Taiwan's MOEA (Ministry of Economic Affairs) has confirmed that it will soon announce an MoU (Memorandum Of Understanding) with five major international telecommunications equipment vendors.

The MoU involves the licensing of WiMAX-related technologies to Taiwanese manufacturers and partnership in WiMAX base station and CPE (Customer-Premises Equipment) production, Taiwan-based Commercial Times reported. The five companies comprise Sprint Nextel, Nokia-Siemens Networks, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, and Starent Networks.

 

According to the MOEA, Taiwanese WiMAX CPE shipment value is estimated at over NT$5 billion (US$152.9 million; US$1=NT$32.7) in full-year 2007 and is expected to surge to NT$18.1 billion (US$553.5 million) in 2008.

 

According to the Commercial Times report, Alcatel-Lucent has formulated plans to set up its first WiMAX R&D center in Taiwan and position Taiwan as the focus of its global WiMAX deployment. Further details were not yet furnished, though.