Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Motorola Participating in 25 WiMAX Trials Worldwide

Motorola announced today it has nine contracts for the installation of 802.16e WiMAX networks and is taking part in 25 trials with the technology worldwide, confirming the growth of WiMAX especially in emerging markets. Motorola now has WiMAX trials and deployments underway in six continents.

The newest Motorola WiMAX trial agreement is with TVA, a multi-services operator in Brazil, which will conduct a trial for the use of mobile WiMAX technology (802.16e) in Rio de Janeiro. The solution will cover central Rio and part of the south of the city, providing wireless broadband services with voice, data and multimedia capacity for a select group of users.

The WiMAX platform, including use of the 2.5 GHz spectrum in line with Anatel regulations, enables rapid digital inclusion, as well as an opportunity to provide multimedia (voice, data and image) services. By digitalizing its MMDS (Multipoint Multichannel Distribution System) network, TVA is able to expand its service offering, creating a new model for competition.

In the agreement, Motorola will supply its wi4 WiMAX access points and end user equipment. WiMAX 802.16e permits indoor installation of customer premises equipment without line of sight to the radio base stations, ensuring high user service capacity. The technology also permits high data rates and a wider range of coverage than other currently available technologies.

The trial period will enable TVA to assess the performance of the technology in the differentiated demographic topology of the city of Rio de Janeiro, as well as the mobile TV, video, VoIP, and media streaming services and data applications.