The WCA conference just a good read... not really specific to Wilan but gives you an ideas as to what is happening with Wimax, wireless broadband.
June 2, 2004
The WCA conference kicked off yesterday in Washington DC and while some announcements have trickled out of the wireless broadband show, the real highlight is the presence of wireless tycoon Craig McCaw, set to speak Wednesday morning.
McCaw, CEO of his investment firm Eagle River Investments, is expected to give the keynote speech for the conference. As the founder of McCaw Cellular, which was sold to become AT&T Wireless, McCaw's wireless investments are followed very closely by the industry. In the past few weeks, McCaw has picked up Clearwire Holdings as well as NextNet (see McCaw's Moves), a broadband wireless supplier. He has also invested in Microcell (see Inukshuk, Allstream, NR Launch Another Wireless Network).
His presence at the WCA conference gives credence to broadband wireless technology, and adds to the speculation of how he will weave together his recent investments to form a broadband wireless offering. To add to the intrigue, the FCC is poised to rule on opening up the use of MMDS/ITFS spectrum, previously reserved for primarily educational use. Clearwire holds leases to ITFS, or Instructional Television Fixed Service, spectrum (see WCA Backs FCC Wireless BB Task Force).
Other news coming from the show includes the WiMax Forum launching its Regulatory Working Group to help empower the message of its members when they meet with respective regulators that govern spectrum.
"The aim of the RWG is to ensure availability and global harmonization of "WiMAX friendly" spectrum worldwide," stated the WiMax Forum, a WiMax trade organization.
The working group says it will work with regulators around the world to adopt a policy that designates certain frequency bands for wireless broadband use. The WiMax Forum sees wide-scale spectrum availability as a necessity toward high-volume production of WiMax-based equipment, which, in turn will lower costs and help propel adoption of the technology and implementation of the gear and has earmarked the 5 Ghz, 3.5 Ghz, and 2.5 Ghz bands for broadband wireless access. Equipment based on WiMax, the tech buzz phrase given to the IEEE's 802.16 spec, is expected to be commercially available in late 2005 or 2006. Yet service providers, especially WISPs (wireless Internet service providers) are already using broadband wireless equipment, pre-standard (see WiMax on WISP Wish List).
In other news stemming from the conference, broadband wireless supplier Alvarion launched its wireless broadband platform, BreezeMAX (see Alvarion Launches WiMax Platform).
On the discussion front, topics to be tackled today during the WCA seminars include VOIP—or voice over Internet Protocol—as a revenue source for wireless providers; the market potential for broadband wireless; and how the technology will impact carrier growth. Speakers expected today and tomorrow include Michael Powell, chairman of the FCC, Kathleen Abernathy, FCC commissioner, Scott C. Richardson, General Manager, Broadband Wireless Division, Intel Corp., Zvi Slonimsky, CEO, Alvarion, Inc., Reza Ahy, CEO, Aperto Networks &WCA Director, Guy Kelnhofer, III, CEO, NextNet Wireless & WCA Board Member and Geraldine MacDonald, SVP, America Online, among others.