Everything you need to know about WiMAX
Mobile WiMAX Spotlight on India
With a number of companies moving ahead with investments on rolling out Mobile WiMAX in India and the stage being set for the auction of prime 2.5 Ghz spectrum in the next quarter, the spotlight is now India.
The Indian mobile sector has proved its mettle with a monthly growth figure of 8-9 million customers a month even in difficult economic conditions. The base of subscribers, now standing at 300 million is set to double in the next three years to over 600 million customers. All this is happening with serious gaffes in spectrum allocation.
The stage is now set for the auction of 2G and Mobile WiMAX 2.5 G spectrum and that is what is set to be yet another inflection point in the fastest growing telecom market in the world. With the 2.5 G spectrum falling under the ambit of IMT2000, the battle for the spectrum is set to be keen.
In a separate decision, the government has decided to take away the 3.4-3.6 GHz spectrum away from existing applications such as satellite TV. This is again set to be allocated to users for WiMAX and broadband applications.
With the agenda for WiMAX set for India, Sprint Nextel, which has already launched Mobile WiMAX services in Baltimore has announced its intention of launching WiMAX consultancy in India. As per Barry West president of XOHM, the time is right for such a move as companies in India gear up for a new ecosystem of networks and devices targeting the mobile world with a new technology.
In a similar development Intel has also revealed its plans for investing in the Indian WiMAX story. Known for its investment of $1 billion in Sprint’s XOHM network, Intel is set to be a prime beneficiary of growth in consumer devices and its chipsets. The Indian effort is being spearheaded by Mr Sriram Vishwanathan, General manager for the WiMAX program who has voiced his optimism for the technology in no uncertain terms.“ It is for the first time that India will be able to take a lead in technology evolution. The country presents a phenomenal opportunity for WiMAX.”
Not to be left behind, vendors such as Samsung and Motorola, which have been prime drivers of the Korean WiBrO and XOHM in USA with WIMAX modems, chipsets, USB cards and mobile devices have decided to give a new thrust to their presence in India. Motorola already has successful deployment in Pakistan ( Wateen Telecom) and is set to expand its presence in the region. For Samsung, known for its advanced handsets and leading presence in the WiMAX segment, India today presents the right time, opportunity and scale of growth as per the sentiments expressed by Mr Paul Thurneysen, responsible for 4G/ WiMAX business lines.
The deck is now cleared for the next stage i.e. the auctions which will determine which companies can go ahead with their investment plans.
http://www.wimax-home.com
The Indian mobile sector has proved its mettle with a monthly growth figure of 8-9 million customers a month even in difficult economic conditions. The base of subscribers, now standing at 300 million is set to double in the next three years to over 600 million customers. All this is happening with serious gaffes in spectrum allocation.
The stage is now set for the auction of 2G and Mobile WiMAX 2.5 G spectrum and that is what is set to be yet another inflection point in the fastest growing telecom market in the world. With the 2.5 G spectrum falling under the ambit of IMT2000, the battle for the spectrum is set to be keen.
In a separate decision, the government has decided to take away the 3.4-3.6 GHz spectrum away from existing applications such as satellite TV. This is again set to be allocated to users for WiMAX and broadband applications.
With the agenda for WiMAX set for India, Sprint Nextel, which has already launched Mobile WiMAX services in Baltimore has announced its intention of launching WiMAX consultancy in India. As per Barry West president of XOHM, the time is right for such a move as companies in India gear up for a new ecosystem of networks and devices targeting the mobile world with a new technology.
In a similar development Intel has also revealed its plans for investing in the Indian WiMAX story. Known for its investment of $1 billion in Sprint’s XOHM network, Intel is set to be a prime beneficiary of growth in consumer devices and its chipsets. The Indian effort is being spearheaded by Mr Sriram Vishwanathan, General manager for the WiMAX program who has voiced his optimism for the technology in no uncertain terms.“ It is for the first time that India will be able to take a lead in technology evolution. The country presents a phenomenal opportunity for WiMAX.”
Not to be left behind, vendors such as Samsung and Motorola, which have been prime drivers of the Korean WiBrO and XOHM in USA with WIMAX modems, chipsets, USB cards and mobile devices have decided to give a new thrust to their presence in India. Motorola already has successful deployment in Pakistan ( Wateen Telecom) and is set to expand its presence in the region. For Samsung, known for its advanced handsets and leading presence in the WiMAX segment, India today presents the right time, opportunity and scale of growth as per the sentiments expressed by Mr Paul Thurneysen, responsible for 4G/ WiMAX business lines.
The deck is now cleared for the next stage i.e. the auctions which will determine which companies can go ahead with their investment plans.
http://www.wimax-home.com
Comment
-
Comment by Alan J Weissberger on July 5, 2009 at 9:41pm
-
Intel Capital is at it again:
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/intel-signs-alliancephi...
-
Comment by Amitabh on June 5, 2009 at 7:33am -
Alan
The auctions will be in two months. Though not a fan of the way the Govt functions, in this case their decision was right as the econimic situation was down in the dumps in Oct-Dec 2008. In the prebid conference all the major companies were absent due to their own liquidity problems at home. Do not forget that with all the issues India still adds 15 million users a month which is more than what many operators have gathered over many years. This is despite the fact that the most amazing things happened in the licensing of mobile services. There were fixed wireless operators which turned into full fledged CDMA operators when a fairy smiled on them one night. Then the same operators entered GSM just as a pupa turns into a butterfly. So every operator is now GSM and CDMA. Now they will get into LTE using WiMAX spectrum. Those who were holding WiMAX spectrum in 2.5 Ghz have been thrown to the wolves.These are the actors which change clothes in the green room. Do you want to see the play or the green room? All players are experienced circus artists. A new ring master rarely bothers them. Why should you and us worry? The show will begin on time. Concentrate on the costumes they wear and whether it says LTE or WiMAX and enjoy the show.
Have a good weekend.
WiMAX Home
-
- The question is not who will win the auctions for licensed spectrum, but when they will actually be held. The Indian government has lost all credibility and that negative image will make companies reluctant to invest in new infrastructure build outs in India.
-
Comment by Amitabh on June 4, 2009 at 4:04am
-
News can be misleading, but the latest one suggests that Scartel Yota and Packet One from Malaysia may be interested in bidding and for WiMAX spectrum.Clearwire has also showed interest. ( See http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Business/India-Business/Malaysian-Russian-cos-may-bid-for-WiMAX/articleshow/4614478.cms)
However Clearwire as said that they do not want to invest, but only give technology. The investments being talked of by other companies are miniscule- no where near what mobile compnies can invest without batting an eyelid.
So who will win the WiMAX auctions?
http://www.wimax-home.com
-
-
While the Cisco- India Managing Director stated that 3G would be preferred over Mobile WiMAX, Intel has invested heavilly in India to make the latter happen. Also, Tata joining WiMAX Forum's Board of Directors shows that company is committed to WiMAX.
Again, I attended the talk the India ITT Minister gave at India Community Center last year. It was less than convincing that India had any semblance of a broadband wireless communications policy.
IMHO, it all comes down to bureaucratic bungling, cronyism, corruption, and incredible inefficiency. This despite my great passion for India and Indian people (I spend most of my time at the India Community Center in Milpitas, CA where I am a Sr Member and volunter.
-
Comment by Amitabh on June 3, 2009 at 8:24am
-
I believe that this news has no real significance. The BSNL network is already there. To whom they franchise it for getting some revenues is interesting but only for information.It is a fixed WiMAX network and perhaps some use will be found for it.What is interesting for WiMAXers is the new auctions which will happen in the Mobile WiMAX bands of 2.1 and 2.5 GHz in a couple of months. These constitute prime mobile WiMAX bands where certified devices are available. The reason whay they are gathering holistic interest is not because of the floor price. But it will be crtical to see what the end use policy is for Mobile WiMAX. As per WRC 07 these bands can also be used for LTE or IMT advanced serices. With 15 million users being added a month the mobile companies are at their wits end to find spectru. No one knows who will get the meagre 3G spectrum which will be auctioned. However all eyes are on the WiMAX spectrum but not for broadband use but for 3G advanced mobile services.
So I am back with my Question:
WiMaxer's Are you listening? You may be about to witness a key event in a 400 million strong second largest mobile marke in the world and perhaps the close of chapter for mobile WIMAX!
-
-
BSNL -India’s largest telecom operator -will invite fresh tenders to run its WiMax operations, after the previous attempt was aborted in light of dubious operators making it to the final shortlist. The state-run firm will now seek fresh bids for franchisees across the country to roll out technology that allows users wireless access to high-speed internet and other data applications over a large area, according to two top executives of the company. BSNL expects WiMax to generate multi-billion dollar revenues over the next 10 years.
ET had reported on February 20 that a string of ‘shell’ companies that exist only on paper had made it to BSNL shortlist for WiMax.
The telco subsequently cancelled the tender after its own investigations revealed that five of the six shortlisted companies — WiExpert Communications, SV Telecom Systems, Digitelco Communications, Spectrus Communications and Technotial Infoways — were acting as ‘fronts’ for certain individuals.
It was found that these companies shared the same corporate details, notaries, auditors and dates of incorporation, and even their last annual general body meeting was shown to be held on the same day.
BSNL came under pressure from its labour unions to scrap the tender following reports of wide-scale corruption in the methodologies adopted to shortlist successful bidders. Doubts were also raised on the disqualification of several companies with proven track record of offering WiMax services including Soma Networks, Cisco-backed Terracom, Unwire India and Welcomm Communications — it had a tie-up Huawei and Aricent — in the earlier shortlist.
This has strengthened the allegations of a possible scandal especially since BSNL had failed to provide valid reasons for the disqualification. During the recent election campaign, opposition BJP had alleged that five of the six shortlisted companies were promoted by telecom minister A Raja’s confidant Sanjay Kapoor and had sought a CBI probe into the issue.
“BJP demands that allotment of BSNL’s WiMax franchise should be suspended immediately and the telecom minister be sacked as reports suggest wholesale loot and corruption in the process,” party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar had said during a press conference in Delhi on May 6.
Earlier this year, the WiMAX Forum, an industry association that has more than 530 member companies globally and 50 members in India had warned BSNL that companies existing only on paper are exploiting lax eligibility criteria for bids invited by the telco for franchisee operators for its WiMax services.
The Forum had also alleged that these newly floated front companies have approached global majors to buy them out quoting BSNL’s spectrum and network assets as valuation criteria. “This is a result of the lax eligibility conditions in the tender which these paper companies are exploiting,” the association had said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Telecom/BSNL-set-to-invite-fresh-tenders-to-run-WiMax-ops/articleshow/4610788.cms
Comment: Scandals, corruption and cronyism seem to be a way of life in India. That's on top of the stifling bureaucracy that Indians blame on the British (but India has been independent for almost 62 years!)
-
-
Tata joins WiMAX Forum board of directors:
Prateek Pashine, will represents Indian operator Tata on the WiMAX Forum Board. The appointment of Pashine emphasizes the huge role that the subcontinent is expected to play in the WiMAX industry, once its own spectrum licenses are auctioned, and also as companies like Tata look to expand in other parts of the world using new technologies.
-
-
Economic Times: Dual mode devices to drive growth of WiMax in India
Mobile handsets offering both 3G (for voice) and WiMax (for high speed wireless broadband access) are likely to gain popularity with the Indian telecom operators and give a fillip to WiMax services in the country.
The dual mode devices which combine both the technology - 3G and WiMax - would help the operators in the country to offer the services in a cost effective manner once the spectrum for the services is auctioned by the government post the elections, WiMax Forum Chairman (India chapter) C S Rao said.
"In India once the spectrum is auctioned, the operators are likely to go for 3G spectrum for voice services as the existing spectrum is saturated and to support the next 200 million subscribers they have to use the third generation spectrum," he said.
However, for data services like video streaming and downloading WiMax could be used, as the technology is more efficient for data download and other applications, he said. Globally, Samsung has already started manufacturing such devices.
More at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/Dual-mode-sets-to-driv...
-
-
Latest article on WiMAX in India:
http://www.wimax.com/commentary/blog/blog-2009/april-2009/tata-ommunications-reports-50k-wimax-subscribers-0428
Like this author, Rethink Wireless believes WiMAX has great promise and potential in India:
"The other big opportunity for WiMAX is in underserved, but high growth, markets, most notably India. One of the most significant development efforts geared to India has been Alcatel-Lucent's collaboration with the country's C-DOT technology research center, a venture set up over four years ago and geared to creating entirely new formats for WiMAX devices, to support low cost, low power roll-outs and new applications. This week, the C-DOT Alcatel-Lucent Research Centre (CARC) received WiMAX Forum certification for the 2.5GHz version of its 500 Series family of indoor CPE reference designs. "This cements CARC's ongoing efforts towards bringing in open standard low cost CPE designs to the Mobile WiMAX ecosystem," said CARC's CEO Sridhar Venkatesh."
http://www.rethink-wireless.com/?article_id=1323
© 2010 Created by WiMAX Broadband Solutions
You need to be a member of WiMAX360 to add comments!
Join WiMAX360