Asia Express - Data Communications
WiMAX Development in Asia September 6-12
September 10, 2010
- Chinese telecom equipment supplier ZTE announced on September 3, 2010 that the company has obtained a contract from Indian BSNL to supply BSNL with WiMAX systems for 300 crore Rupees (US$64.5 million; US$1=45.5 Rupees), according to the Economic Times. As per the contract, ZTE is projected to provide BSNL with WiMAX base stations, switches, terminals, and handheld devices over the next six months.

- Taiwanese WiMAX operator Global Mobile has spent NT$2 billion (US$62.7 million; US$1=NT$31.9) on purchasing 1,000 base stations from NSN (Nokia Siemens Networks) and Samsung, according to a September 7, 2010 report by the Economic Daily News of Taiwan. It is reported that Global Mobile plans to purchase anther 160,000 CPE (Customer Premise Equipment) from MediaTek, Inventec, Quanta, ZyXEL, and Accton in 2011. It is projected that Global Mobile's moves aim to expand the company's WiMAX subscriber base.

- Taiwan's MOEA (Ministry of Economic Affairs) announced on September 6, 2010 that the ministry projects to invest approximately NT$6.61 billion (US$207.1 million) in WiMAX development from 2010 to 2013, according to the Economic Daily News of Taiwan. MOEA's goals are reported to be enhancing Taiwan's wireless broadband services and making Taiwan a major WiMAX solution provider in the global WiMAX market. MOEA and Taiwan's ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute) also plan to enlist Intel, NEC, Fujitsu, and/or Mitsubishi in collaboration on setting up a system integration company, aiming at becoming a major global WiMAX solution provider. It is reported that the Taiwanese government will provide NT$1.5 billion (US$47.0 million) for the establishment of the said company.

- Green Packet has entered into a supply agreement on September 1, 2010 to provide Augere with WiMAX modems, according to Bernama. As per the US$7.2 million agreement, Green Packet is expected to provide Augere with UH Shuttle USB modems to support Augere's WiMAX deployments in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Currently, Augere offers broadband internet services in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Rwanda, and Uganda. Green Packet estimates that the company has already signed 30 deals and supplied 130,000 WiMAX modems in the first half of 2010. Green Packet is projected to gain two to three WiMAX contracts valued at approximately US$5 million to US$7.5 million by the end of 2010, supplying WiMAX modems for operators in the Middle East and American regions, according to the same source.