Going WiMAX

Unstrung has provided a hopeful article on Clearwire and Sprint’s possible reunion on the WiMAX front–apparently with help from Google and others. Analyst Eric Kainer provides a synopsis on some of the possibilities:

•  When could the deal be announced? The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is one possibility. It takes place next week. 
• Clearwire is “close to the finish line” in the deal with Sprint
• Google’s interest in Xohm may be because they feel they can reach more people sooner than via 700 MHz broadband. 
• With Sprint’s financial troubles in the news and Clearwire in need of more funding, this may be the optimal time for a reunion

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, Clearwire, Sprint, Google, Ari ZoldanAri Zoldan Launch 3 Communications

Comsys Communications and Signal Processing and Agilent Technologies Inc. have combined their interests in a collaboration that may help speed up product development on the WiMAX front. Agilent brings to the table the Agilent N8300A, a wireless networking test set that can be used to identify WiMAX-compliant chipsets. According to the press release, “with Agilent’s support of Comsys chipsets, modules based on Comsys ICs can be calibrated and tested with the greatest speed and efficiency.”

The Agilent N8300A has been noted for the accuracy and speed with which it functions as a test solution. Likewise, Comsys is a leading supplier of chipsets on the WiMAX standard. With the two companies working together, one can imagine an assembly line-style movement with WiMAX chipsets being designed, tested and perfected. The efficiency of this type of collaboration may in fact ultimately trickle down and contribute to the production of viable WiMAX-enabled products (and the speed with which developments take place). Given the important role the development of products and devices will play in the adoption of WiMAX, these types of partnerships–if executed correctly–can prove to be valuable to the industry as a whole.

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, Comsys, Agilent, WiMAX chipsets, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications

TMCnet reports on DiBcom, TeamCast and UDcast; three companies that are devoted to Mobile TV and the DVB-SH standard. All these companies are collaborating in the Moble TV Without Limits Project and are combining their equipment and support to give an added push to Mobile TV both in Europe and eventually in the United States. For those that are less aware, Mobile TV is television service delivered to subscribers via mobile telecommunications networks, such as mobile phone carriers.

Interestingly enough, UDcast is also a proponent of WiMAX technologies, in addition to its work on Mobile TV. As standards related to Mobile TV continue to develop and testing extends to the United States, it will be interesting to see if WiMAX and the advantages it has to offer could eventually merge with this emerging technology.

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, Mobile TV, DVB-SH, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications

As rumblings in the news reveal, Sprint just announced that WiMAX is coming soon– as early as April of this year, according to some sources. This news is a good boost to overall WiMAX morale, given that naysayers have spoken negatively of the rollout since the Clearwire and Sprint fallout late last year.

Just as interesting as the rollout are some of the partnerships that are making it possible. We can see that these partnerships span the globe and are taking into account all facets of Xohm as a true contender in the wireless market. Mobile Tech News reports on just some of these. I have compiled them into a chart for the sake of reader-friendliness:

Xohm Partners Chart

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, Sprint, Xohm, Xohm partners, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications