April 2009

Russia : Comstar to Fully Launch WiMax Services in May

on April 29, 2009  



comstar-logoComstar, the largest integrated telecommunications provider in Moscow and 69 Russian cities, today announced that the test phase of its mobile WiMAX network project has been completed, and the network will be fully launched from May 1, 2009.

The discounted tariff plan for internet access with the data transmission volume of 2 Gbits will be offered for wimax test participants for a subscription fee of RUR 200.00 (US$ 6.0 1 ) per month. The charge for the data transmission volume which exceeds a prepaid level will be RUR 1.00 (US$ 0.03) per additional Megabite. New subscribers will be offered WiMAX services and equipment from the middle of May 2009.

Sergey Pridantsev, President and Chief Executive Officer of Comstar UTS, commented: “We are ready to fully launch mobile WiMAX services for our subscribers in Moscow in May this year. The new services will be offered within the frame of the unified telecommunications space created by Comstar. We are very grateful to all our subscribers who have participated in the test phase of the project which was launched on January 15, 2009. Their feedback and recommendations assist us in creating the network which will enable us to provide highly efficient services.”

… Read the rest

Report : WiMAX Subscribers in India to Exceed 13 Million by 2013

on April 29, 2009  



india-wimax

Maravedis and Tonse Telecom predict this week Wimax Subscribers in India will Exceed 13 Million by 2013. This report concludes that deployment of 3G and WiMAX streams will generate a reasonable user base over the next 5 year period, before noticeable LTE deployments begin to make an impact in India.

“Despite delayed spectrum auctions which are impeding a tremendous economic driver, 3G/BWA/WiMAX network activity is already on a roll, [...] For the severely underserved Indian broadband market, demand for wireless broadband connectivity continues across all sectors: retail, SOHO, SMEs and large enterprises alike,” said Sridhar Pai, co-author of the report. While the global economy is lying dormant, demand for telecommunications services in India continues to fuel significant growth in the sector. “We estimate that in 2008, about 10,000 BWA/WiMAX base station sectors have been deployed by all operators combined. Currently there are about 300,000 BWA/WiMAX subscribers already using these services,” Pai noted.

According to the report, the big push will be seen post-spectrum auctions. “However, aided by pre-allocation in the 2.5GHz band, incumbents are already developing massive national rollout plans for both 3G and WiMAX. Expect significant pan-India deployments from other successful auction bidders,[...] “Wireless CAPEX has already reached US$ sub-100 levels per line, thereby confirming the primary transport technology will be wireless”, said Maravedis CEO Adlane Fellah.

Key highlights :

  • Internet access is still the big broadband driver in India, with wireless broadband becoming the clear option owing to economics and ease of deployment.
  • BWA operators have yet to resolve many service quality issues.
  • India is expected to see the world’s lowest end-to-end cost for WiMAX services, with costs driven down faster than in any other market.
  • Computer penetration is still very low and the Indian telecom sector operates in a volume-driven market.
  • Innovative business models such as public-private partnerships will emerge, together with low cost devices and a vibrant eco-system.

… Read the rest

Tata Communications Announces 50,000 WiMax Subscribers

on April 29, 2009  



tata-communication-wimaxThe Economic Times of India reports that Tata Communications (TCL) has signed up 50,000 subscribers for its WiMAX service.

Tata Communications Internet Services (TCISL), a subsidiary of TCL, is investing substantially for its WiMax rollout service to ensure that it gets a headstart in the acquisition of subscribers. The company has put in place around 1,400 base stations across 140 cities. This makes it the largest WiMax network in the world, according to TCISL COO Prateek Pashine. The company is targeting two lakh subscribers by March 2010 for which it will enter into 20 new cities next year. Tata has procured its WiMax equipment from Telsima, a company recently bought over by Harris Stratex Networks. It is sourcing wimax CPEs from Taiwan-based Universal Scientific Industrial (USI). TCL, earlier known as VSNL, had received WiMax spectrum in the 3.3 Ghz band under its internet service provider (ISP) licence.

Apart from WiMax platform, Tata offers high-speed internet services through DSL and metro ethernet also. Tata Communications had hived off its broadband business to TCISL in 2007. On the much-delayed spectrum auctions, the industry was eagerly looking forward to offering services in the 2.2-2.3 Ghz band, which will be auctioned later this year. The postponement has delayed customer acquisition and rollout of services and revenues associated so far.… Read the rest

Taiwan Government and Intel to announce WiMax joint venture in June

on April 29, 2009  



intel-wimaxThe Taiwan Government-operated National Development Fund and Intel may jointly announce the formation of a long-awaited WiMAX joint venture during or around Computex Taipei in June, according to Digitimes.

The Government and Intel have been discussing the establishment of the joint venture since the chip giant signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs to jointly invest and develop the WiMAX industry in April 2008.

The planned WiMAX joint venture will perform as a system integrator, focusing on the integration of WiMAX equipment and devices and exporting WiMAX networks on a turn-key basis, according to Tu Chi-chun, director general of the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB). Some WiMAX operators from emerging markets in Asia have already approached related government agencies and WiMAX equipment makers in Taiwan for cooperation to develop WiMAX operations.

The announcement of the joint venture will be crucial to the development of the WiMAX industry in Taiwan in the future. WiMax continues to make progress in Taiwan with major deployments unveiled last week with Clearwire, Vee Telecom & Global Mobile, Tatung Infocomm & Tatung University.… Read the rest

Clearwire Signs WiMax Deals with Taiwan’s Global Mobile and Vee Telecom

on April 29, 2009   |   3 comments



barry-west-vee-telecomUS-based WiMax service carrier Clearwire signed on friday april 29, 2009 two extensive cooperation agreements with Taiwanese WiMAX license holders Global Mobile with the potential for future equity investment, and with Vee Telecom Multimedia according to Taipei Times.

With the agreement, Global Mobile joins Clearwire’s Global Alliance Partners and the companies team up on go-to-market strategies and roaming, while Global Mobile may leverage Clearwire’s service experience in customer care and content application services, the companies said in a joint statement. The joint statement also said Clearwire would receive warrants to acquire a minority equity stake in Global Mobile.

barry-west-global-mobile“Clearwire will provide the expertise and the experience it has gained from the rollout of its own US and European-based wimax operations [...] Cooperating with global WiMAX operators, including Global Mobile, would help the firms reach economic scale and make profits earlier” Clearwire president Barry West said in Taipei.

At a separate press conference on Friday, Clearwire signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with another local WiMAX license holder, Vee Telecom Multimedia, for a similar cooperation deal. Clearwire would provide consultancy services as Vee Telecom deploys its network and shortens its time to market. Vee Telecom said it was also in talks with Clearwire to source the US telecom operator’s technologies in exchange for a minor stake (less than 10%) in Vee Telecom, company chairman Richard Lai told reporters.

WiMax Technology continues to make progress in Taiwan with major deals and deployments unveiled last week with Vee Telecom, Global Marine Corp, Tatung Infocomm & Tatung University. Clearwire’s new role in contributing to Taiwanese wimax deployments and projects could be a additional revenue stream for the company, which has ambitious WiMAX roll-out plans for the U.S. in 2009 and 2010.

About Barry J. West, President and Chief Architect of Clearwire

barry-west-clearwirePrior to becoming President and Chief Architect of New Clearwire in November 2008, Mr. West served as President for the XOHM business unit and Sprint Chief Technology Officer and President – 4G Mobile Broadband. Mr. West was appointed President – 4G Mobile Broadband effective August 2006 at the time of the Sprint-Nextel merger in August 2005. He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Nextel Communications, Inc. from March 1996 until August 2005. Barry J. West had a vision long before the Sprint-Nextel merger…More information about Barry West & Clearwire… Read the rest

Weekly WiMax News Report #1

on April 28, 2009  



online-wimax-review1Wimax Forum launches certification program (Telecomasia.net). The Wimax Forum has launched its Interoperability Testing (IOT) Certification program, which will leverage Clearwire’s commercial Wimax network experience to ensure interoperability in the 2.5GHz band.

  • Live WiMax Tour at the WiMAX Forum Congress in Asia (Wimax News). The WiMAX Forum unveiled today that a Live WiMAX™ Tour will be held at the upcoming WiMAX Forum Congress Asia. The WiMAX Forum Congress Asia will take place on April 28 – 29 at the Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Singapore.

WiMAX Forum : 13 WiMAX Network Deployments Announced in April

on April 28, 2009  



wimax-forum-logoThe WiMAX Forum has started publishing a monthly report on network developments and statistics. The first issue notes that approximately 13 new WiMAX network deployments were announced in April.

Here are the upcoming deployments :  Algeria – AnwarNet, Australia – BigPond, Energy Australia, The Gambia – QuantumNet, Iraq – Kalimat, Jordan – Mada Communications, The Phillipines – Globe Telecom, Spain – Iberbanda, Sudan – JetNet, Tanzania – Simbanet, USA – IDT Spectrum, USA – Sacred Wind Communications, USA – Wes-Tex Telecommunications.

The Iranian Communications Regulatory Authority granted four six-year licenses for operators to offer fixed WiMAX services in Iran. Also, the Chilean government announced that it had awarded a license for 30 MHz of spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band to INVERCA Telecommunications. Currently, the Wimax Forum tracks a total of 468 WiMAX deployments in 139 countries. WiMAX Forum research showed that WiMAX deployments cover more than 430 Million populations worldwide, and are forecasted to reach 800 Million populations by the end of 2010.

In first semester 2009, the WiMAX Forum Network Operators Task Force conducted a survey of over 70 WiMAX operators. In response to a question on the importance of certification, 89% of respondents indicated that their companies would require WiMAX Forum Certification for devices. Also, 74% of respondents to a question on sales channels plan to sell WiMAX devices through general retail stores.

“The WiMAX Forum is committed to helping the global community understand the progress of the WiMAX ecosystem by sharing relevant information regarding the WiMAX Forum Certified Program, global WiMAX deployments and other milestones [...] This monthly report is another way the WiMAX Forum educates the market and informs membership about continued WiMAX momentum.”, said XJ Wang, Senior Director of Marketing for the WiMAX Forum.”

… Read the rest

Tatung Launches Its First WiMax Network on Penghu, Taiwan

on April 27, 2009  



penghu-taiwan-wimax2

InfoComm formally launched the first commercial WiMax broadband wireless network in Taiwan for business on Penghu, a group of small islands west of Taiwan, on Monday April, 27 2009.

Tatung InfoComm is offering several specials to Penghu’s 93,000 citizens to sign up for the new high speed wireless Internet access service. Anyone who signs up for unlimited monthly WiMax service that includes both a WiMax card for their laptop PC as well as a WiMax modem for their home between now and June 30 will pay NT$1,680 (US$50) per month. The minimum price for monthly service will be NT$1000 per month after the special introductory rates expire.

Taiwan has been on the forefront of investing in and promoting WiMax technology for use in Taiwan in 2009; with Motorola recently awarded for a City-wide Wimax Network in Taichung by Far EasTone Telecom (FET) and Global Mobile currently in talks with Clearwire over Wimax license. The government handed out spectrum licenses in 2007 and Tatung InfoComm was granted a WiMAX operation license, along with 5 other Telecom companies including Global Mobile and FET, to service the southern region of Taiwan. WiMax deployment in Taiwan is part of the government’s M-Taiwan (Mobile Taiwan) program aimed at ensuring people all over the island, including remote mountain villages and offshore islands, will be able to access the Internet wirelessly. The high speed wireless technology has been promoted globally as a speedier replacement for the Wi-Fi technology found in coffee shops and elsewhere.

Tatung InfoComm recently announced its aim to solicit up to one million WiMAX subscribers in five years. In addition to commercial WiMAX services in the Penghu islands, Tatung on April 21 also started official operation of a WiMAX network on the campus of Tatung University. Tatung’s WiMAX equipment partner Alcatel-Lucent helped set up the WiMAX network, the first to be established on a Taiwan campus. The network is intended to serve as a platform for R&D, like the one from Clearwire in Silicon Valley, and is accessible by more than 4,000 students and professors.… Read the rest

Clearwire Facing Lawsuit over pre-WiMax Services

on April 27, 2009  



clearwire-sucksUS based WiMAX operator Clearwire has been served with a class action lawsuit alleging misleading advertising and “unlawful” early termination fees by some customers using its service. The complaint does not address the actual WiMax technology but refers to pre-WiMax service.

The 77-page complaint, filed in King County, Washington State, was prepared by Washington D.C. law firm Tycko & Zavareii and Peterson Young Putra, of Washington State. The complaint alleges that the Early Termination Fee constitutes an unlawful penalty, stymies competition, and is otherwise void and unenforceable. The complaint also alleges that Clearwire engages in false advertising of its internet and telephone services. Although Clearwire advertises its internet service offering as a reliable, comparable, and “always-on” alternative to cable internet or DSL, the complaint alleges that Clearwire’s internet service is actually far inferior to cable internet and DSL, as consumers frequently experienced service disruptions, including dial-up speeds and lack of service entirely. The plaintiffs who have brought the lawsuit are from various states including Washington, Hawaii, Minnesota, and North Carolina. The lawsuit is captioned Minnick et al. v. Clearwire US, LLC, and was filed in King County, Washington. Last year, leading wireless service providers including AT&T, Sprint and Verizon Wireless all eased their early termination fee policies under pressure from the FCC and consumers.

In an e-mail, a spokesman quoted Clearwire as saying: “As a matter of company policy, Clearwire does not comment on pending legal matters.” He added that the complaint appears to refer to pre-WiMax service. The complaint does not address the actual WiMax technology, an emerging 4G technology still being tested by Clearwire in a Sandbox Network in Silicon Valley. Currently Baltimore and Portland are the only two U.S. urban areas with mobile WiMax. Promising speed tests were already runned by Senza Fili Consulting and Clear WiMax subscribers in Portland. Clearwire is rolling out the high-speed mobile WiMax service rapidly and plans to introduce commercial service in several U.S. cities by the end of the year.

Related documents :

… Read the rest

Interview with 3G Mobile Broadband Expert Robert Linsdell

on April 27, 2009  



netcomm-logoCan you briefly introduce yourself and your company ? my name is Robert Linsdell and I am the Commercial Director for NetComm tasked with growing the business. My current focus is on Export where we are looking to take the opportunity of our current Product Leadership in the 3G routing space global. NetComm Limited is an Australian owned publicly listed company (ASX ticker NTC) and has been developing and selling Communications devices for over 25 years.

From your perspective, what will the Mobile Broadband Device Industry look like in the next 3 years? Great Question, from a Global perspective you are going to see quite a mix of technologies  being used, you will see many carriers fully utilizing HSUPA and HSPA+ networks for voice and data, you will see major carriers introducing LTE, for Wimax we see its successful implementation in dense urban populations or where it makes economic sense. Rural Broadband initiatives will be the primary drive for reliable, sophisticated “always on” routers hooking onto a Mobile or Wireless network.

Would you consider recent rollouts of wimax networks around the world as threats or opportunities to 3G Solution Provider such as NetComm ? Both Technologies make sense in their areas of strength – NetComm is a routing company, we can manufacture and supply CPE for ADSL, 3G, HSPA+, Wimax and when it comes interview-netcomm1- LTE, so long as there is a module to connect to a network we have the technology to connect it to a router – the user generally talks to the router and it is here the “User Experience” is created and it is this experience we pride ourselves on delivering.

How is the economical downturn affecting the Australian’s Telecom Business ? It is far more economical to use a phone or exchange data or video via the internet than travel, therefore we see the downturn as an opportunity because customers are looking for cheaper and reliable solutions to communicate with each other. In addition routing an internet connection using a mobile 3G connection is new technology so a significant growth area for our company.

As an innovative and awarded Mobile Broadband Devices Suppliers, what are Netcomm’s goals in terms of international expansion? To introduce our product into as many markets as is reasonable, profitable and practicable and to establish the name NetComm as the benchmark in the 3G mobile broadband routing space.… Read the rest

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