Ari Zoldan's  Instablog

Rumor Alert: Google May Bid on Wimax Spectrum in India

Beceem Expects WiMAX Solution Shipments to Taiwan to Double in 2010 – Oct 29, 2009 (Digitimes)
WiMAX solution provider Beceem Communications expects its shipments of WiMAX chips to Taiwan to account for 60% of its total WiMAX solution shipments in 2010, compared to 30% in 2009, according to company VP of worldwide sales David Carrol.

Gadget Alert: WiMax eBook Reader – Oct 29, 2009 (Wimax News)
Further details of ASUS’ upcoming eBook reader have emerged, and the company may have confirmed that WiFi, 3G and WiMax versions will be announced before the year is out. The price is said to be competitive to what Amazon and Sony already offer.

Nick VanWingerden Updates Us on the Liberty University WiMax Venture – Oct 28, 2009 (Wimax News)
Liberty University is set to bring WiMAX to its hometown, Lynchburg, VA, by partnering with the Virginia School of the Arts. We spoke to Nick VanWingerden, a part time student in the Online MBA program at Liberty who works in the CIO’s Office as IT Executive Business Analyst and Project Manager, about the university’s plans to offer WiMax to students.

WiMAX Players Fined for Failure to Reach Coverage Target - Oct 28, 2009 (TeleGeography)
Three of Malaysia’s WiMAX operators have been hit with fines relating to failures in rolling out their networks on time, the Star Online reports. According to reports, the country’s telecoms watchdog, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, advised REDtone, Asiaspace and Y-Max Networks that they failed to reach the 25% population coverage stipulated by their concessions by March 2009.

Funding Delay Bad News for Rural WiMAX Providers – Oct 28, 2009 (Wireless Week)
The decision by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to delay the payout of the first broadband stimulus grants until December came as bad news for rural WiMAX providers counting on the funds.

Intel, HCL Launch First WiMax-enabled Nettops – Oct 28, 2009 (Economic Times)
The world’s largest chip maker Intel (INTC), along with HCL Infosystems, on Tuesday announced the launch of the first of WiMax-enabled nettops and laptops in the country.

Multisource Telecoms Selects Airspan’s WiMAX Equipment – Oct 27, 2009 (Trading Markets)
South African wireless communications provider Multisource Telecoms has selected Airspan Networks’s WiMAX equipment for a unique live pilot broadcast. The Airspan WiMAX equipment is being trialled with the intention of offering live broadcast for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

Operators Demonstrate Mobile WiMax Global Roaming – Oct 26, 2009 (Wimax News)
On Monday, the Wimax Forum said that operators Clearwire International, Tatung InfoComm and VMAX demonstrated mobile WiMax global roaming for the first time.

Coming Next Month to Chicago:WiMax – Oct 26, 2009 (Wimax News)
Sprint announced that it would begin selling services on a WiMax network in Chicago next month along with Comcast and Clearwire. Chicago was supposed to be one of the first city to offer WiMax, since it supported Sprint Nextel’s push for WiMax in 2007. However Sprint Nextel’s technical difficulties hindered Chicago from getting WiMax sooner.

OVER THE WEEKEND . . .

Tatung InfoComm and Aicent Initiate World`s First WiMAX Roaming Exchange – Oct 25, 2009 (Reuters)
Aicent Inc. and Tatung InfoComm announced today the first-ever internetwork roaming between WiMAX networks. This successful connection marks the first time international roaming between WiMAX networks has been achieved.

Comzatel Picks Airspan WiMAX Equipment for a Mobile, 4G Network in Mozambique – Oct 23, 2009 (TMCnet)
African wireless communications provider Comzatel reportedly selected Airspan WiMAX (News – Alert) equipment for a mobile, 4G network in Mozambique.

The difficulty with establishing broadband service in a rural market can be summed up by the common saying: "If it were easy, everyone would do it." Rural areas are everything that urban ones are not.  No readily available infrastructure exists on which to build an access network.  No dense population justifies the cost of adding a new infrastructure and average income levels are less than those of urban households.  All this means that two things inhibit the introduction of broadband service in rural areas: high infrastructure costs and low rates of return.

Two major roadblocks have prevented successful wireless deployments on a wide scale: the lack of cost-effective spectra and the unavailability of supporting radio technology.  An operator who decides to deploy a wireless solution prefers to do so over a licensed spectrum, giving its operator complete exclusivity on its airwaves and avoids contention with other operators that would otherwise degrade performance.  The problem with licensed spectra, however, is their cost, because they sell to the highest bidder, these licenses typically run to billions of dollars, an expense that's just not realistic for the typical rural operator.  The other alternative is to use a public spectrum.  This allows an operator to offer wireless service without paying the expenses of licensing a spectrum, but the downside to public spectra is their lack of regulation.  Because anyone can use the public spectrum, many other devices can interfere with operators' services.

This is where the 3.65 GHz spectrum band steps in and presents a unique opportunity for operators.  The spectrum can be purchased for a nominal FCC registration fee.  The FCC registration database helps provide some level of protection and coordination between multiple operators; and for fraction of the cost of a licensed spectrum, 3.65 GHz is a steal.

Some WiMax vendors are already beginning to see traction in the 3.65 GHz spectrum, especially in the public safety market.  Avi Shabtay, vice president and general manager of Alvarion's (NASDAQ: ALVR) private and alternative networks business, said the 3.65 GHz band will be one of the most popular frequencies in the U.S.  for WiMax deployments, as the licenses are practically free and are protected from interference.


Additionally, Tranzeo Wireless Technologies Inc.  (TSX: TZT), another WiMax technologies vendor, has been seeing some gains even in these most turbulent economic times.  Although they have seen sales decline in recent quarters2, sales of their WiMax products have continued to increase quarter over quarter.