WiMAX Day Newsletter of May 7, 2007
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Inquam Broadband awarded nationwide Swiss BWA license
BERN (WiMAX Day). The Swiss Federal Communications Commission (ComCom) in Switzerland has awarded a license for 3.5 GHz spectrum to Inquam Broadband GmbH of Cologne, Germany. The license covers 100% of the Swiss population.
In December 2006, the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) put two national BWA licences out to tender, however OFCOM received only an application from Inquam. Following a review of Inquam’s application, ComCom decided to grant Inquam the license at the minimum price of CHF 5.8 million (US$ 4.7 million). The bandwidth of the 3.5 GHz frequency is comprised of 2 x 21 MHz and the license is valid until December 2016.
The license includes minimum conditions for the build-out of the network, which ComCom state will ensure the use of the spectrum and provide benefit to consumers. Under these terms, Inquam is obliged to begin commercial operation of services by September 2008, and to deploy at least 120 base stations by the end of 2010. The terms of the license also demand that the network will provide protection from non-ionising radiation.
Inquam Broadband was founded in January 2006 “for the purpose of investing in and operating wireless broadband assets in Europe,” according to a company press release. The partners of Inquam include NextWave Wireless, a global provider of mobile broadband products and technologies, and Omnia Holdings Ltd, which controls the Zapp mobile broadband networks in Portugal and Romania.
Carsten Ullrich, CEO of Inquam, said his company “looks forward to partnering with companies interested in working with us to provide innovative BWA services in Switzerland.”
In a previous statement, Ullrich noted that the business model of Inquam in Switzerland would be similar to that of its business in Germany, where it was awarded a license for 3.5 GHz spectrum in December 2006.
According to Roy Berger, Chief Marketing and Corporate Communications Officer at Nextwave Wireless, Inquam will adopt “an innovative distribution strategy under which it will jointly deploy and operate its WiMAX network with well-established partners interested in providing next-generation wireless services to their customers using their existing brands and sales channels.”
This partnership model no doubt will prove successful in Switzerland where there is little competition for wireless broadband. As reported last week, Swisscom, the only other active 3.5 GHz license-holder, has begun to test WiMAX services, however thus far the company has not stated any plan for national deployment.
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14 applicants for WiMAX in Taiwan
TAIPEI (WiMAX Day). Following an announcement in February from the National Communications Commission (NCC) in Taiwan that it would award six licenses for WiMAX in the frequency band 2.5 ~ 2.69 GHz, the NCC noted last week that already it has received fourteen applications for the spectrum. According to a report in the Economic Times, Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and Far Easttone have submitted applications, and apparantly the large cable television operators Taiwan Broadband Communications and Eastern Multimedia Group are among the local companies to have submitted bids, along with several other foreign companies. The bidding process will now be tested in preparation for the auction in June 2007.
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China Mobile gets WiMAX approval
BEIJING (WiMAX Day). China Mobile, one of the official organisers of wireless communications for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, announced last week that it will include WiMAX in the mix of wireless technologies to be deployed in and around Beijing for the Olympic games. China Mobile also stated that the Organising Committee for the Beijing Olympic Games (BOCOG) has formally authorised the company to provide WiMAX services.
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