WiMAX Development in Asia February 23 - March 1
March 01, 2009
- On February 25 Taiwan's Vmax Telecom obtained the permission from the NCC (National Communications Committee) to set up base stations for its WiMAX network in northern Taiwan, according to Taiwan's Economic Daily News. Vmax Telecom plans to provide WiMAX services in the greater Taipei region, and its base stations will be supplied by Samsung and Alvarion.
Meanwhile, Global Mobile, another WiMAX licensee of Taiwan, has announced two finalists for its first equipment tender, according to Economic Daily News on February 27. Global Mobile will choose from Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei for its network equipment supply, which is valued at NT$500 million (US$14.29 million; US$1=NT$34.99) initially but is expected to increase to NT$3 billion (US$85.75 million) afterwards. Global Mobile plans to launch its WiMAX services in Hsinchu of northern Taiwan in the third quarter of 2009.
- Taiwan's ITRI Industrial Technology Research Institute was introduced into the WiMAX Forum's Board of Directors, which currently has 17 members, Taiwan's Economic Daily News reported on February 26. ITRI expects to leverage its capacity as a WiMAX Forum director to strengthen Taiwan's participation in the establishment of WiMAX industry standards. Currently there are 39 Taiwanese members in the WiMAX Forum.
- India's BSNL has rolled out the country's first WiMAX service in the state of Gujarat, according to various local media reports. Named BSNL Wireless Broadband, the service is a collaboration between BSNL and US WiMAX solution provider SOMA Networks, which will manage the service via BSNL's network. In addition to Gujarat, SOMA Networks also announced that it will invest around US$200 million in expanding WiMAX services to other Indian telecom circles, including the states of Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.