- Following the recent launch of its WiMAX IOT (Interoperability Testing) lab in Beijing, China's Huawei plans to set up a new WiMAX IOT center in Taiwan in June 2009, Commercial Times of Taiwan reported on March 16. While pledging to transfer its technologies to Taiwanese partners, Huawei also announced that it seeks to enlist Taiwanese WiMAX CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) makers in jointly developing the emerging markets such as Africa and Latin America. Taiwan's D-Link, Alpha Networks, and SiS (Silicon Integrated System) have expressed interest in pitching in.

- Also according to Commercial Times, Taiwan's Accton Technology has reportedly obtained a WiMAX equipment order from an unnamed Saudi telecom carrier. The deal is valued at about US$2.4 million, and Accton is expected to begin shipments in the second or third quarter of 2009. Accton was one of the fourteen Taiwanese ICT companies which, led by the III (Institute for Information Industry), traveled to the Middle East for business promotion in February. Accton declined to comment on the Saudi deal, though.

- In other Taiwan WiMAX news, California-based SS8 Networks and Taiwan's Gorilla Science and Technology have joined hands to implement a WiMAX network for an unspecified communications service provider in Taiwan, according to a March 17 press release by SS8 Networks. SS8 Networks is a provider of lawful intercept solutions for telecommunication service providers, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies.

- In order to further its network expansion, Malaysian WiMAX service provider Packet One Networks has signed a US$28 million deal with China's ZTE on March 19, according to the Malaysian National News Agency Bernama. Previously Packet One selected Alcatel-Lucent for its first-phase WiMAX rollout. The deal with ZTE will cover Packet One's second-phase rollout project. All told, with the second-phase project, the company expects to set up more than 450 access points in strategic market centers throughout Malaysia and reach a total of 700 new sites by year-end 2009. In addition, the company plans to spend approximately one billion Ringgits (US$273.64 million; US$1=3.65 Ringgits) on its WiMAX enterprise over the next five years.