Oulu Finland Launches Free Mobile WiMAX Network

Oulu Innovation has announced that the city of Oulu, Finland is launching a MobileWiMAX-based wireless broadband network to enhance the city's current wireless development and testing platforms. Together with the panOULU and Octopus networks, the planned Mobile WiMAX network will be a part of Oulu's existing wireless network constellation and is expected to be deployed in December 2008.

"Oulu is a technologically advanced region with an unmatched advantage in wireless technology," said Matti Pennanen, Mayor, city of Oulu, Finland. "In close cooperation with our partners, we have built a system that is unique in the world for commercial research and development of wireless devices that includes free wireless internet access to all. The addition of the Mobile WiMAX network will be an integral part of our existing wireless infrastructure and broaden our capabilities to serve an even greater number of world-class companies and citizens."

The design and construction of the Mobile WiMAX network has been coordinated by the city of Oulu with the following partners: Nokia Siemens Networks; DNA Services; Nokia; Oulu Innovation; University of Oulu - Department of Electrical and Information Engineering; and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

The MobileWiMAX network will consist of 13 base stations. The planned coverage area will be approximately 130 square kilometers, covering a continuous area from Oulunsalo Airport to Oulu City Center and to Technology Park. The network uses the 2.5 GHz band and will offer data transfer speeds of up to 13 Mbps.

As an integral part of the panOULU network, the Mobile WiMAX network will share the central backbone services with Oulu's existing WLAN network. The Octopus Network's testing platform connection to the panOULU backbone services will also be enhanced while the Mobile WiMAX network is built.

Posted to the site on 13th November 2008