WiMaxThis is going to be a LOOOOONG Post.
So if you've got the time to read it, then do so. Otherwise move on to the next post. It will be educational for those who want to know about WiMax and the companies that may (have in the past or are now)/ may not be involved.
Here are a few ideas as to who has the "know-how" on WiMax.
But first, here is what the "previous" JV between Allstream/Microcell/Inukshuk/NR comm included being built around "WiMax" technology.
Take a look:
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https://www.stockwatch.com/swnet/newsit/newsit_newsit.aspx?bid=B-331791-C:MT&symbol=MT&news_region=C&name=Microcell+Telecommunications+Inc+(2)&hitwords=+wimax
Globe says Microcell, Allstream tout new technology
2004-04-01 08:13 ET - In the News
Also In the News (C-ALR) Allstream Inc
The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, April 1, edition that high-speed wireless Internet access for the residential mass market has now hit the airwaves with new services that threaten to change the balance of power in the broadband business. The Globe's Kevin Marron writes that Microcell Telecommunications and Inukshuk Internet are again announcing ambitious plans for a wireless network that will rival cable and telephone high-speed Internet services. What makes broadband wireless more viable for the mass market today is a new generation of non-line-of-sight technology, which does not involve the expense of installing antennas on subscribers' rooftops and making sure there are no trees, hills or tall buildings obstructing the radio signals. With the new technology, the signals find a way around obstructions and link up with transceivers inside the home. According to Allstream the service uses technology from NextNet Wireless that is compliant with an international wireless broadband standard called "WiMax" currently under development. Allstream says the new technology "changes the cost paradigm from previous generations of wireless technology."
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NEXT:
Wi-Lan is the BIGGEST player in WiMax technology. They've done it before (in regards to developing wireless technology) and I believe they can do it again.
Take a look at a portion of one of their most recent news releases:
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https://www.stockwatch.com/swnet/newsit/newsit_newsit.aspx?bid=B-424279-C:WIN&symbol=WIN&news_region=C&name=Wi-LAN+Inc&hitwords=+wimax
Wi-LAN expects product sales to grow on several fronts during the remainder of fiscal 2005:
sales of Wi-LAN's new WiMAX platform, the Libra MX product series, are expected to gain Wi-LAN a foothold in the emerging WiMAX-standard equipment market. Wi-LAN now expects to have this equipment generally available in the second fiscal quarter of 2005, rather than the original target date of January, 2005, and Wi-LAN's continuity program guarantees its customers a seamless and economic transformation to WiMAX-compliant networks when WiMAX-compliant equipment comes on-line later in 2005;
Wi-LAN expects to begin to deploy WiMAX-compliant Libra MX equipment once the WiMAX Forum completes conformance and interoperability testing, scheduled for completion in 2005;
sales of Wi-LAN's Ultima3, VIP and antenna product lines are expected to continue to grow as existing customers expand their networks and new customers capitalize on the extensive feature sets and favourable economics of these products. Orders for these products were particularly strong in the first quarter and this has created significant orders on hand for future delivery as of Jan. 31, 2005;
entry into the intelligent transportation systems (ITS) market with Wi-LAN's new Libra Mobilis, the first commercially available two-way broadband wireless product designed for a high-speed mobile environment, is planned in 2005. The market for ITS mobile broadband wireless equipment is in its infancy, so limited trial sales of Libra Mobilis are expected in 2005. Wi-LAN recently completed a successful trial of Libra Mobilis in Seoul, South Korea, and other trials are continuing; and
licence, technology and engineering services revenue is expected in 2005, but it is largely dependent on royalties from related sales of Wi-LAN's licensees.
**** First quarter operations highlights
New product launch
On Nov. 15, 2005, Wi-LAN announced in Stockwatch the launch of Libra MX at the wireless broadband forum in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Libra MX is the industry's first WiMAX platform that meets the performance and throughput requirements of today's demanding point-to-point and point-to-multipoint broadband applications while providing a guaranteed, economic and straightforward migration path to WiMAX-compliant networks. Based on Wi-LAN's patented W-OFDM technology -- the foundation for WiMAX-certified products -- Libra MX is a powerful and flexible solution, including both base stations and subscriber units, for a wide variety of broadband wireless applications. For additional information please refer to Wi-LAN's website at www.wi-lan.com/news/press/20051115.html.
the WiMAX market is expected to reach the fully commercial stage once the WiMAX Forum makes conformance testing available in 2005, and to grow to a substantial size thereafter as mobile applications are addressed. Several projects are under way to further develop Wi-LAN's Libra MX equipment. Wi-LAN expects to begin to deploy WiMAX-compliant Libra MX equipment in 2005;
Wi-LAN is proceeding with lab tests of the WiMAX SoC. For further information refer to license, technology and engineering services revenue described above; and
Wi-LAN is testing the WiMAX MAC software and is actively seeking opportunities to market this software.
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https://www.stockwatch.com/swnet/newsit/newsit_newsit.aspx?bid=B-377604-C:NT&symbol=NT&news_region=C&name=Nortel+Networks+Corp&hitwords=+wimax
Furthermore, NT also is jumping into the WiMax pool.
Read this NR:
Nortel gets on board with WiMax Forum
2004-09-07 11:22 ET - News Release
Mr. Jamie Moody reports
NORTEL NETWORKS JOINS WIMAX FORUM; OFFERS EXPERTISE IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES LIKE OFDM, MIMO
Nortel Networks Corp. has become a principal member of the WiMax Forum, an industry-led organization that promotes interoperability and certification of broadband wireless products for delivery of faster, more affordable data, voice and video services to businesses and consumers.
Based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard for wireless metropolitan-area networks (MANs), WiMax is a next-generation wireless technology expected to be in widespread use within the next three to five years. The WiMax Forum strives to ensure industry standards are in place to provide interoperability on a wide range of WiMax Forum Certified communications products across all networks and vendors.
By joining the WiMax Forum, Nortel Networks now has the opportunity to contribute its expertise and capabilities in wireless, wireline and broadband access technologies. In addition, Nortel Networks will offer its expertise in the development of two emerging technologies -- orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) -- that greatly enhance WiMax's potential for widespread adoption by improving spectral efficiency and data rates. With OFDM and MIMO, service providers can use less spectrum to serve more customers with a single base station.
"Nortel Networks commitment and contributions to the WiMax Forum underscore our objective to speed the deployment of advanced broadband service regardless of access choice while decreasing operator costs," said John Hoadley, vice-president, advanced technology, wireless networks, Nortel Networks. "We have been contributing to the 802.16 standard by helping to develop underlying technologies like OFDM and MIMO for more than five years. We strongly believe that the combination of MIMO and OFDM can be realized in 802.16 and WiMax."
OFDM is the base radio technology used by Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)/802.11 and WiMax/802.16. MIMO is an advanced antenna technology that enhances the performance of WiMax, delivering as much as a four-fold increase in data capacity and spectral efficiency by Nortel Networks estimates. Future wireless wide area network access systems beyond third-generation (3G) are likely to be based on OFDM and MIMO technologies.
"We're pleased to have Nortel Networks on board," said Ron Resnick, president, WiMax Forum. "Nortel Networks is a significant and valuable addition to the forum because of its expertise and global span in building and deploying wireless networks, which should greatly help the advancement of 802.16-based technology into the marketplace."
Nortel Networks has brought significant contributions to the IEEE 802.16 in terms of MIMO and mobility concepts considered to be key enablers for the standard.
Nortel Networks MIMO technologies have been verified in measurements in a wide range of environments. In 2001, Nortel Networks completed an extensive propagation trial in central London, proving the feasibility of MIMO to provide substantial performance gains in an urban deployment. In February, 2003, Nortel Networks demonstrated peak data rates up to 20 megabits per second over the air using OFDM/MIMO technology with a five-megahertz carrier.
Nortel Networks is a member of many wireless industry and standards bodies, including the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), 3GPP2, the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA), IEEE, the Wi-Fi Alliance, and the Wireless Communications Association (WCA).
Nortel Networks has designed, installed and launched more than 300 wireless networks in over 50 countries. Nortel Networks was the industry's first supplier with wireless networks operating in all advanced radio technologies (GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO, UMTS and WLAN), and is the only end-to-end provider of all next-generation wireless solutions.
About the WiMax Forum
The WiMax Forum is an industry-led, non-profit corporation formed to 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 Certified products will be fully interoperable and support metropolitan broadband fixed, portable and mobile applications.
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As well, in beginning of February, Alcatel has gone into a contract with Alvarion to develop their WiMax technology.
You can read the NR for yourselves here: https://www.stockwatch.com/swnet/newsit/newsit_newsit.aspx?bid=B-419457-C:AT&symbol=AT&news_region=C&name=Alcatel+Canada+Inc&hitwords=+wimax
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SR Telecom also has WiMax capability.
Have a look at their NR:
https://www.stockwatch.com/swnet/newsit/newsit_newsit.aspx?bid=B-392214-C:SRX&symbol=SRX&news_region=C&name=SR+Telecom+Inc+(2)&hitwords=+wimax
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https://www.stockwatch.com/swnet/newsit/newsit_newsit.aspx?bid=B-422343-C:DVY&symbol=DVY&news_region=C&name=Discovery+Capital+Corp&hitwords=+wimax
Finally,
A far shot in my opinion is Discovery Fund Corp.
Read this NR:
Discovery's fund to invest $2-million in Mobidia
2005-02-17 20:43 ET - News Release
Mr. Charles Cook reports
BRITISH COLUMBIA DISCOVERY FUND (VCC) INC. AND DISCOVERY CAPITAL CORPORATION: BRITISH COLUMBIA DISCOVERY FUND MAKES $2 MILLION INVESTMENT COMMITMENT TO MOBIDIA TECHNOLOGY INC.
Discovery Capital Corp.'s British Columbia Discovery Fund (VCC) Inc. (BCDF) has made an investment commitment of up to $2-million to Mobidia Technology Inc., an innovative wireless technology company located in Richmond, B.C. As part of its commitment, BCDF has fully financed the initial seed-round investment of $500,000.
Mobidia is immediately embarking on a second-round financing to raise up to $2.5-million, with closing anticipated for April 30, 2005. BCDF has committed to finance up to $1.5-million of this round of investment, with a $1-million minimum. Discovery Capital is actively working with Mobidia to complete the syndication of this second round of financing and discussions are under way with several potential investors. In connection with the fund's commitment, Charles Cook, chief financial officer of the fund, has been appointed to Mobidia's board of directors.
Upon closing of a fully subscribed second-round financing, Mobidia will have raised $3-million in total, with the funds earmarked for completing product development, enhancing intellectual property protection, and expanding marketing and business development. Mobidia has initiated discussions with its potential customers, which are principally wireless telephone carriers, to commence trials of its .wave technology.
"With the growing proliferation of smartphones and other wireless-enabled mobile devices, the demand for wireless data services is expanding rapidly and wireless carriers are keenly interested in increasing their ARPU (average revenue per unit) by providing the best wireless data services experience possible over their networks," commented Charles Cook. "We believe that Mobidia is developing a unique technology solution that will allow carriers to provide high-quality of service, manage their bandwidth and enable seamless network switching, all of which will drive demand for wireless data services."
"Although Mobidia was launched in 2004, extensive research and testing have gone into Mobidia's product by its founders, chief scientist, Dr. Sharif, and chief technology officer, Fay Arjomandi," commented Allan Larmour, chief executive officer of Mobidia. "The fund's investment has been made at a critical point in Mobidia's development. The market for Mobidia's products is developing rapidly and the fund's investment will allow us to accelerate towards our scheduled trial dates and eventual commercial launch."
About Mobidia Technology
Based in Richmond, B.C., Mobidia Technology is a wireless technology company dedicated to providing software to wireless carriers around the globe. Mobidia's software product, .wave, provides adaptive intelligent overlay technology to wireless networks that will enable mobile devices and carrier networks to monitor, classify and manage specific data types' real-time requirements, providing comprehensive network reporting and ensuring increased bandwidth efficiency, increased network capacity, carrier control of new services over their networks, and increased reliability, overall QoS, and performance for such high-value IP (Internet protocol) services as video streaming, wireless VoIP (voiceover Internet protocol), video telephony, interactive gaming, e-mail, corporate applications and other multimedia services. Using several patentable technologies on the wireless device, Mobidia is the only company taking the necessary mobile device and carrier network approach to reliably manage the many wireless data issues being seen in the market today. Mobidia's solution also provides a carrier integration strategy for supporting multiple network technologies (2.5G-4G, Wi-Fi and WiMAX), delivering consistency of service and seamless switching between networks, or, the ability to use multiple networks simultaneously.
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Final thoughts:
I believe that the most likely partner with LOK/UBS combo might very well be either: BCE+NR comm, or maybe even Wi-Lan.
The advantage of the BCE/NR combo is the $$$ availability from BCE.
However, any of these companies are possible partners for UBS:
- WiLan
- Nortel (possible, but not likely)
- Alcatel - Alvarion
- SR Telecom
- Discovery Fund
Just something to think about.
And all replies are as always welcome
D-man