WiMAX licences to be awarded before end-Feb

THE winners of the WiMAX spectrum tender will be announced as early as end of this month, but not later than end of February, Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said in Putrajaya yesterday. The official announcement will end months of speculation on which companies will be allocated the 2.3GHz spectrum. Dr Lim did not disclose how many WiMAX licences the Government plans to issue. It was reported in October that the ministry plans to award up to four WiMAX licences, possibly in two stages.

There will be three to four licences available, but I may roll out (issue) two licences first. It's not necessary that I have to give out all four (at one time), Dr Lim said.

A total of 17 companies applied for the WiMAX spectrum, including Maxis Communications, Telekom Malaysia, DiGi.Com, REDtone International, MiTV Corp and NasionCom Holdings.

Source : Telegeography

Related News:
The acceleration in the deployment of WiMAX, the latest wireless technology, by the Goverment is one way of increasing the rate of personal computer and Internet adoption across the country, says the world’s biggest chipmaker Intel Corp.
The company, whose Asian Broadband Campaign involves working with South-East Asian governments in stepping up wireless broadband deployment, believes that WiMAX can serve as the basis in helping governments achieve the goal of having digital inclusion.
“Standards-based wireless broadband connectivity can help enable technologies facilitate better services in areas like
education, healthcare, agricultural productivity and incomes, e-government access and technologies that support the overall well-being of a country’s development,” Intel’s chief information officer Stacy Smith told Business Times in Penang.
Smith said Intel is taking the lead in coordinating with governments, carriers and regulators in the region, along with those in the education, health and agriculture public sectors.
“This is to help the deployment to happen at every stage, which includes spectrum availability, product specifications and spectrum support, in spurring the deployment of WiMAX across the Association of South-East Asian Nations,” he said.
WiMAX is an emerging technology that promises to cover entire cites with high-speed wireless Internet links.
Smith said there are currently 100 WiMAX trials taking place worldwide.

Original URL: http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BT/Tuesda...