[STDS-802-16] WiMAX Day -- November 3, 2006

[WiMAX Day <distribution@wimaxday.com>]

Title: WiMAX Day

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Friday, November 3, 2006

WiMAX testing continues in Japan, despite license delays TOKYO (WiMAX Day). ACCA Networks in Japan has announced that it will launch more testing of Mobile WiMAX in Yokohama City in December. ACCA has made several tests of WiMAX in the last year, based on the 802.16e standard. The previous tests made by ACCA have used limited 2.5 GHz spectrum received from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) upon special application for testing only. ACCA filed an application with the MIC in October for permission to use the spectrum for testing in December. Presently, the MIC has not issued formal licenses for 2.5 GHz spectrum, although it has acknowledged that the spectrum is slated for use with BWA. The Ministry has yet to define BWA and its use in Japan. The MIC also has yet to define what technology should be applied for the spectrum. Nonetheless, companies such as ACCA, Yozan, NTT DoCoMo and KDDI are already planning WiMAX networks and services in anticipation of a final decision from the MIC, which some say may be as early as the end of this month. From the Suburbs to the City Earlier WiMAX tests by ACCA, using equipment from Alcatel, were made at the Yokosuka Research Park (YRP), in a suburban area outside of Tokyo. This area was selected due to its natural open area overlooking Tokyo bay, with a background of hills and mountains, and because of the previous experience of YRP in testing radio wave technology. The results from these tests were submitted to the MIC as the basis for approval of new testing. The tests in December will go to the heart of the urban sprawl of Yokohama, and seek to confirm the basic characteristics of WiMAX technology in an urban environment. The tests will focus specifically on the seamless connection with QoS technology between mobile and fixed IP core networks, which if successful, will prove the use of WiMAX with limited network resources, and as a technology that can operate in an open platform environment. The testing in December will also test basic characteristics such as connectivity, throughput and radio intensity, and the tests will use applications such as VoIP, multi-media streaming and message services. Multiple applications for WiMAX in Japan ACCA Networks is a telecommunications provider in Japan and offers Internet connectivity via DSL and optical fibre to more than 1.3 million users. With the addition of WiMAX in their service offering, ACCA are planning for a wider range of applications than are presently used for their fixed broadband products. In a press release issued by ACCA, Yoshio Sakata, President of ACCA and Head of WiMAX Business Development, said that ACCA will focus on several areas of development. This includes applications for consumers in an urban environment that are sensitive the latest technologies, with costs that compare to existing mobile phone technologies, and to consumers in the suburban environment who may just want simple connectivity at a low price. WiMAX also offers a network that can integrate security and disaster prevention services for the community, according to Sakata. For ACCA, WiMAX also easily integrates into a corporate solutions platform where partners can utilise WiMAX in a package as a complement to their DSL and optical services. Speaking with journalists at the WiMAX World conference last month, Sakata stated that the flexibility of WiMAX to integrate into IP networks shows the real value of the WiMAX business model and will be the key to its success in Japan.

WiMAX services grow in Costa Rica SAN JOSÉ (WiMAX Day). Racsa, the Internet service provider subsidiary of state-owned Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) in Costa Rica has announced its intentions to expand WiMAX services. Rasca began testing WiMAX in July of this year, in the areas of Santa Ana and Escazú with a coverage area of 17 kilometres. The initial pilot was a solution to provide residential broadband services in this mountainous region. Following the success of this pilot launch, Rasca now intends to expand the network to approximately 20,000 users in 2007. The user-base is limited by those individuals whom Rasca estimate can afford to purchase CPE units. While this is a small user base, Rasca believe that the WiMAX service will become available to more users in the future when the prices of CPE units decreases. Rasca also intend to make WiMAX available throughout Costa Rica by launching an estimated 400 “hotspots” in 2007 in commercial centres, restaurants and public buildings. Costa Rica has a modern telecoms infrastructure and has the second highest Internet penetration rate in Latin America, according to Paul Budde Communications. ICE and Rasca are state-owned monopolies that control all telecommunications in Costa Rica. Intel launches WiMAX in India BARAMATI (WiMAX Day). On his eighth visit to India, Intel Chairman Craig Barrett announced that Intel will deploy a WiMAX pilot in the town of Baramati in India. Working with Aircel and the Maharashtra government, the pilot will use 3.3 GHz spectrum that covers six kilometres, and will bring WiMAX to four towns with bandwidth speed up to 512 Kbp/s. In a press release issued by Intel, Barrett said that "WiMAX is an inexpensive way to cover a large area and is ideal for rural towns, which have limited access to other infrastructure." The release also noted that Intel plans to start WiMAX trials in other cities in India, including Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Erratum The editor regrets to inform subscribers that due to unforseen technical problems, WiMAX Day was not distributed to some subscribers in the last week.

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