WiMAX Development in Asia February 2-8
February 06, 2009
- UQ Communications of Japan announced on February 3 the first mobile WiMAX service in Japan, Nikkei Electronics reported. Starting February 26 through June 30, a free trial service will be provided to 5,000 beta testers in the Tokyo Metropolitan area, covering parts of the 23 wards of Tokyo as well as Yokohama and Kawasaki cities. UQ Communications expects to deploy over 500 base stations by the time the trial service starts and plans to double that number in the Tokyo metropolitan area before commencing commercial services.
Starting July 1, 2009, UQ Communications is scheduled to launch commercial mobile WiMAX services in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe, and Nagoya areas for a flat rate of 4,480 Yen (US$49.3; US$1=90.8 Yen) per month. The company expects to carry on base station deployment after the commercial service starts, with population coverage projected to top 90% by the end of March 2013.
- India's BSNL plans to add the state of Kerala to its WiMAX network coverage, alongside the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Punjab, CyberMedia India Online reported on February 3. In the first phase, BSNL expects to link its WiMAX network to the cities of Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode and major towns of Kannur, Thrissur, Kottayam, and Kollam, with WiMAX facilities projected to be available within five months. The company plans to extend WiMAX network connectivity to the entire state in around one year.