Alliance Formed to Drive Deployment of Devices Taking Advantage of Next-Generation 4G WiMAX Wireless Technology
India Telecom 2008, New Delhi, India, Dec. 11, 2008 - At one of India's leading telecommunication conference, Sriram Viswanathan, Intel vice president and general manager of the WiMAX Program Office, announced that Intel Corporation is working with Indian service providers and device manufacturers to help bring WiMAX-ready notebooks and netbooks to the India market segment mid-2009. Additional information on specific OEM systems and devices will be announced in the coming months.
Viswanathan also outlined an alliance focused on delivering affordable devices to Indians that take advantage of upcoming 4G WIMAX networks.
Established by Intel and the WiMAX Forum® India, this group will gather key global WiMAX company participants in India to collaborate with WiMAX service providers, as well as local government and businesses to deliver innovative, affordable
WiMAX-enabled devices targeted specifically to meet the needs of the India market segment.
"This is a very exciting time for India and WiMAX," said Viswanathan. "WiMAX has the ability to help bridge the digital divide with the most cost effective and highest-performing wireless broadband technology available today. The availability of low cost devices for end users forms an essential part of the promise and capability of WiMAX."
In addition to battery-saving new processors for notebooks PCs, over the past six months, the company has introduced new chips for mobile Internet devices, simple netbooks, quad-core products and ultra slim and light laptops that all work best on a high-speed, wireless broadband network. As new networks are deployed, Intel and the WiMAX Forum India will work with the ecosystem to bring innovative and affordable devices to market, meeting the needs of the Indian people as well as the goals of governments and service providers.
"These efforts are in line with Intel's focus of connecting Indians to the Internet and enable them to leverage its unlimited potential. WiMAX is a major component in Intel's goal to shift the industry and consumers to a "'mobile Internet'." added R. Sivakumar, managing director, sales and marketing, Intel South Asia.
The initial focus will be on 2.3 and 2.5 GHz devices. Companies will be joined by the Open Patent Alliance and other important ecosystem members to determine device needs, timelines, testing and interoperability plans and collaborate on cost reduction programs for fixed, portable and mobile devices. According to the WiMAX Forum, they project there will be more than 27.5 million broadband internet users in India by 2012.
WiMAX Network in India Update
Anticipation for WiMAX in Indian continues to grow as the upcoming auction for 2.3 and 2.5 GHz frequency bands gets closer. In addition to one 20 MHz block already allocated to BSNL in the 2.5 GHz band, the auction will enable two 20 MHz blocks in the 2.3 GHz band, and another 20 MHz block in the 2.5 GHz band. The availability of WiMAX in India will provide consumers with much needed broadband connectivity across the diverse economic and social needs of the entire population.
"The WiMAX ecosystem, as well as excitement for the technology, has grown significantly over the past five years," said C S Rao, Chairman of the WIMAX Forum India Office. "WiMAX is viewed as the best wireless broadband technology for India - with a diverse and complete ecosystem ready to deliver affordable, lightning-fast wireless Internet."
About Intel
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live.
In August 2008, Intel facilitated a collaborative movement called 'Connected Indian', where government, industry associations and private enterprise came together for the common cause of connecting a billion Indians. More information can be found at www.connectedindians.com.
Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.
Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
MEDIA BACKGROUNDER
The Robust WiMAX Ecosystem
The WiMAX Forum is made up of nearly 530 member companies, who are committed to the success of the WiMAX standard. WiMAX Forum membership consists of 144 ecosystem content developers, 162 service providers, 92 silicon component manufacturers and 131 system vendors. Currently, more than 35 WiMAX Forum member companies are producing WiMAX base stations, 30 companies are providing PC Cards, USB modems, MIDs, and other personal devices, 25 companies provide chipsets and reference designs, and seven of the top eight global device manufacturers are developing WiMAX products.
Further signifying the rapid growth of the WiMAX ecosystem, the first Mobile WiMAX products have been WiMAX Forum Certified in the 2.3 and 2.5 GHz bands. The WiMAX Forum estimates that by 2011 there will be more than 1,000 Mobile WiMAX Certified products found throughout the world.
About WiMAX Forum®
The WiMAX Forum® is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization formed to certify and promote the compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless products based upon the harmonized IEEE 802.16/ETSI HiperMAN standard. A WiMAX Forum goal is to accelerate the introduction of these systems into the marketplace. WiMAX Forum Certified products are interoperable and support broadband fixed, nomadic, portable and mobile services. Along these lines, the WiMAX Forum works closely with service providers and regulators to ensure that WiMAX Forum Certified systems meet customer and government requirements. Through the WiMAX Forum Congress Events Series of global trade shows and events, the WiMAX Forum is committed to furthering education, training and collaboration to expand the reach of the WiMAX ecosystem.
In addition to its Portland, Oregon office, the WiMAX Forum has six offices globally including Brazil, China, India, Japan, Russia and Taiwan. With 44 members, the WiMAX Forum India chapter works closely with local operators, vendors, and government officials to bring WiMAX technology to India. As the liaison between the international WiMAX community and India, WiMAX Forum India Chapter has provided
key parties within India with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about the country's path to wireless broadband and eventually 4G.
For more information, visit www.wimaxforum.org.