|
|
WiMAX ForumTM
Announces First WiMAX Forum CertifiedTM Products
Other Topics: WiMAX Leadership,
WiMAX Network Expansion
The WiMAX Forum
January 19, 2006
San Jose, CA -- The WiMAX Forum, an industry-led, non-profit
corporation formed to promote and certify compatibility and
interoperability of broadband wireless products, today announced the
first fixed wireless broadband network products to achieve the
designation of WiMAX Forum Certified. At the WCA Technical and Business
Symposium in San Jose, the WiMAX Forum revealed the first companies and
products to complete certification and interoperability testing,
including Aperto Networks’ PacketMAX 5000 base station, Redline
Communications’ RedMAX AN-100U base station, SEQUANS Communications’
SQN2010 SoC base station solution, and Wavesat’s miniMAX customer
premise equipment (CPE) solution. |
| |
|
|
| |
To date, the WiMAX Forum’s certification laboratory, Cetecom Spain, has
confirmed 26 additional reservations from manufacturers for testing
slots for both subscriber and base station equipment certification. In
order to handle this additional capacity, Cetecom already has set up
multiple test lines for testing and certification for these products – a
process that will continue over the next two months.
The first round of WiMAX Forum Certified products were developed
according to the WiMAX Forum-defined certification profile for 3.5 GHz
systems, which is based on the IEEE 802.16-2004 and ETSI HiperMAN
standards. Each hardware system was required to pass stringent and
extensive test procedures, consisting of protocol conformance, radio
conformance and interoperability testing in order to attain the WiMAX
Forum Certification seal.
“The achievement of Certification is a result of the successful
collaboration of our Certification Working Group, ETSI, Cetecom Spain
and WiMAX system suppliers,” said Ron Resnick, president of the WiMAX
Forum. “Through an expanded and rigorous conformance and
interoperability testing in our certification program, we believe there
are more robust fixed WiMAX systems coming to market than what was
originally expected.”
“The first availability of fixed WiMAX equipment demonstrates the
commitment of the Forum, the vendors and the providers to reaching their
critical milestones,” said Lindsay Schroth, senior analyst of broadband
access technologies at the Yankee Group. “This is a crucial step in the
process of developing and certifying both fixed and mobile WiMAX
networks. We expect this announcement to impact the deployment time
tables of large and small service providers around the world that will
use fixed WiMAX networks as a way to deliver true broadband services to
consumers and business users.”
In July 2005, WiMAX Forum opened its first certification lab, operated
by Cetecom, and began receiving WiMAX equipment and started the test
procedure validation process. While validation was underway, the WiMAX
Forum hosted two PlugFests – informal interoperability events conducted
between multiple vendors. Both PlugFests tested vendor products using
common certification profiles approved by the WiMAX Forum in the 3.5 GHz
frequency band.
“With more than 150 commercial trials and deployments of fixed WiMAX
networks announced to date, it is clear there is tremendous confidence
placed in these systems by operators around the globe,” added Resnick.
“As an organization comprising nearly 400 member companies and
overseeing a range of activities that span the globe, the WiMAX Forum
now has added operations and marketing directors – along with a staff of
project managers – to ensure that we meet the needs of our membership
and achieve our stated goals for 2006 and beyond.”
WiMAX Forum Certified Recipient Comments:
Aperto Networks (www.apertonet.com)
"We are delighted that Aperto's carrier-class WiMAX products are among
the very first to achieve WiMAX Forum certification. This is consistent
with Aperto's long history of leadership as a founding board member of
the WiMAX Forum, as a founder and lead contributor to IEEE 802.16 and
the ETSI-BRAN standards, and as the chair of the Service Provider
Working Group, and validates why our customers consider us the
innovative, trusted leader in complete carrier-class WiMAX solutions,"
said Reza Ahy, chairman and CEO of Aperto Networks.
Redline Communications (www.redlinecommunications.com)
"Our major international carrier customers have chosen Redline's WiMAX
solution based on our leadership, performance and expertise in planning
and deploying advanced wireless networks," said Majed Sifri, president
and CEO, Redline Communications Inc. "By successfully achieving
certification, operators around the globe can begin to benefit from the
advantages of standardized WiMAX products and deliver high-bandwidth
services to consumers and businesses."
SEQUANS Communications (www.sequans.com)
“Sequans is pleased to announce that WiMAX Base Stations and Subscriber
Stations reference designs based on its SQN2010 and SQN1010 silicon have
received the WiMAX Forum’s stamp of approval,” stated Bertrand Debray,
vice president of engineering. “This is a key milestone for the industry
and our team is proud to be among the first to help bring WiMAX Forum
Certified products to the market.”
Wavesat (www.wavesat.com)
“Completing the Certification of our product is a major milestone for
the Industry and for the development of Wavesat’s Evolutive Concept,”
said Frank Draper, vice president of sales at Wavesat. “This will enable
our ODM partners to supply low-cost, high-quality WiMAX CPEs for the
fixed market now. “
About the WiMAX Forum
The WiMAX Forum is an industry-led, non-profit corporation formed to
help promote and certify the compatibility and interoperability of
broadband wireless products using the IEEE 802.16 and ETSI HiperMAN
wireless MAN specifications. The Forum’s goal is to accelerate the
introduction of these devices into the marketplace. WiMAX Forum
CertifiedTM products will be fully interoperable and support
Metropolitan Broadband Fixed, Portable and Mobile Applications. For more
information about the WiMAX Forum and its activities, please visit
www.wimaxforum.org.
WiMAX Forum and WiMAX Forum Certified are trademarks of the WiMAX Forum. |
|
Back to Newsroom
|
| |
|
