Alcatel-Lucent, Nortel grab WiMAX opportunities

Alcatel-Lucent and Nortel networks each separately announced this week some progress in working with service providers on WiMAX network deployments. Alcatel-Lucent was chosen by Taiwan’s largest telecommunications provider, Chunghwa Telecom, to deploy Taiwan’s first commercial Mobile WiMAX network in the densely populated metropolitan area of Taoyuan County. Meanwhile and across the globe, Nortel was picked by Brazilian pay TV firm TVA to build a WiMAX trial network.

Chunghwa Telecom’s deployment is expected to help accelerate that country’s M-Taiwan project, a government-driven effort to get public and private sector firms to collaborate on bringing comprehensive mobile broadband coverage to the island. Chunghwa Telecom and Alcatel-Lucent said in a statement that the vendor will work closely with local manufacturers to help develop requisite customer premises equipment, and is establishing a WiMAX interoperability testing center to enhance the global exposure and competitiveness of Taiwan’s CPE industry.

The network will be compliant with the 802.16e-2005 standard, and Alcatel-Lucent will provide its end-to-end WiMAX solution, including 2X2 multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) technology, which can help increase capacity and coverage. Alcatel-Lucent will also be providing multi-vendor network integration, engineering and installation support.

Nortel’s agreement with TVA, announced this week in Sao Paulo, Brazil, has Nortel providing an end-to-end solution including consumer devices, base stations, ASN gateway and professional services for the trial. Testing is scheduled to start in second quarter of 2007 in Sao Paulo on the 2.5 GHz frequency band, the companies said. Under the agreement, Nortel will provide the equipment and will be responsible for the deployment, support and maintenance of the entire infrastructure for the trial network.