Wi-LAN: "The WiMax race is on"

Calgary - Wi-LAN, a developer of wireless broadband access products, announced a subscriber station design that integrates Fujitsu’s WiMax system-on-a-chip (SoC). The company expects first WiMax networks to be available to end-users at the end of this year.

WiMax is leaving is theoretical phase and is showing users its silicon face for the first time. After Intel’s Rosedale chip, Fujitsu announced at the Broadband Wireless World conference another WiMax solution that was co-developed with Calgary-based Wi-LAN. Wi-LAN itself uses the 802.16e-2004 compatible WiMax SoC for it Libra MX system board that acts as full WiMax subscriber station and will be marketed as reference design to WiMax developers.

According to Shawn Lightfoot, vice president of technology at Wi-LAN, the board can be used for the creation of base stations from entry-level WiMax solutions in the $2000-range to full-blown carrier-class systems. The announcements of Intel, Fujitsu and Wi-LAN however are just the first in what industry experts expect to be a quickly accelerating trend - with WiMax certification scheduled to launch in July of this year. "Everyone wants to be in the first certification cycle," Lightfoot said. "The WiMax race is on to get products out to the market."

The company expects high-end users, remote areas and municipalities the first application areas of WiMax with first functional networks offered by second and third tier wireless Internet service providers (WISPs) as early as late 2005.

The technology initially is believed to be complimentary to Wi-Fi - in scenarios where WiMax bridges the "last mile" problem and Wi-Fi remains the wireless network inside homes and businesses. According to Lightfoot, it is still too early to judge, if WiMax has the potential to make inroads on fixed broadband lines such as DSL and cable due to their significantly lower bandwidth : "Nobody knows how WiMax will develop. But I think it is rather optimistic to assume that WiMax will replace DSL or cable."