Centrino 2 laptops with WiMax will be limited this year
Intel will ship its Echo Peak wireless module later this year, but only three U.S. cities will be offering 2.5GHz WiMax services
By Sumner Lemon, IDG News Service
July 17, 2008
When Intel ships its Echo Peak wireless module later this year, the company will meet its stated goal of adding WiMax as an option to its Centrino 2 laptop chip platform in 2008. But shipments of Centrino 2 laptops equipped with WiMax support will be very small this year, likely constrained to just three U.S. cities.
Intel has long said shipments of Centrino laptops equipped with WiMax would be limited this year, even as it promised such systems would be offered by a range of big-name laptop vendors. It's now clear just how limited those shipments will be.
[ For more info on Centrino 2 laptops, read the related stories "PC makers roll out Centrino 2 laptops" and "Sony unveils Centrino 2-based laptops." And get the latest on mobile developments with InfoWorld's Mobile Report newsletter. ]
Only the U.S. will see WiMax-based Centrino 2 laptops hit the market this year, said Rupal Shah, director of marketing at Intel Asia-Pacific, speaking at a press conference on Wednesday. WiMax-based laptops will only be available in markets outside the U.S. next year, once demand for such systems materializes, she said.
The reason is related to the range of spectrum used by WiMax operators in different countries. WiMax networks operate on different spectrum bands -- 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz, and 3.5Ghz. The biggest and most established WiMax services are in South Korea, which uses the 2.3GHz spectrum, and Pakistan, which uses 3.5GHz. Neither of these spectrum bands are supported by Echo Peak -- and it's not clear when Intel will add support for these bands in Centrino 2.
Continued:
infoworld.com
Looks like a good opening/opportunity for Nextwave's WiMAX chips....
Multiband support:
nextwave.com |
