WiMAX Forum to India: Deploy Broadband Now

WiMAX Forum has urged Indian operators to deploy broadband now. In recent BWA auctions India allocated 2 blocks of 20MHz in the 2.3GHz band across the same 22 service areas. 

WiMAX Forum has urged Indian operators to deploy broadband now. In recent BWA auctions India allocated 2 blocks of 20MHz in the 2.3GHz band across the same 22 service areas. 

“Only 9 million citizens throughout India have access to broadband, but within six months WiMAX networks and services could be deployed and commercially available – helping the Indian government to pursue an accelerated path to achieve and exceed their goal of connecting more than 100 million broadband users by 2014,” said Ron Resnick, president and chairman of the WiMAX Forum.

Earlier this month, the WiMAX Forum announced that the first 2.3 GHz products gained WiMAX Forum Certifiedâ„¢ status. The availability of certified products today in both the predominant India frequency allocations of 2.3 and 2.5 GHz ensures a faster to time-to-market and enables advantages such as global roaming capabilities. 2.3 and 2.5 GHz base stations and end-user products are all commercially available today and are already deployed in markets across the globe.

“According to an independent research report by Protiviti, every six months of broadband deployment delays will cost the Indian economy USD $1 billion in lost revenue,” added Resnick.

Globally, the WiMAX Forum has tracked more than 50 commercial deployments in 2.3 GHz spectrum band and 593 total WiMAX deployments in 149 countries as of June 30, 2010. 

Michael Lai, Chief Executive Officer of Packet One Networks, a subsidiary of Green Packet and a member of the WiMAX Forum Board of Directors said, â€œWe are the second largest 2.3 GHz network in the world and are on track to deliver our promise of ‘Broadband for All’ to Malaysians. WiMAX also is supported by a mature ecosystem. It is quite simple, this 4G WiMAX technology today is ready to meet the needs of a nation that is thirsty for broadband, a nation like India.”

Winner in eight circles,  India’s GSM service provider Aircel has already indicated that it may choose WiMAX or TD-LTE for 2.3GHz spectrum deployments or it can roll out both. Another big winner Infotel has not yet announced its selection of technology for initial roll out but it may choose TD-LTE in longer run.