Stuart Corner
Thursday, 27 September 2007 13:42
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 4
Nokia said it would use Intel's WiMAX silicon, codenamed 'Baxter Peak' and designed specifically for mobile Internet and consumer electronic devices, in the products which are designed to "provide a rich Internet experience on a new innovative multimedia computer platform that is small enough to fit into the pocket." The Linux-based tablets will feature a Mozilla-based browser, e-mail functions and support for many popular applications, such as the previously announced Skype and Rhapsody.
Intel, Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks also announced that they are testing interoperability across Intel's forthcoming WiMAX silicon for laptops and mobile Internet devices, Nokia WiMAX devices and Nokia Siemens Networks WiMAX infrastructure equipment.
Meanwhile WiMAX infrastructure rival Alcatel-Lucent was not keeping quiet, trumpeting its alliance with Korean manufacturer Kyocera under which the two will collaborate on the development of end-to-end mobile WiMAX solutions. These will include Alcatel-Lucent WiMAX infrastructure and a variety of wireless end-user devices from Kyocera, including multimode mobile phones, non-traditional wireless devices, wireless PC cards and USB devices for PCs.
The joint program will cover the establishment of specifications, the development and integration of WiMAX solutions, and the creation of an interoperability testing program to ensure that the new Kyocera WiMAX devices can operate smoothly on Alcatel-Lucent's infrastructure. Alcatel-Lucent and Kyocera anticipate the commercial availability of fully integrated solutions of WiMAX base stations and terminals from the two companies in the first half of 2008.
Kyocera is one of the most experienced manufacturers of wireless broadband CPE: the Korean WiBro variant of WiMAX is a couple of years ahead of the global standard in commercialisation and Kyocera is also the principal manufacturer of CPE for iBurst, one of the first commercial mobile broadband technologies.
