The WiMAX Forum has commended the Department of Telecommunications of India for the allocation and upcoming auction relating to the 2.3 and 2.5 GHz frequency band. The availability of these key bands for WiMAX technology in India will provide its consumers with much needed broadband connectivity across the diverse economic and social needs of the entire population.
"WiMAX technology meets a number of needs for India's diverse population, bridging the digital divide while providing a platform to meet the future demands for 4G mobile broadband services," said Ron Resnick, president of the WiMAX Forum. "For the citizens of India, WiMAX will enable the proliferation of wireless broadband for all consumer segments, including broadband services in dense urban and suburban areas, rural broadband connectivity to enable high speed wireless applications and services, and enterprise broadband access across the country."
The auction will enable two 20 MHz blocks in both the 2.3 and 2.5 GHz bands. The government also announced that blocks in the 700 MHz and 3.3-3.6 GHz bands will be auctioned as they become available to offer Fixed WiMAX and rural wireless broadband segments to consumers.
The WiMAX Forum plans to add an Indian certification lab to its existing network by the end of 2008. The WiMAX Forum has certified a range of Mobile WiMAX products in the 2.3 and 2.5 GHz profiles and estimates that more than 1,000 Mobile WiMAX products will undergo certification by 2012.
The WiMAX Forum is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization formed to certify and promote the compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless products based upon the harmonized IEEE 802.16e/ETSI HiperMAN standard. A WiMAX Forum goal is to accelerate the introduction of these systems into the marketplace. WiMAX Forum Certified products are interoperable and support broadband fixed, nomadic, portable and mobile services. Along these lines, the WiMAX Forum works closely with service providers and regulators to ensure that WiMAX Forum Certified systems meet customer and government requirements.
