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By Rob Garretson

WiMAX is only partially deployed nationwide, yet a group of key equipment makers plan to accelerate promotion of the next generation of WiMAX technology, which boasts peak rates of more than 300 Mbps.

The new initiative is aimed at accelerating interoperability of WiMAX 2, based upon the IEEE 802.16m standard, with WiMAX technology currently being deployed by network operators such as Sprint and Clearwire, based on the 802.16e standard. The group of WiMAX vendors -- including Motorola, Samsung, Intel and ZTE -- formed the WiMAX 2 Collaboration Initiative (WCI), which plans to work closely with the WiMAX Forum to accelerate interoperability of WiMAX 2 equipment and devices with the goal of improving the economics of mobile broadband.

"These improvements are a great forward step for the WiMAX community in meeting the capacity demands of 4G customers all over the world," said Iyad Tarazi, vice president of network development at Sprint, in a statement.

Sprint, majority owner in WiMAX provider Clearwire Corp., is reselling WiMAX service under the Sprint 4G name in U.S. markets that include 30 million people. By the end of the year, Sprint and Clearwire expect the network to cover up to 120 million people, including those in Boston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

WiMAX 2 technology is designed t o add new capabilities while maintaining backward compatibility. In addition to the peak speeds of up to 300Mbps, it offers lower latency and increased VoIP capacity, according to the WCI. The performance gains will enable WiMAX operators to keep up with the explosion in demand for multimedia mobile applications and devices, such as the new WiMAX/4G phones Sprint introduced last month.

"The wireless industry is convinced that the growing volume of data consumers are eating up is a bad thing," said Mike Sievert, chief commercial officer for Clearwire, adding that its network and the evolving WiMAX standard can handle the demands of its mobile customers, who are using an average of more than 7GB of data per month on its network. "While other companies are considering how to curtail usage, we simply say to our customers, here's the Internet: the world in the palm of your hand -- enjoy it."

Many of the vendors joining the WCI -- also including Alvarion, Beceem Communications, GCT Semiconductor, Sequans Communications and XroNet -- are suppliers to Clearwire. The group said it plans to issue detailed milestones and delivery schedules within the next 6 months with the goal of supporting the WiMAX Forum's readiness to certify commercial products by late 2011.

Comments (2)

	1. 04-21-2010 16:05
	More bandwidth is essential for those who needs it, but what will really bring consumers on board en masse is better pricing. When WiMax is cheaper than cable or other wired access, it'll be poised to challenge. Registered

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	2. 04-24-2010 00:14
	Well you make a good point, except that it is cheaper then wired technologies in many markets. In RTP, Clear offers home/mobile/voice for $70 a month. It is good to see these technologies finally catch up to demand a little. It seems this is one of those deployments which has been slowed by the economy.    -sean Registered

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