A Chinese Telecom company has pre-ordered TranSwitch Corp’s Atlanta 80 processor for WiMAX VoIP terminal equipment. The technology will be used mostly in Europe and Asia. The installs are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2010.

“We are delighted to have been selected by our major customer as the vendor of choice for their WiMAX VoIP terminal deployments. The fast growing VoIP market presents strategic growth opportunities for TranSwitch,” Dr. M. Ali Khatibzadeh, President and CEO of TranSwitch said, “Our Atlanta and Entropia product families offer best-in-class performance in terms of voice quality, power consumption and packet processing in the industry.”

There will be extensive testing of the equipment under various conditions. TranSwitch’s processors have already been adopted, SK Broadband deployed over a million VoIP terminals using the Atlanta processor. There are other operators experimenting with the Atlanta 80 based equipment for their networks.

WiMAX is being deployed worldwide at a rapid rate. ABI Research found that subscribers were going to grow from 6 million in 2009 to over 30 million by the end of 2011. VoIP using WiMAX technology really presents the future of mobile video conferencing. Users will be able to hold an office meeting from anywhere within the WiMAX network. It can provide the luxury of holding meetings at home, but still provide the high quality video.

VoIP through WiMAX can also provide municipalities with high quality live video surveillance. See accidents as they happen, monitor suspicious packages without being unsure because of the video quality.

In recent months, rumors have been circulating regarding Time Warner’s interest in launching a VoIP service using Clearwire’s WiMAX network. These rumors were confirmed by Time Warner’s vice president for mobile services, Mike Roudi. Simply stated, he said that in order for Time Warner to become competitive with major carriers like AT&T and Verizon, the company will need a wireless voice offering.

Roudi pointed out that though the company’s current interest has been the launch of their mobile broadband, it is important to keep in mind that Time Warner has been brainstorming and strategizing about voice as well. 

“One of the great things about the Clearwire WiMAX network is, just like we do voice over our wireline broadband, over time we will be able to do voice basically as a VoIP application. That is something we have our eyes on. We just have chosen not to lead with voice, because mobile broadband is a more immediate opportunity for us because it is such a natural extension of the wireline Road Runner product,” said Roudi. 

While the mobile industry continues to be driven by subscriber growth among other factors, mobile broadband is going to continue to be a major focus in 2010 and beyond, with WiMAX as the key driver in many emerging markets. Time Warner’s own branded WiMAX service, Road Runner Mobile, has been available in Dallas, Hawaii and North Carolina. Based on the company’s Q4 2009 earnings and recent success, CEO Glenn Britt believes the networks of the future will combine both wireless and wireline components.

“This will develop in exciting ways we really can’t imagine today, but I think there is going to be a whole array of products using these hybrid networks in the future…this is the very early beginning and I don’t know how to size the opportunity because I don’t think any of us really and fully imagine what the products are going to be — but it is an exciting opportunity.” 

Back in January, Britt said that Time Warner had the capability to create a wireless voice product, but that the company was unsure of its future. Time Warner’s momentum has cleary kept going since January and along with current markets where Road Runner is available, Roudi announced that the company plans to launch service in new markets including Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, Los Angeles, and New York City later this year as Clearwire continues to expand its markets. Roudi described wireless as both a retention tool and a new revenue source for customers looking to bundle their services.

“Our preliminary numbers are suggesting that 20 percent of the time, when they call to order Road Runner Mobile, they’re also adding another RGU (revenue-generating unit) – a digital video upgrade, digital phone or upgrading to a higher-speed data product.”

Time Warner’s plans for VoIP service using Clearwire’s WiMAX network demonstrate the company’s ambition to be a real competitor in the mobile broadband industry by bundling their services. Recent wireless trends and Time Warner’s increased subscribers are indicators of what could be a key player in the future of WiMAX VoIP.

A number of next generation technology topics, including WiMAX, will be discussed at the annual NGN & Basestations Conference in Bath, UK, April 19-23, 2010. Other topics will include next generation networks, basestations, LTE, femtocells, backhaul, spectrum re-farming, and going green. 

Distinguished speakers from leading operators including Vodafone, Telenor, Telefonica, O2, British Telecom, Orange, SFR, Virgin Media, 3UK, Vimplecom, Digicel, Mobilkom Austria, Elisa, and Globul will share a platform with industry analysts from Ovum, ABI Research, Analysis Mason, Heavy Reading, Arete, GSMA and Ofcom. 

A major topic of discussion will be the deployment of home basestations/femtocells, with increasing numbers of operators worldwide introducing new products.

Vodafone markets the Sure Signal femtocell in the UK and Head of New Technology for Vodafone, Kenny Graham, will be speaking on “Femtocells — the Next Phase”. Green Basestations and networks are another hot topic and the conference will be focusing on claims made by vendors and operators alike to be more eco friendly.

“Whilst there are many conferences (on wireless networks), the International Basestation Conference is exceptional both for its clear focus and the high-quality of attendees,” said Rupert Baines, VP of Marketing at picoChip, who will be addressing the topic of Architecture for Next Generation Networks at the conference. 

The conference aims to bring together all the different players in the the wireless world – operators, network vendors, analyst and subsystem/chip providers and more to provide delegates with the latest on LTE standards, backhaul, femtocells, spectrum refarming, mobile WiMAX, VoIP, HSDPA, fixed/mobile convergence, and more.

To follow the conference, check out the event site at www.avrenevents.com.

Photo courtesy of Ian Muttoo via Flickr

D2 Technologies will join with GCT Semiconductor to provide users with VoIP over WiMAX for mobile devices. It will be for Android and Linux operating systems.

D2′s mCUE communications software and its vPort embedded VoIP engine power two GDM7205 from GCT. The result being OEMs and ODMs, a faster and cheaper way to bring mobile WiMAX devices to market with several different VoIP and IP communication capabilities.

The device will be showcased during CTIA Wireless 2010 in Las Vegas starting March 23-25. It will also show off an optimized integration of vPort VoIP engine embedded directly on a GDM 7205 for single-chip mobile applications.

“WiMAX and 4G networks are poised for phenomenal growth; however, mobile devices that can take advantage of their greater bandwidth and speed have been slow to enter the market,” said Doug Makishima, chief operating officer at D2 Technologies. “Now that the industry is actively working toward the creation and delivery of a stable WiMAX infrastructure, OEMs and ODMs are eager to launch products aimed at fulfilling consumer demand. By partnering with GCT, we can offer a turnkey mobile platform for delivering 4G unified communications/VoIP over WiMAX on the Android or Linux OS.”

GCT 7205 offers a versatile chip that is perfect for high demand for processing and wireless connectivity. Combined with D2′s vPort software platform, it offers manufacturers the opportunity to bring dual mode WiFi and WiMAX enabled mobile devices to market. vPort’s advanced VoIP offers voice quality assurance technology like jitter buffer and packet loss compensation. mCUE enables Skype, video call/chat, seamless call handover and HD voice.

“GCT wants to offer its customers the most advanced chipsets possible for efficiently and economically delivering new products built on OS such as Linux,” said Dr. Kyeongho “KH” Lee, president and CEO of GCT Semiconductor. “By porting D2’s vPort to the GDM7205, OEMs and ODMs get the industry’s most advanced IP communications capabilities in a small and efficient form factor – in effect, a complete solution for accelerating design-to-market timelines for VoIP over WiMAX mobile devices.”

Photo Courtesy of Christopher Chan via Flickr

Alvarion announced that it will showcase a variety of WiMax user devices at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from February 15-18, 2009. Alvarion offers a complete array of proven WiMax devices, including CPEs, USB dongles and embedded laptops.

“Alvarion is proud to be leading the world of 4G today with our Open WiMAX solutions,” said Mohammad Shakouri, Corporate VP Innovation and Marketing of Alvarion. “We look forward to showcasing extensive array of end user devices, along with innovative applications supplied by our partners as further evidence that our Open WiMAX strategy is progressing and WiMAX technology and devices are bringing benefits of wireless broadband to end-users around the globe.”

Their OPEN WiMax strategy will bring advanced products to the market by releasing Alvarion devices and third party devices through partnerships with its Interoperability Testing program.

At the MWC, Alvarion will display user devices including laptops, netbooks, USB dongles and mobile hot spots. Alvarion will demonstrate state-of-the-art WiMax base stations connected live with several WiMax devices. They will also host daily speaking sessions with partners on a variety of topics including WiMax development in Taiwan, role of automatic video production over 4G networks, and VoIP and mobile services for WiMax providers.

Photo Courtesy of Mark Wiewel via Flickr

The state of Bolivar in Venezuela has deployed Proxim Wireless’ point-to-point wireless technology. It’s part of an integrated public safety network throughout Bolivar City. The network connects state and local police, the National Guard, state transportation and public safety agencies. It uses the Tsunami QuickBridge from Proxim to create a wireless video surveillance network.

The Bolivar network includes closed circuit television, digital telephone via Voice over IP. It’s a smart grid that includes fleet management using GPS tracking, video conferencing, emergency call management and fire detection. It’s a complete smart grid that enables connected organizations to watch streaming live video throughout Bolivar City. It gives them the ability to monitors incoming emergency calls and automatically deploys emergency vehicles and services

“When it comes to video surveillance networks, the performance demanded of the wireless network is considerably higher than in most network scenarios. In most networks, you have periods of usage where traffic demands spike — but in video surveillance networks, there is a constant demand to ensure the quality transmission of the video streams,” said Christian Cooper, Project Coordinator for CorpData, the integrator that deployed the Emergency Bolivar 1-7-1 network. “We have had a great deal of experience with Proxim, and no other wireless vendor can provide the high-performance, QoS and VLAN capabilities that Proxim delivers.”

Proxim utilizes data and voice transfer over a WiMax network, eliminating the need for fixed cables and saving money on the costs of both installation and leasing direct connection lines.

Photo Courtesy of Marcio Cabral de Moura via Flickr

It appears that 2010 may be the year for the Brazilian 4G market, with auctions expected for 3.5GHz, 2.5GHz, and 450 MHz bands and remaining 3G spectrum according to Maravedis’ latest report. Drawing from interviews with Brazilian operators and regulator Anatel, the report offers insight into the broadband wireless market and regulatory activity.

“As the largest market in Latin America, Brazil offers attractive opportunities for 4G operators. Demand for wireless broadband access is intensifying, but lack of sufficient spectrum has delayed many commercial network deployments. With two public consultations held in 2009 for 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz spectrum allocation, Anatel could release spectrum for the development of 4G this year,” explained Senior Analyst for Latin America Cintia Garza.

“At present, WiMax activity in Brazil has taken place in 3.5GHz only, with Neovia and Embratel leading the market. The driven applications are high-speed Internet and VoIP provided, mainly to address the needs of the small-medium enterprises and multi-dwelling units markets,” she added.

It is also worth noting that mobile services have been a major success, with 168 million mobile users out of a population of 192 million inhabitants. The predominant technology is GSM with 151 million subscribers, followed by CDMA and WCDMA with 8.4 million and 3.5 million respectively.

Clear is rolling out new modems in select markets. The two WiMax modems will have built-in ATA capability for VoIP. Gemtek Series G Home Modem is the first modem, with an omni-directional antenna. It is exclusively for the Las Vegas market and is priced the same as other Clear modems with a 10 dollar service discount. There is also a lease option per month for the device.

Motorola Series M Home Modem (CPEi 725) offers voice and data access ports and a high gain omni-directional antenna for great signal strength. It’s sensitive receiver oversteps the WiMax Forum’s receiver sensitivity requirements and it has quality of service features that will ensure better data and VoIP. It will be available in the Portland market.

Clear is planning on launching many new WiMax networks in major markets including New York and San Francisco, and  currently has networks in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Las Vegas and Seattle.

With endless availability of information and a heightened degree of uncertainty in terms of where the economy is headed, looking forward at the next twelve months and attempting to predict in what direction WiMax is going is a daunting task. This being said, it is also an interesting and exciting opportunity to examine the positive ways in which WiMax will benefit the wireless world in 2010 and the ways in which the wireless world will respond to WiMax expansion.

Globally, a future increase in WiMax deployment can be expected. According to Infonetics Research, the number of global WiMax subscribers is expected to grow from 4 million at present to 130 million subscribers by 2013. Nearly every developing country currently has a WiMax network and this demand for wireless Internet access will only exponentially increase in the future. WiMax’s appeal lies in its ability to offer computer or terminals with enhanced mobility and access to high speed Internet without the need to connect the terminal to any cable network or Wi-Fi hotspot. There are already well over 475 WiMax networks deployed to date in 140 countries worldwide and though exact numbers are debatable, there is no doubt that substantial growth and network expansion is taking off at a very fast pace.

In addition to an increase in the number of networks traced by WiMax, many of the already established WiMax networks continue to rapidly expand. Two prime examples of such expansion include Yota and P1. Yota reached 250,000 active commercial users on its Russian network and passed the breakeven point with more than 2,300 subscribers added per day to its WiMax network. In April 2009, 65 product models from six vendors with WiMax embedded chipsets were introduced to the Russian market and in 2010, Yota expects to add a new GSM + Mobile WiMax phone supporting VoIP over WiMax. Malaysia’s Packet One Networks (P1) is chugging along as well, recently reaching 130,000 subscribers and looking ahead to the New Year with hopes of increased growth.

WiMax deployment and expansion can be expected in Africa as well. Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city, is set to become Africa’s first hotspot. The Wireless service will be commercially available in three months and will be based on WiBro, Korea’s own version of WiMax. Korean Fixed-Mobile carrier Korea Telecom is also working on a $40 million project called the Kigali Metropolitan Network (KMN), which began in 2008 and aims to provide a network for Internet access in Rwanda. This announcement demonstrated both WiMax’s increasing popularity globally along with major momentum taking off in developing countries who are currently struggling to gain wireless Internet capabilities. Though poor infrastructure, insufficient resources, lack of knowledge and financial instability are major problems facing rural, developing countries, WiMax has proven to be an adequate means of providing wireless Internet – and looking ahead at the ways in which WiMax will benefit additional countries in the future is a hopeful and exciting prospect.

Though many have been skeptical of WiMax in the United States, 2010 could and should be the year when WiMax takes off and gains major ground at home. Though deployment abroad has been increasing in recent months and years, nationwide WiMax in the United States has been very spare. This will all change in 2010. The combination of a broadband stimulus plan, an accelerated rollout by Clearwire to reach 120 million people in the New Year, and a bigger WiMax push by Clearwire wholesale partners Sprint Nextel, Comcast, and Time Warner Cable appear to be many of the key ingredients necessary for expansion of WiMax in the U.S. Because WiMax technology represents 25% of the last mile broadband stimulus applications, the eventual release of broadband stimulus funds should be yet another boost to WiMax venders in 2010.

A major complaint regarding WiMax’s mainstream appeal has been a lack of mobile devices. Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow recently made comments regarding a WiMax handset to come late in 2010, and a variety of new WiMax-enabled devices will rollout in 2010 to further spur on WiMax growth and usability, as seen at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this past weekend. Sprint recently unveiled a new WiMax phone from HTC, the A9292, making it the second WiMax phone from HTC that will work on Google’s Android operating system. Other items on the inventory list include Sprint’s LG LS680 Android operated handset, LG’s LN510, a device combining a touch screen and a Qwerty keyboard marketed towards the texting/messaging consumers, and the LN240, a cheaper texting phone offered by LG. Sprint is also bringing to the market the Blackberry Tour 2 9650, a device combining both Wi-Fi and the Blackberry 5.0 operating system. Motorola will be introducing a full touch screen Android 1.6 phone with a 5MP camera onboard and a black version of the Clutch. The introduction of so many new WiMax-enabled devices to the market gives insight into the increasing popularity of WiMax in the upcoming year and the new ways in which it will effect the technology world at large.

At the start of the New Year, we are also hearing more and more about the successful test launch of Long Term Evolution (LTE). Some experts are skeptical of the new system while others are confident that LTE will surpass WiMax deployment in years ahead. Verizon has committed to rolling out LTE, delivering ten times the data of current 3G technologies. Other companies including NTT DoCoMo in Japan, Telecom in France, Vodafone in the U.K., AT&T, and T-Mobile have also announced that they plan to adopt LTE rather than WiMax. Concurrently, Sprint, Clearwire, Comcast, UQ Communications, and Yota are all aggressively rolling out 4G networks using WiMax technology. This being said, are LTE and WiMax on a collision course? And if so, who will prevail? Both WiMax and LTE use the same building blocks and are far more similar than they are different. Godfrey Chua, research manager in the wireless and mobile infrastructure group at IDC pointed out that though the two are similar, there are discrepancies that must be noted -

“LTE was designed with mobility in mind from the get-go, while 802.16 (WiMax) evolved from standards based on fixed wireless networking…We characterize WiMax and LTE as two circles that overlap. Inevitably there will be some competition, but competition is not the overriding market scenario. It’s not what defines those two markets.”

The picture is still unclear and because LTE is only in its early stages, it may take until 2011 until we even begin to see real indicators as to where the wireless world is going in light of these two competing technologies. Whatever the case may be in future years, 2010 will be the year of WiMax.

GCT Semiconductor and WhizNets announced today the completion of an Android-based mobile platform with WiMax connectivity. GCT Semiconductor is a leading supplier of Mobile WiMax solutions to the global market and WhizNets is the leading provider of embedded wireless networking solutions and services to clients worldwide.

GCT and WhizNet’s new WiMax Android platform represents a key milestone by enabling Android-based portable devices to connect to mobile WiMax networks. GCT’s market-proven WiMax drivers are fully integrated with the standard Android framework, and the integration of a common WiMax API for interface control makes it a completely integrated solution for ODM/OEMs interested in building Android-based WiMax devices. Additionally, WhizNet’s integration of the VoIP stack on this WiMax Android platform allows for ODMs to serve both voice and data needs over a WiMax connection.

“It’s been a pleasure working with the WhizNets team to successfully complete Android porting on GCT’s WiMAX platforms,” commented Dr. Kyeongho “KH” Lee, President and CEO of GCT Semiconductor. “GCT’s single-chip WiMAX solutions continue to offer the lowest power consumption and flexible software architecture. GCT is well-positioned to enable increased deployments of portable Android devices globally.”