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July 26, 2010

Taiwan, Fujitsu, NEC and Mitsubishi Likely to Collaborate on WiMAX in China

By Paula Bernier
Executive Editor, IP Communications Magazines

 LTE has grabbed the 4G spotlight here in the U.S., although WiMAX (News - Alert) was first to the stage; but WiMAX has seen widespread acceptance abroad, particularly in Asia. So perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s significant interest in outfitting the massive opportunity that is China with WiMAX solutions.

Indeed, according to the AP, Fujitsu Ltd., NEC (News - Alert) Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp. have expressed an interest to help Taiwanese firms develop WiMAX technologies for China. The report indicates that Yiin Chi-ming, a Taiwanese state minister, expects to sign a memorandum of understanding next week with the three Japanese firms to set up a company involved in WiMAX system integration. This reportedly follows in the footsteps of Taiwan’s new trade deal with China, under which the mainland would cut tariffs on Taiwanese goods.

WiMAX has become one of the hottest areas in technology as demand mounts for broadband that is more widespread, faster and, often, mobile.

Joe McGarvey, principal analyst for IP services infrastructure with Current Analysis (News - Alert), recently told TMCnet: The explosion of mobile data networks is “basically the second coming of the Internet boom that the fixed world experienced several years ago.”

WiMAX is considered as one of the key ways that network operators can bring broadband quickly and affordably to far-flung rural subscribers. And the federal government’s broadband stimulus program has given the 4G technology an added boost by providing funding to select applicants, some of which aim to use WiMAX to bring high-speed Internet access to remote, unserved and/or underserved areas.

In the United States, Clearwire (News - Alert) and Towerstream have led the way in terms of WiMAX deployment. Meanwhile, WiMAX has seen considerable momentum for rural deployments and with various service providers abroad.

WiMAX already has seen some significant deployments in Asia. For example, KT (News - Alert) has a large-scale WiMAX deployment in place in Korea. And UQ Communications, which is backed by Intel and KDDI Corp., expects to bring WiMAX to Japan in a big way as well.

For more background on who’s doing what with WiMAX, and LTE, around the world, click this link to NGN Magazine, a TMC publication.

 




Edited by Marisa Torrieri


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