Asia Express - Data Communications
WiMAX Development in Asia July 20-26
July 24, 2009
- Taiwanese broadband communications equipment provider ZyXEL recently rolled out a mobile WiMAX USB (Universal Serial Bus) dongle, codenamed MAX-507, leveraging Sequans Communications' SQN1210 mobile WiMAX chip, Nikkei reported on July 22. The SQN1210 is reportedly the industry's first mobile WiMAX chip which incorporates baseband and triple band RF (Radio Frequency) in a single die. Featuring Sequans' patent-pending mimoMAX technology, the SQN1210 is believed able to boost cell coverage by nearly double while lowering power consumption and mobile device costs. ZyXEL's MAX-507 2.5GHz MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) USB dongle is reportedly the first mobile WiMAX device to adopt Sequans' SQN1210 chip.

- Following Tatung Telecom's launch of WiMAX service in Kaohsiung City, another Taiwanese WiMAX carrier Global Mobile expects to roll out service in the Hsinchu area in September, leading off WiMAX commercial operations in northern Taiwan, Economic Daily News of Taiwan reported on July 24. Currently Global Mobile, collaborating with several Taiwanese communications equipment providers, is conducting WiMAX mobile trials in the Hsinchu Science Park. With the deployment of base stations presently underway in Hsinchu, Global Mobile expects to obtain approval by the NCC (National Communications Commission) at the end of September and begin offering services soon afterwards. In the initial phase, Global Mobile plans to launch terminal devices such as USB dongles, MID (Mobile Internet Devices), and netbook PCs for access to its WiMAX service. It is expected that related equipment providers, including D-Link, ZyXEL, and Dmedia, will benefit from the rollout of Global Mobile's WiMAX service, according to the Economic Daily News report.