February 2010

BSNL Hints At Subscriber Goals for 2010

Michael Licata on February 26, 2010

A senior BSNL official hinted at plans to have at least 250,000 WiMAX users by the end of 2010. The unnamed official also shared that currently, BSNL only has 3,000 users in India. They started offering services in different parts of India in February.

The company began launching commercial services to Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in recent weeks. It also has 210 base stations spread across northern and eastern portions of India and plans on starting services in Kerala and Punjab.

A senior BSNL official has revealed that the company plans to have a user base of at least 250,000 WiMax customers by the end of 2010.
The company also set up 1,000 base stations in rural areas of the country.

Photo Courtesy of Beta Design via Flickr … Read the rest

Stimulus Funding Round 2 – What Can We Expect?

Elizabeth Dickey on February 26, 2010

After the first round of broadband stimulus funding led to disappointment and discontent, it appears that the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) is eager to properly and efficiently allocate money in the second round of funding.

The final window for applications opened last Tuesday, February 15 and will go until March 15. NTIA administrator Lawrence Strickling has said that the application process will be simplified and less laborious than round one and the NTIA will be giving special priority to applicants that are anchor tenants including hospitals, community colleges, and government agencies.

Xanadoo Networks CEO Mark Pagon commented on the simplified process and its effect, “WiMax projects should do essentially better in the second round. Lack of clarification in the rules for the first round created confusion and lead to many applications being denied, but improvements in the process should give applicants with sound proposals the opportunity to reapply in the second round.”

Up until recently, things have not gone smoothly. Only a very small percentage of the $7.2 billion for broadband in the stimulus package have been allocated thus far and incumbent carriers have been standing in the way of projects. Most of the funds from round one ended up going to vendors. A lack of funding assigned to specific projects also led to overwhelming demand for money from the Agriculture Department’s Rural Utilities Service that simply could not be met.

This being said, the question is, will the second round of funding help the targeted groups – those with the least amount of access and who need it most – the way that the NTIA and RUS have claimed that it will? NTIA administrators and government workers are looking forward with optimism and believe that they can improve the system and more fairly allocate funds based on need through a fair application review process.

In reviewing applications for round two, Strickler said that, “I am very much looking for the management experience of the team that’s putting it together, the budget they’ve put together, and the reasonableness of the assumptions they are making. We want to see that this is a project that will stand on its own once the federal money is gone.”

The grants are designed to address low-density areas where it is too expensive to lay broadband lines or build transmission towers to generate worthwhile return. A majority of the NTIA’s funds will go to middle-mile projects … Read the rest

PureWave’s VP Highlights Quantum Base Station

Michael Licata on February 26, 2010

GoingWiMAX.com was able to interview Ronen Vengosh, the Vice President of Business Development at PureWave Networks. PureWave manufacturers WiMAX base stations and its latest offering is the Quantum base station. Razzolink recently chose Quantum base stations for their WiMAX deployment.

1. What is the receive sensitivity of Purewave’s Quantum base station?

We find that vendors in the industry play too many games with this number for any data we provide to make sense. This clearly depends on the deployment scenario and specific modulation level for which the question is being asked.

I will say that we are very proud of our sensitivity figures and provide the details to customers based on specifically stated criteria.

2. Can you discuss in detail any hand-off related advantages or challenges with the Quantum Base Station?

PureWave Quantum base stations are fully compliant with the Mobile WiMAX standard (802.16e) and use an open R6 to interface with standard ASN-GW. As such they fully support mobility. PureWave Quantum base stations can also operate in “stand-alone” mode, in which case they can operate without an ASN-GW for those operators who want to provide fixed and nomadic services to their customers, but have the option of offering mobility services in the future. In addition, PureWave Quantum base stations support fast base station to base station handoff with or without ASN-GW.

3. Does the Quantum Base station have the ability to prioritize data (Tunable Scheduler)?

PureWave Quantum base stations support all QoS mechanisms defined by the Mobile WiMAX standard. The system allows operators to define user profiles and to deliver different classes of service based on these profiles to different users. In fact, specific applications by the same user can be prioritized over other applications by the same users, for example, VoIP services may, if desired, be handled as a higher priority service flow by the base station, than would be given to typical web browsing by the same user.

4. How significantly does usage of the Quantum Base station reduce Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operating Expenditure (OPEX)?

PureWave has gone to extraordinary lengths to reduce both CAPEX and OPEX for operators. There is not enough room to describe all of these advantages, but a few important examples follow:

Outdoor Solution – most base stations available on the market utilize a split design, with some elements of the base station located on the tower (RRH & Antennas) and others … Read the rest

Sprint and Clear Headline Week in WiMax

Michael Licata on February 26, 2010

WiMAX made strides this week. Clearwire released its 2009 and 4Q results while Sprint showcased its latest 4G marketing plans. It also outlined the markets where Sprint will launch WiMAX services in 2010. Sprint highlighted how its 4G service can help municipalities and health care companies.

Greenpacket highlighted its plans to market and grow in 2010. Huawei also made a splash by announcing its plans for the WiMAX equipment market in Asia. San Marino, a very small country in Europe, will become the first to be completely covered by WiMAX. Craig Wireless will cover much of the populous areas of western Canada with WiMax after launching it in Vancouver and Vigo, Spain launched a network for use in public spaces. 7NetLayers began services in Iraq.

Novatel ran its successful test of its WiMAX hotspot, similar to Sprint’s Overdrive. It will enable up to four or five WiFi devices to connect to 4G. Moblic unveiled its gaming device at MWC with a WiMAX connection and WiMAX expert Cecil Taylor is looking for a WiMAX phone that has 3G connection as well.

It’s an interesting time and 2010 is set to be the year that Clearwire launches in the top remaining markets, including San Francisco, Houston, Washington, D.C. and New York. Sprint will continue to lead the WiMAX revolution, but Clear will be along side in brand recognition after 2010. New West Marketing’s Laz Aguayo highlighted the benefits and expansion of 4G and WiMAX deployments in the U.S.

Companies are interested to see the success of Clearwire in the U.S. before Verizon ramps up LTE later this year. Devices are key to converting users to WiMAX. If there’s a phone or mobile hotspot that users can carry around in their pockets, then expect fast adoption by the main stream.

Catching Up With Laz Aguayo Of New West Marketing

Elizabeth Dickey on February 25, 2010

GoingWiMax.com recently had the opportunity to sit down with National Sales Director of New West, Laz Aguayo. New West is a nationwide 4G WiMax and Cradlepoint reseller based in Salt Lake City, Utah and Laz offered his insight on what it takes to succeed in the wireless world, the 4G WiMax market, and the future of 4G.

1.What does New West do? What makes it different from other companies in the wireless world?

New West Marketing is a national reseller of 4G WiMax service. We have over 500 dealers nationwide. Our company works with every dealer both large and small and provides them the latest WiMax products and services. We build a relationship with each dealer from the major companies in corporate America to smaller, local Ma and Pa operators that are working in remote locations nationwide. I really believe that it is the relationships that we build with both dealers and customers that make the difference – a handshake or an exchange of a few works is far more important that some might think.

2. What potential do you see in WiMax?

WiMax will be a major player in telecom for years to come. It is only warming up and in the next twelve months, we are going to see nation-wide expansion and increasing popularity.

3. What do you expect the 4G landscape to look like at the end of 2010?

WiMax will be in 80 plus US markets and several around the world.

4. What devices will customers be looking to purchase in the next twelve months?

Wireless phones, PDA’s, and Hotspots will be huge. For example with the new Hot Spot, users have instant WiFi for six to eight users. Devices are also in the works that will allow wireless for anywhere from 12-18 users . User friendly, compact, and highly efficient devices such as these are going to only grow in popularity and use in upcoming months.

5. What influence do you think Google has with the development of 4G?

With their background and experience, they will bring creative ideas and programs for WiMax. Having them on board is highly beneficial because they will help to endorse and expand the WiMax market without having to deal with the bullying aspect.

6. Do you expect WiMax deployment in the U.S. to take place as quickly and expansively as many companies and experts are predicting in 2010? … Read the rest

Novatel 4G WiMax MiFi & Other Devices On The Horizon

Elizabeth Dickey on February 25, 2010

Novatel just announced that they have completed testing a new WiMax version of their popular MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot and that they are also experimenting with more wearable mobile devices. The new 4G WiMax WiFi has supposedly achieved 18Mbps throughput and a potential peak of over 30Mbps downlink and 10Mbps uplink.

In terms of wearable devices, Novatel has signed up to use Qualcomm’s most recent range of “Wearable Mobile Device modules”, including two models that offer 1X and 1X EVDO Rev.A connectivity along with Bluetooth, GPS, an accelerometer, and USB 2.0 connectivity. Specifics on the development of these two devices have not been revealed just yet.

“Qualcomm is pleased to share its innovative Wearable Mobile Device module technology with Novatel,” said Jack Steenstra, Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm. “Qualcomm’s Wearable Mobile Device module designs enable the development of very small form factor devices. This technology transfer agreement will allow Novatel Wireless to commercialize the Wearable Mobile Device WMD-1X and EV-DO modules under its existing agreements with Qualcomm, making them readily available to device developers.”

Though there is no launch date yet for the 4G WiMax MiFi release, it can be expected that they are hustling to get it on the market since Sprint has already launched a similar model, the Overdrive by Sierra Wireless.

Photo courtesy of abulhussain via Flickr… Read the rest

Craig Wireless to Launch WiMax in Western Canada in 2Q

Michael Licata on February 25, 2010

Network World Canada reported that once a commercial WiMAX network is set up in Vancouver, Craig Wireless will expand services to other parts of British Columbia and Manitoba. Service in Vancouver is set to begin in the second quarter of 2010.

Using fixed outdoor antennas, users will be able to access high speed broadband internet with WiMAX-enabled handsets, USB modems by the end of 2010. WiMAX is capable of 21 Mbps download speeds. WiMAX networks are set to launch in other Canadian cities, including Winnipeg by the end of this year. There will also be a roaming deal with Clearwire, which owns a 15 percent stake in Craig Wireless, with U.S. networks.

Photo Courtesy of Brandon Godfrey via Flickr… Read the rest

Greenpacket Unveils Ambitious Goals for 2010

Michael Licata on February 25, 2010

Greenpacket reflected on a strong 2009 recently.

“2009 saw us deploy our connectivity solutions and award-winning WiMAX Modems to over 35 telcos across six continents. In Quarter 4 alone, we signed five deals with customers in Asia and East Europe,” Kelvin Lee, Senior Manager of Greenpacket’s devices and solutions division. “We are very proud to have achieved 15% global market share making us the world’s No.3 WiMAX Modem vendor.”

Greenpacket will look to become the number one WiMax modem provider in 2010. Greenpacket is currently the number one independent CPE vendor that has been approved by interoperability testing. The company will serve ready to deploy operators that can adopt a multi-CPE vendor approach. It will increase its sales by adding more subscribers to its commercial base, along with deploying the latest networks.

The company’s client list includes Packet One in Malaysia, Vividwireless in Australia, Vee Telecom and Tatung Infocomm, Taiwan, Globe Telecom, Philippines and PCCW, Hong Kong. Greenpacket offers the Intouch Connection Manger, which helped the company attain the number one spot as a carrier solution vendor in the Asia Pacific.

ICM provides operators with a solution to offload data and reduce network congestion while offering seamless mobility. It’s cost effective because it uses Mobile IP to offload data, a necessity with the increase in smart phones and app stores.

It has also developed a content deliver platform, titled Infinit Service Management Platform. Using it, operators can launch, host and manage their own application store and increase ARPU via users’ apps purchases.

“As a market leader, we are well positioned to understand market needs. Hence, we are better equipped to customise solutions based on market opportunities and our strategic partners’ engineering abilities,” Lee said. “This year we expect to launch more WiMAX Modems following the success of the recent launch of our Wave2 WiMAX modems – the Tower and Shuttle.”

The company plans to increase its sales force and expand its presence in the USA, Central, Latin America and Europe. It’s all an effort to solidify its strong traction. Greenpacket will gain further insights on the local markets to be able to serve its users through service and support.… Read the rest

Sprint Unveils Latest Ad Campaign for 4G

Michael Licata on February 25, 2010

Sprints latest marketing campaign for its 4G service asks people to consider the possibility of Internet that is 10 times faster than their 3G network. The newest advertisement asks, “What can you do with 4G?”

The answers are astonishing. Users can quickly download music or stream videos at speeds per second on your mobile device. Gamers can also play online at the same speed as basic cable or DSL wired connection.

Sprint’s flagship product, the Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile hotspot, connects up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices at once. Sprint recently began running Overdrive commercials on national TV, print and online banner advertisements. The Overdrive can stream HD movies straight to a TV from providers and you can stream TV from Hulu right to your laptop.

“To really understand the Sprint 4G difference, you have to see for yourself what it can do,” said Mike Goff, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, Sprint. “Our new marketing campaign is designed to give customers vivid insight into the dramatically new and improved connected lifestyle offered by Sprint 4G. And Sprint is the only national wireless carrier providing the 4G experience today.”

Sprint uses WiMax technology from Clearwire to launch 4G technology. It’s the first national carrier to test and launch 4G services, covering 27 markets in the U.S., including Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Seattle and Chicago. There are plans to expand into Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. by the end of 2010, covering over 120 million people.

Sprint is the majority shareholder in Clearwire, the owners of the spectrum space and equipment necessary to launch WiMax technology which is the driving force behind 4G. Clearwire also offers service through its brand, Clear.… Read the rest

Sprint Announces Targeted 2010 WiMax Markets

Michael Licata on February 24, 2010

Sprint announced its plans to launch WiMax in several more markets in 2010. Sprint plans on adding Boston, Denver, Kansas City, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C.

It will add to the 27 cities where Sprint 4G service is already available. WiMax is wireless mobile broadband that delivers up to 10 times faster that 3G technology and is supposed to cover up to 120 million people by the end of 2010.

“If you use a computer, a smart phone, a gaming device, a DVD player or any Wi-Fi enabled device, your online life will change for the better when you experience the Sprint 4G difference. And the value of 4G makes using Sprint 3G/4G to enhance all of your wireless devices a no-brainer,” said Matt Carter, president of 4G. “While other national wireless carriers are just talking about 4G, the Sprint Now Network already offers the reality of 4G now in a large number of markets across the country, with many more to follow this year.”

For business:

Transportation companies can access 4G speeds to improve customer experience, increase customer safety, support on-board marketing, monitor and manage fleet resources and enable wireless transactions. Home healthcare providers can implement higher-quality remote patient monitoring and faster patient data transfer. Public safety professionals can step up to another level in anytime-access to critical information, ability to document incidents, resource management and monitoring.

Sprint is harnessing the power of 4G as the majority shareholder of Clearwire, the independent company that is building the WiMAX network.

Photo Courtesy of Bristol Motor Speedway via Flickr… Read the rest

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February 2010

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