Motorola Expects Three WiMax Deployments by Year-end
US mobile handset manufacturer Motorola aims to have made at least three WiMax deployments for major Brazilian operators by end-year, Motorola's Brazil manager for new business development, José Geraldo Alves de Almeida, told BNamericas.
"We are targeting operators that already have spectrum [apt for WiMax] and are anxious to use it," Alves de Almeida said, without naming the operators.
Motorola expects more orders once Brazil's telecoms regulator Anatel provides clarity about when it plans to hold an auction for 3.5GHz and 10GHz spectrum licenses for WiMax services.
"Other operators without spectrum will need to wait for the WiMax auction," Alves de Almeida noted.
Brazil's federal accounts court (TCU) ordered Anatel on September 4, 2006 to suspend the auction date for the 3.5GHz and 10GHz spectrum licenses due to irregularities including the use of an outdated exchange rate.
The news came on the same day the regulator received 100 preliminary bids from interested parties.
There are no worries about the technology, which is being tested and used in Brazil and abroad, according to Alves de Almeida.
Motorola has half a dozen projects in Brazil due to start testing WiMax, Alves de Almeida noted.
For instance, Brazilian pay TV company TVA and Motorola announced in March they would build a mobile WiMax network for trials in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
The tests will allow TVA to study 802.16e technology over 2.5GHz spectrum in locations with varying topology and demographic groups in the central and southern areas of the city.
Motorola is providing the entire infrastructure such as radio base stations and end user equipment."
Posted to the site on 1st May 2007
