In response to the first roadmap for the development of WiMAX in Taiwan announced on September 9, the Taiwanese government will allocate NT$1.1 billion to encourage industries and corporations to participate in WiMAX development. Applicants for the development will benefit from various incentives on technological projects and a five-year exemption from taxes as well as tax deductible investment from shareholders.
The roadmap aims at the development of chipsets, key systems including base stations, gateways, and home/business terminals, and applications such as network TVs, mobile health care, and online games. The 2.5 GHz - 2.69GHz bands will be open for commercial purposes via a tender scheduled in late 2006. 3.4 GHz and 3.7GHz frequencies, available by application rather than through a tender, will be allocated to fixed line players for constructing their last mile wireless local loop. The Taiwanese government is also trying to earn support from international brands such as Intel and Samsung.
The IEEE 802.16 meeting hosted in Taiwan has delivered the WiMAX 802.16e specification draft for mobile devices to the IEEE Working Group on September 14. The IEEE 802.16e WiMAX standard is expected to finalize in late 2005 when suppliers will likely roll out 802.16e-compatible devices. Boasting high-speed two-way Internet access with a transmission range of 50km, and more bandwidth, WiMAX contains two specifications, 802.16e and 802.16d. However, most carriers prefer 802.16e as 802.16d fails to support mobile devices.