Today Taiwanese company Kinpo Electronics debuted its new netbook, the Kinpo N03. An integrated chipset allows the netbook to connect to WiMAX and 3G networks, in addition to WiFi networks.
The netbook’s 4000mA Li-Polymer battery allots it 3 hours of battery life, while the 11.6 inch screen has 1366×768 pixel resolution. At under 2 pounds, the Kinpo N03 also features a 1.3 megapixel Web cam, 3 USB ports and an SD card reader.
Sprint is introducing two new WiMax-enabled routers.
For consumers there is the Sprint Personal Hotspot PHS300S priced at $160. For businesses there is the Cradlepoint MBR-1000 Broadband Router for $250.
These prodcuts allow users to connect to Sprint’s 3G EV-DO network, in addition to its WiMax network. They are only available where Sprint’s WiMax services have already been deployed.
“The addition of these mobile hotspot products offers even faster connectivity speeds to Wi-Fi users without the need to find a Wi-Fi hotspot. These two new products can potentially connect the Sprint 3G and 4G networks to the hundreds of millions of Wi-Fi-enabled devices in the U.S. today,” said Todd Rowley, vice president of Sprint 4G.
Over the next 2 years, Sprint 4G plans to release WiMax devices such as a single-mode WiMax data card, WiMax-embedded laptops and a small-office WiMax broadband modem.… Read the rest
This week Clearwire announced plans about their 10 city WiMax rollout, which includes 8 Texas cities.
Now Clearwire will face competition from mobile WiMax provider Xanadoo in three of these eight cities: Abeline, Lubbock and Wichita Falls. This is a prime example of what is to come in the future when more wide area wireless high speed technologies compete with each other.
A Clearwire spokesman said, “We are not working with Xanadoo. We offer service to more cities than they do in Texas but in the three markets where we overlap, we would be competing.”
Service provider, Mobile Citizen, is currently offering three mobile broadband plans to schools and non-profits in Portland and Las Vegas.
These service plans are mobile internet, shared mobile internet and broadband internet.
Each plan uses Clearwire‘s WiMAX network and offer subscribers download speeds up to 6 Mbps and upload speeds of 500 kbps for just $10 a month. This program will soon launch in Chicago and Philadelphia.
In addition to the $10 broadband plans, users have to purchase a modem. The desktop modem is $99, the USB modem is $89 and ClearSpot (a Wi-Fi enabled modem for up to 8 users) for $129.
Mobile Citizen is the first service profvider to offer WiMAX solely to schools and non-profits. Clearwire allows the company to resell its service because Mobile Citizen has attained spectrum under the Educational Broadband Service (EBS).… Read the rest
The above document from Sprint‘s sales portal shows the company plans on adding new cities to its current WiMAX deployment plans.
By the end of 2009, cities such as Milledgeville, GA; Salem, NC; and Austin, TX will have WiMAX. These cities which vary in population size will receive WiMAX before major cities such as New York City and San Francisco.… Read the rest
Mundo Startel will join forces with Alvarion LTD. to expand WiMAX services in Angola.
“Angola’s demand for broadband connectivity coupled with the lack of wired infrastructure makes WiMAX technology an ideal solution for the country,” said Tzvika Friedman, president and CEO of Alvarion.
Mundo will launch their fixed-line ISP operations for both businesses and homes in Angola with Alvarion’s BreezeMAX solution at the 3.6 GHz frequency. This will stimulate economic growth in the region.
“Broadband services are highly essential for the development of Angola’s growing population which currently stands at over 13 million. This project enhances the everyday life of people, and allows them access to new opportunities,” said Paulo Garcia, managing director of Mundo Startel.
Mundo and Alvarion’s previous WiMAX deployment in Angola’s capital city Luanda has been successful.… Read the rest
After launching its WiMAX service in Portland, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Baltimore, Clearwire is extending its commercial WiMAX service to 10 more cities.
Come September 1, Clearwire will be available in Texan cities: Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Killeen-Temple, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, Waco and Wichita Falls. The other two cities are Bellingham, Washington and Boise, Idaho. This launch will allow the company to further its plans of reaching 120 million Clear brand customers by the end of 2010.
Service plans will be offered for a fixed location and on the go with speeds of 3Mbps to 6Mbps. Fixed plans will run subscribers $20 a month, while mobile plans will cost $30.
Three Clearwire investors, all cable operators, will resell the service to their fixed-line broadband plans as a wireless component. Comcast already offers this type of service in Portland.
Clearwire’s current competition take the form of cable, DSL and 3G mobile services. While there are several WiMAX-enabled laptops and netbooks out there, Clearwire only offers the Samsung Mondi MID. They also just launched the Clear 4G+ Modem, a USB dongle, on August 1. This USB dongle allows users to utilize Clearwire’s WiMAX service where available and Sprint Nextel’s 3G mobile data service elsewhere.
And now for a commercial:
On Friday the Indonesian government announced the winners of the 2.3 GHz WiMAX auction.
Of the 73 telecom companies interested, 8 winners were chosen for the 15 franchise zones.
The eight winners are dominant Indonesian telecom operator PT Telkom, PT Indosat Mega Media, PT Internux, PT First Media, PT Jasnita Telekomindo, PT Berca Hardayaperkasa, PT Rahajasa Media Internet (also known as the Indonesian WiMAX Consortium), a consortium comprising PT Comtronics Systems and PT Adiwarta Perdania.
The 15 zones include 3 zones in Sumatra, 4 zones in Java, 2 zones in Kalimantan, and 1 zone in Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Papua, Maluku, Sulawesi and Riau Island. Zones in Greater Jakarta and Banten were the highest priced, while zones in Papua and Maluku were the lowest. The highest bids came from First Media with IDR121.2 billion (12.3 million USD) and Internux with IDR110.03 billion, while Telkom’s bid was the lowest with IDR755 million for Papua and IDR533 million for Maluku.
According to Minister of Information and Communication, Mohammad Nuh, these winners met the minimum criteria for the awards which included ‘sufficient infrastructure’ and usage of a minimum 30%-40% of local products for the deployment.
