathleen@goingwimax.com) on November 18, 2009 | 1 comment

Today Intel Capital, the world’s largest chip maker, announced their seven new investments worth around US$25 million in total. This is in addition to a $50 million investment already made in U.S. WiMax operator Clearwire.

The new investments include:

Joyent, Inc. (Sausalito, Calif.) provides cloud computing infrastructure and services to help customers rapidly and efficiently develop, deploy and manage Web applications and sites, and to improve datacenter performance. Joyent’s unique cloud computing technologies produce unprecedented performance, utilization rates, savings and security. Joyent will use the funding to accelerate its product development and for increased global expansion.

Active Storage (Los Angeles) provides a robust media storage platform for Apple-based infrastructures. The company’s hardware RAID solutions are aimed toward the business and creative industries, particularly video post-production, broadcast, publishing, education and science. The company intends to focus this round of funding on R&D and sales and marketing.

Crucialtec (Cheon-Ahn City, Korea) is a manufacturer of specialized input devices that utilize optical technology for mobile phones, smart phones and IPTV remote controllers. Crucialtec’s Optical Trackball enables users to enjoy the full internet experience with mobile products as they do with a PC. Intel Capital’s investment will help with the development of a new generation of mobile solutions for the global market by providing Crucialtec with additional working capital.

Gudeng Precision Industrial Co (Taipei, Taiwan) is a semiconductor front-end equipment manufacturer that helps customers enhance product yield and reduce production cost by providing customized products with innovative design concepts. Presently, Gudeng Precision is the world’s leading photomask and wafer handling total solution provider, and the company’s products are accepted and certificated by worldwide tier-one customers. Gudeng Precision will use the funding to expand business in China and enhance working capital.

V-Cube (Tokyo) develops and markets Web-based videoconferencing systems. Its flagship “nice to meet you” service enables one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many interactive real-time communications and on-demand services over the Internet. Currently, V-cube is the largest service provider in Japan for Web-delivered visual communications. The investment will be used to further optimize the service for access from mobile Internet devices and netbooks, and to stream high-quality video over WiMAX wireless broadband networks.

NeuString (Dubai, UAE) delivers predictive analytics software and consulting services to mobile network operators, helping companies to achieve greater financial performance. The NeuString Optiprizer software allows operators to optimize pricing, reduce leakage and get real-time reporting on operational metrics. The investment from Intel … Read the rest

Africa and the Middle East : Fastest Growth for WiMax Adoption

admin on November 17, 2009 | 2 comments

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The business segment in Africa and the Middle East should be the main focus of WiMax operators as fixed WiMax’s contribution to fixed business broadband subscriptions is expected to more than quadruple by 2014, according to a latest report from Pyramid Research.

Africa and the Middle East is witnessing one of the fastest growth rates for WiMax adoption globally. WiMax service offerings were virtually unheard of before 2007 in the region; while the global average fixed service penetration of population stood at 22% at year-end 2008, AME’s penetration level stood at 9 percent for the same period, the lowest among all regions. By year-end 2009, Pyramid expects WiMax to contribute about 2% of total fixed broadband subscriptions in AME, a higher share than in any other region globally except for Latin America.

In addition to a generally supportive regulatory environment, telcos are finding WiMax’s scaleability and cost-effectiveness in high-density areas to be a major advantage compared with a time-consuming and costly overhaul of inadequate fixed networks or with rolling out new wired infrastructure – this is especially true in AME where fixed penetration is still low even in urban areas, which translates into a low-competition high-growth environment.

The business segment should be the main focus of WiMax operators in the region. “Business consumers have more sophisticated connectivity needs than residential consumers, involving dedicated high-speed point-to-point connections, high capacity for both uplink and downlink, bundled VoIP service, back-up systems, dedicated international bandwidth, and so on,” McHenry explains. “These are all within WiMax technical capabilities but cannot be guaranteed over 3G,” she adds. “Because of these factors, we expect fixed WiMax’s contribution to fixed business broadband subscriptions to more than quadruple in 2014, reaching 8 percent, compared with less than 2 percent in 2009.”

… Read the rest

Shipments of Mobile WiMax Chipsets Will Reach 4 Million by Year’s End!

Kathleen Regalado (Kathleen@goingwimax.com) on November 17, 2009 | 3 comments

WiMAX-chips

According to Maravedis and Reveal Wireless’ new report “WiMAX Wave2 Subscriber Station Chipset Vendors Competitive Analysis” shipments of mobile WiMAX chipsets will reach 4 million by the end of 2009.

The research provides a detailed comparison of the key WiMax chipset vendors, identifying system architectures, estimating chipset and system BOM, cost of available devices such as CPEs, USB dongles or Express Cards, and researching vendor product roadmaps and SWOT. The report covers over 29 base-band, RF IC and module solutions from 14 WiMax vendors, and profiles the five key players offering an in-depth analysis of each chipset.
One of the key findings of the report is that the WiMax subscriber station chipset ecosystem is overwhelming with more than 14 chipset vendors competing for market share. “This puts pressure on vendors with insufficient customer traction, lacking funding or scale, or offering only partial chipset solutions,” said Adlane Fellah, Maravedis CEO and Founder and co-author of the report.

Several of the early chipset vendors that once shipped Wave1 mobile solutions are now shipping Wave2 compliant chipsets. “However, most of the available chipsets are not highly optimized because they were compelled to cover a broad range of application segments,” noted Pascal Deriot, Senior Analyst and co-author of the report.

“We believe that WiMAX mass market adoption requires ubiquitous coverage and IOT mature, sub US$10 chipsets that are power and performance optimized for each application-specific segment,” he added.… Read the rest

Sprint and Cleawire Launch WiMax Service in Austin and San Antonio, Texas!

Kathleen Regalado (Kathleen@goingwimax.com) on November 16, 2009

texas-clearwire map

Today Sprint and Clearwire announced that their WiMax wireless network is now available in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, markets. San Antonio is one of the first communities in Texas to enjoy 4G wireless connections from Sprint, the first national wireless carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology.

Sprint customers in San Antonio can start enjoying 4G today with the 3G/4G USB Modem U300. Sprint customers can take advantage of the 3G network when outside of 4G coverage. For a limited time, customers can benefit from a 4G promotion allowing them to get the dual-mode device for free after a $50 mail-in rebate for consumers and instant rebates for business clients with a two-year agreement. Sprint is currently offering new 4G/3G data plans for consumers at $69.99 monthly with unlimited 4G and 4G/3G and data plans for businesses at $69.99 with unlimited 4G and unlimited 3G on the Sprint network.

“Sprint continues to lead the charge in rolling out wireless 4G in cities across America and the momentum continues to build,” said Todd Rowley, vice president of Sprint 4G. “Our aggressive expansion of Sprint 4G will include many new devices and capabilities that create increased performance and productivity while enhancing personal lifestyles on the go.”

Earlier this year Sprint 4G launched in the Texas cities of Dallas and Ft. Worth, Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi,Killeen, Temple, Lubbock, Midland,Odessa, Waco and Wichita Falls.… Read the rest

First Media to Commence Deployment of WiMax Base Stations!

Kathleen Regalado (Kathleen@goingwimax.com) on November 16, 2009 | 1 comment

indonesia-first media

The Jakarta Post reports that Indonesian WiMax start-up PT First Media, has deployed four out of ten planned WiMax base transceiver stations (BTS) since winning its licence in August. First Media won the WiMax tender for Zone I, which encompasses North Sumatra and Aceh provinces, as well as Zone VI and Zone IV, which includes Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Banten. It currently has 145,000 subscribers, and is targeting one million subscribers in the next four years.

First Media’s corporate secretary Harianda Noerlan who was interviewed by the Jakarta Post, said that towers had been built in Jakarta, Depok, Bekasi, Bogor, while a Tangerang BTS will be in operation soon. When asked about whether or not the firm had set aside USD107 million for its WiMax project he declined to comment but said, “we’re still calculating the budget needed but plan to allocate all the WiMax budget to building BTS and other infrastructure. It is said that the funding will come from internal cash flows and bank loans.… Read the rest

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