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Meeting Global Standard will Boost Korea's WiBro: Intel VP

South Korea's mobile wireless technology WiBro should implement a global bandwidth standard before the technology can be exported worldwide, the vice president of Intel said Friday.

"WiBro as a technology itself is suboptimal," Sriram Viswanathan, vice president of Intel Architecture Group, said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Barcelona, Spain. "It could be better."

Suminet Using Sequans Mobile WiMAX Chips to Build Ultra Small CPEs

Sequans Communications announced today that Sumitomo Electric Networks, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric Industries, has adopted Sequans’ Mobile WiMAX semiconductor solutions for the development of an “ultra small CPE” called the SWiM WS2000/2001. Suminet is targeting the home security, M2M, and automotive markets with the new device, which will be used for video applications, remote-controlled cameras, home controllers, and tracking devices for the home market, and in-car navigation, remote diagnostics, and security for the automotive market.

Suminet’s SWiM WS2000 is an embedded module, 2.7 x 4.3 x 0.6cm and SWiM WS2001 is a standalone module, 10.8cm * 4.0cm * 2.6cm. They include both an Ethernet PHY and USB 2.0 interface and a complete networking software suite.

“Sequans’ technology has enabled us to build a state-of-the art solution with very high performance, providing unique value for our particular applications,” said Takashi Suzuki, director, Suminet. “Sequans offers the most advanced and powerful WiMAX chip solutions available today.”

Sequans has recently introduced its new generation of 65 nm chips that integrate baseband and triple band RF in a single die. Based on state-of-the-art 65 nm technology and five years of Sequans proven field experience, the chips deliver the highest level of integration yet achieved, resulting in dramatically reduced cost, power consumption, and size. Sequans technology delivers maximum throughput of greater than 40 Mbps with extremely low power consumption of less than 350 mW in active mode (with fully loaded MIMO traffic) and less than 0.5 mW in standby. The integrated RF covers all three global WiMAX bands, 2.3, 2.5, and 3.5 GHz and supports both TDD and H-FDD. All of Sequans’ mobile station solutions support 2 Tx and uplink MIMO, a feature unique to Sequans that can nearly double cell coverage.

Released by Suminet

YOTA and Samsung Accelerate Nationwide Mobile WiMAX Deployment in Russia

Yota, the Russia-based Mobile WiMAX service provider, today announced an additional contract with Samsung Electronics to support plans for a nationwide Mobile WiMAX network in Russia.

Under the new contract, Samsung will supply more than 5,000 Mobile WiMAX macro cellular base stations and Access Control Routers (ACR) to Yota from March 2010. Yota plans to expand its Russian Mobile WiMAX network this year to 15 cities including Sochi, which will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Yota selected Samsung as its sole Mobile WiMAX equipment vendor in 2008. Since then, Samsung has supplied Yota with over 4,500 Mobile WiMAX macro and pico cellular base stations for commercial Mobile WiMAX services in Russia.

KT Unveils WiBro M2M Service

KT, the South Korean WiBro service provider announced the launch of WIBRO CheckLine, the first commercial service combining WiBro with M2M or Machine to Machine.

WIBRO CheckLine proceeds with credit card payment five times faster than the conventional system using a telephone line, saving customers the time for waiting, according to KT. Customers can use the payment service over 3 million times by paying 10,000 won ($ 7.4) a month, which is much cheaper than the existing service charging 39 won (about 2.9 cents) per each payment.

The WiBro CheckLine terminal is in the form of an external modem and simply attached to card readers. Card reader vendors (VAN) provide stores with necessary guides and installation service. KT plans to roll out a WiBro-embedded card reader enabled with banking services early next year.

In November, KT embarked on KT WIBRO Biz Alliance to create new business opportunities by integrating WiBro with a variety of services and working on the development of WiBRo Bus Internet Café and WiBro Kiosk.

KT Launches Fixed-Mobile WiBro Service

KT, the country's mobile WiMax (WiBro) service provider, begins W Station service that offers multimedia, personal information management and other services by linking personal computer and WiBro device. It also unveiled software development kit(SDK) made for W Station users so that they can develop content and share it with other users.
 
WiBro users can go to www.w-station.co.kr to save their multimedia files together and post pictures taken by mobile phones to their blogs directly, said KT. 
 
Users can use both WiBro phone or laptops with USB modem access. Anyone can easily produce and share programs thanks to the SDK released by KT. KT said that the SDK will encourage people to share more diverse content with others on the W Station web page.
 
KT said, "In the age of mobile 1.0, users didn't have much discretion in using mobile services and devices. W Station, however, will promote participation, sharing, and opening, which are the values of mobile 2.0.
 

Samsung to Export WiBro to Taiwan, Kuwait

Samsung Electronics said Sunday that it has signed deals with partners in Taiwan and Kuwait to provide them with wireless broadband (WiBro) Internet technology.

The electronics giant said the deal with Taiwanese carrier VMAX Telecom Co. calls for the setting-up of infrastructure that will allow commercial WiBro services to begin next year. Financial terms were not revealed.

WiBro, one of the major 4G communications standards, is an improved version of WiMax that enables high-speed Internet connectivity even when a user is in motion. WiMax refers to a wireless Internet technology developed by the world's largest chipmaker, Intel.

Samsung Electronics also formed another deal with MADA Communications Co. of Kuwait to provide WiBro service-related equipment and launch commercial service there in 2010.

With the latest deals, Samsung Electronics has sealed export agreements for WiBro technology with firms in 10 countries, including the United States, Russia and Brazil, it said.

YonhapNewsAgency

KT Develops M2M Services to Boost WiBro

KT, the South Korean WiBro service provider is developing M2M or Machine-to-Machine services in an attempt to boost WiBro service market. M2M services are based on communications between machines and used for remote measurement systems for gas or electricity and onboard video advertising on the bus and the subway.

Quoting a number of market research reports, KT says the world M2M service market will grow over 31% by 2012. The telecom operator expects M2M will open up new market opportunities for WiBro, the IP-based wireless braodband service.

Meanwhile, KT announced the launch of KT WiBro Biz Alliance aimed at creating business opportunities through collaboration between WiBro and other industries. The Biz Alliance Center run by KT will facilitate the whole process of collaboration from finding new business models across different areas to brining the ideas into profit-making businesses.

KT will enlist cooperation from partner companies not only for module- and service-development but also for service customization and channel distribution, and thereby broaden the horizon for WiBro service.