Day: December 14, 2008

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On Advanced PHS (XGP)

An interesting article on the differences between “Willcom WiMAX” and Mobile Wimax – Link.

The PHS MOU is the consrotium standartizing PHS, Advanced PHS (XGP), with a long list of participating companies. However, Willcom is today the only PHS provider in Japan with about 4.6 Million subscribers (I should write ONLY 4.6 Million subscribers).

It will be interesting to see what Willcom will deploy next year and will they be able grab a bigger market share.

Maybe one more thing about Advanced PHS:

Altair Semiconductors, a Israeli startup has already published they plan to supply Willcom with 4G (XGP) chipsets , and shortly after secured a $22 Million in series C funding .

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Acca Networks – Mobile Broadband

Acca Networks was one of the operators who applied for the lucrative Japanese 2.5GHz WiMAX spectrum last year, but lost to UQ Communications and Willcom.

As it turns out Acca did not give up on their mobile broadband dreams, but instead of deploying their own Mobile WiMAX network, they are using NTT Docomo network for only data service.

Details are (in Japanese) in Acca Mobile website, offering two types of plan with 3 available devices:

1) USB type – from Anydata

2) CF type – from Nihon Denki (NEC)

3) USB type – from Huawei

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WiMAX Operator ID Public listing

An observation on IEEE 802.16 Operator ID public listing. Mobile WiMAX (802.16e) requires a registration before actual deployment. Cost of registration is $1200.

The list currently has 36 entries, of which 30 are unique operators; sounds like a very small number regarding the WiMAX hype we have seen in the last two years.

Here is the list, but refer the online IEEE listing as it may change:

  1. Nextwave – not a real operator
  2. Clearwire corporation
  3. Société du Haut Débit (SHD) – Joint venture – SFR + Neuf Cegetel
  4. Sprint Nextel – Xohm brand is merging into Clearwire
  5. HDRR
  6. Moline Dispatch Publishing Company ????
  7. Pine Telephone Company Inc.
  8. UK Broadband
  9. Solectek
  10. WiMax Telecom AG
  11. Wi-Tribe Limited
  12. Axtel S.A.B. de C.V.
  13. MIRS Communications Ltd.
  14. Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd
  15. Menatelecom
  16. UQ Communications Inc.
  17. SCARTEL Ltd.
  18. Monzoon Networks AG
  19. WorldMax Operations B.V.
  20. Etihad Atheeb Telecommunications
  21. VTR Banda Ancha (Chile) S.A.
  22. Globe Telecom
  23. “MMDS-Ukraine” LLC
  24. DBD Deutsche Breitband Dienste GmbH
  25. Freedom4 Ltd
  26. Linkem Spa
  27. Grid Net
  28. Mandarin WiMax Sicilia SpA
  29. Asiaspace WiMAX Sdn. Bhd.
  30. CTY Co., Ltd.

It does seem like many names are missing for this list, the question in why?

Later this week I will try to analyze the deployments of the above operators.