WiMAX Day Newsletters of May 2, 3 and 4, 2007
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Regulator in India pressured to release WiMAX spectrum
NEW DELHI (WiMAX Day). The Department of Telecommunications in India (DoT) is coming under increasing pressure to release radio frequencies for use with WiMAX networks.
At a seminar last week in New Delhi hosted by Intel, the American chipset manufacturer urged the government to allocate 2.3 ~ 2.4 GHz, 2.5 ~ 2.69 GHz and 3.3 ~ 3.6 GHz frequency bands for use with WiMAX. Intel also emphasised that all allocations of spectrum should be on the basis of technology neutrality.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has already recommended 3.3 ~ 3.6 GHz frequencies to the DoT, however the government has yet to release this spectrum. The TRAI proposed some 200 Mhz of this spectrum to be used in blocks of 15Mhz. However Intel and many local operators propose that 30 Mhz is more appropriate for minimum bandwidth requirements.
According to The Economic Times, a recent status report from the DoT noted that “in most towns, this frequency was available between 50-70 Mhz, while in major towns about 30 Mhz was available and in metros and major cities only 14 Mhz of this resource is free.”
Releasing the other spectrum is more complicated. The report said an allocation of frequencies in the 2.3 ~ 2.4 GHz bands “would be possible only after the existing, conventional, point-to-point and point-to-multipoint links, which are spread all over the country, are relocated to take suitable frequency band or on optic fibre cable.”
The allocation of 2.5 ~ 2.69 GHz is further complicated by the fact that it is presently used by the Insat satellite service, controlled by the Department of Space (DoS). The status report said: “for further availability of spectrum in this band, discussions are underway with the DoS keeping in view the existing and planned Insat-based satellite systems and applications.”
Many of the main operators of telecommunications in India are actively planning WiMAX networks, and the Intel seminar last week was organised by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUSPI), the two main associations of mobile telephony operators.
The associations and the operators have voiced their demands with the government to release spectrum so that they can begin deployment of WiMAX, and according to a spokesman for the DoT, “As soon as the policy is announced, the WiMAX technology will be deployed by the operators.”
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FCC approves WiMAX laptop card
WASHINGTON DC (WiMAX Day). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in America has approved a laptop card made by Motorola that will act as a wireless modem to connect to the WiMAX network of Clearwire . The laptop card will be used by Clearwire for access capabilities that will broaden its “potential customer base with more opportunities for customers to access and experience our fast, simple, portable, reliable and affordable wireless broadband services,” said Perry Satterlee, Clearwire president and chief operating officer. According to a Clearwire press release, the laptop card “fits into a standard Type II laptop card slot on portable computing devices and is compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista and XP operating systems.”
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5 billion ‘connected’ by 2015
JOHANNESBURG (WiMAX Day). According to Jan Mrosik, the Head of Nokia Siemens Networks in South Africa, the number of ‘connected people’ in the world will double to 5 billion, and global voice and data traffic worldwide will increase 100 fold by 2015. The main source of growth will be from data usage, and after 2010 services such as video will demand greater bandwidth from networks. MyADSL reported that Mrosik said he “expects most of the traffic to be Internet-based despite the fact that a large percentage of people will be ‘connected’ via mobile devices.”
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Swisscom begins WiMAX trial in Boltigen
BERN (WiMAX Day). The Swiss telecommunications operator Swisscom announced the successful launch this week of a field trial using the latest mobile WiMAX equipment based on the IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard. According to a Swisscom press release, the trial was launched in the village of Boltigen near Bern, and is scheduled to run until January 2008.
As the company previously announced in February, the participants in the trial include some 20 households. The office of the municipality of Boltigen is involved in the trial, and the local office of Swisscom itself is also a test customer.
The WiMAX base station and antenna for the trial are located above the village and are connected with the central operations of Swisscom in Reidenbach via a point-to-point WLAN connection, and that is connected to the Swisscom network by fibre optic links.
During the trial, Swisscom is working with several partners to ensure its success. This includes the Municipality of Boltigen; and SAB, the Schweizerische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für die Berggebiete (Swiss Working Union for Mountain Regions).
The local partners have a vested interest in seeing the success of the WiMAX project as it brings broadband Internet into the region, with the possibility of more jobs. “A central aspect in today’s information society is the deployment of a high quality communications infrastructure also for rural and peripheral areas. With it we secure working places and reduce emigration into metropolitan areas,” said Thomas Egger, Director SAB.
Motorola is supplying Swisscom with a ULAP system consisting of one base-station, antennas and terminals. Installation of WiMAX terminals at the premises of the trial participants will be done by Swisscom engineers. The operation and evaluation of test results will be covered by network specialists until January 2008.
Swisscom is the leading provider of telecommunications services in Switzerland. It is the dominant provider of fixed and mobile communications, and the leading provider of DSL services.
For Swisscom, WiMAX presents an opportunity to comply with a Swiss government directive that broadband services must be included in the Universal Service Obligation (USO) beginning in 2008. The USO, which is technology neutral, is a European Community directive that ensures basic fixed line services are available to all citizens at an affordable price. Switzerland is the only country thus far that includes broadband access as part of USO.
Switzerland already has a broadband penetration rate of 98%, and if the WiMAX trials are successful, Swisscom may use WiMAX to close the gap and provide broadband to customers in Switzerland who presently do not receive such services.
By Gerhard Kafka. Gerhard is a freelance journalist for telecommunications working in Egling near Munich, Germany.
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More delays for 3.5 GHz in Brazil
SÃO PAULO (WiMAX Day). The long-delayed auction of 3.5 GHz spectrum in Brazil may be extended well in to 2008, according to Plínio de Aguiar Júnior, the president of Brazil’s telecom regulator Anatel. Since the last delay in the auction process, the Court of Accounts in Brazil has contested the methods of pricing of the license fees and the exchange rates used, as well as whether to restrict bidding to companies who do not presently own licenses in the frequency band. The president of Anatel noted that the process now will require further studies, public consultations and approval from the regulator before any date can be set for the auction.
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Anite and Beceem in partnership
LONDON (WiMAX Day). Chipset designer Beceem Communications has announced a collaboration with Anite Telecom, a company engaged in testing technology for the wireless industry. According to a press release, “the collaboration is built upon solid foundations with Beceem already using Anite solutions to accelerate the verification of their reference designs.” The two companies will focus their efforts on test solutions for products using the 802.16e standard. Aditya Agrawal, Senior Director of Marketing, Beceem Communications, noted that the collaboration will result in aligned product roadmaps that “will dramatically reduce customer development timelines and improve time to market for WiMAX mobile products.”
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WiMAX Telecom migrates to 802.16e, and eyes expansion
VIENNA (WiMAX Day). As the warm weather descends upon Vienna, its residents are prone to enjoy an afternoon idling in one of many the cafés for which Vienna is famous. However, at the offices of WiMAX Telecom, the leading cross-border broadband wireless access (BWA) operator in Europe, most personnel are likely to be drinking their coffee in front of their computers while measuring network performance.
Since early January, WiMAX Telecom has been planning the migration of its network to the IEEE 802.16e “mobile WiMAX” standard, and the arduous process has involved testing equipment from numerous suppliers to ensure the best performance for the varied landscape of its multi-national network. The work is not finished; several months of comparative testing lay ahead until an ultimate decision is made.
“We will build a network that offers personal broadband to every subscriber. It will be launched in 2008 to coincide with the Intel roadmap, when most new notebook computers will be WiMAX-enabled,” said Dov Bar-Gera, founder and CEO of WiMAX Telecom. “By this time next year, we can take our computers and work anywhere we want, and still be connected to broadband Internet.”
WiMAX Telecom expects an extraordinary uptake of wireless Internet access subscriptions next year in the countries where it currently operates. Increased demand for personal broadband will lead WiMAX Telecom to offer “quadruple play” services, as well as IPTV, music/video downloads and streaming or participating in real-time TV shows.
Founded in 2004, WiMAX Telecom is today among the most advanced wireless broadband companies. The company was established by Dov Bar-Gera, a serial entrepreneur, and Werner Kasztler, the previous CEO of Telekom Austria and Ericsson Austria.
WiMAX Telecom is focused primarily on Central and Eastern Europe, a region that benefits considerably from a liberal regulatory environment, with the most attractive broadband growth rates. As of today, WiMAX Telecom has been awarded frequency licenses in Austria, Slovakia and Croatia. Notably the company won the Slovak license in a beauty contest against major players such as T-Mobile, Clearwire and Orange.
Since its initial deployment in October 2005, the company has acquired over 8,000 residential and business customers, which use wireless broadband Internet access as well as the exceptional service developed by WiMAX Telecom – voice over WiMAX with number portability.
WiMAX Telecom also is planning further expansion into other Eastern and Central European countries where the existing fixed telecommunications network infrastructure is antiquated or limited, resulting in visibly lower broadband penetration than in Western Europe or other mature markets. The company has eyed opportunities across its Austrian borders into high-growth markets such as Poland, Romania and Ukraine.
WiMAX Telecom believes in the future-proof WiMAX technology based on the IEEE 802.16 standard. This highly competitive and cost-efficient wireless alternative has the unique ability to serve mature markets such as Austria with advanced voice and data mobility, as well as emerging markets with poor infrastructure with value based fixed/portable internet access and voice services.
By Gerhard Kafka, a freelance journalist for telecommunications working in Egling, near Munich, Germany.
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400 WiMAX deployments by 2008
LONDON (WiMAX Day). The Inquirer reports that Intel VP and general manager Sean Maloney told financial analysts this week that it expects up to 400 deployments of WiMAX by 2008, which can reach a potential 150 million people. Intel estimates that by 2010 some 650 million people will have access to WiMAX, and 1.3 billion people will be able to use WiMAX by 2012.
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DBD places orders with Airspan
BERLIN (WiMAX Day). The German WiMAX provider Deutsche Breitband Dienste GmbH (DBD) has placed an order with WiMAX equipment vendor Airspan for over 500 base stations and a significant number of subscriber terminals. DBD is rapidly deploying the largest wireless network in Germany, and is one of the first operators to deploy Airspan’s VoiceMAX carrier-grade VoIP technology on a WiMAX network. Fabio Zoffi, founder and chief executive officer of DBD, said in a press release “Airspan has delivered proven quality WiMAX products to DBD that have allowed our network and our subscriber base to grow extremely fast. With the recent introduction of a bundled service including high quality voice services (VoIP), we expect even more customers to enjoy the freedom offered by wireless, all IP, communication over our WiMAX networks.”
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