Big boost for WiMax
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technologies – took a decision to include WiMax-derived technology in the framework of the IMT-2000 set of standards.
According to a press statement by the ITU its Radiocommunication Assembly took a decision of global importance to include WiMax-derived technology in the framework of the IMT-2000 set of standards.
“This agreement paves the way for the deployment of a range of voice, data, and multimedia services to both stationary and mobile devices. Significantly, it opens the door to mobile Internet, catering to demand in both urban and rural markets,” the ITU said.
The WiMAX Forum says it is pleased with the decision to approve the WiMAX Forum's version of IEEE Standard 802.16 as an IMT-2000 technology, and that it significantly escalates opportunities for global deployment, especially within the 2.5-2.69 GHz band, to deliver Mobile Internet to satisfy both rural and urban market demand.
"This is a very special and unique milestone for WiMAX technology," said Ron Resnick, president of the WiMAX Forum.
"This is the first time that a new air interface has been added to the IMT-2000 set of standards since the original technologies were selected nearly a decade ago. WiMAX technology currently has the potential to reach 2.7 billion people. And today's announcement expands the reach to a significantly larger global population."
"It gives me great satisfaction to observe that the ITU Radiocommunication Sector continues to be responsive to the most pressing needs of the wireless industry in the deployment of innovative technological solutions," said Valery Timofeev, Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau.
"The successful approval of the two new Resolutions and four draft Recommendations dealing with IMT technologies represents a pinnacle in the recent technical achievements of the Sector."
The new technology will facilitate delivery of broadband wireless services at lower cost and include multiple wireless broadband Internet services, including VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). The specific terminology of the IEEE 802.16 standard in ITU-R M.1457 Recommendation is ‘IMT-2000 OFDMA TDD WMAN’.
Roger Marks, Chairman of the IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access, said, "I am immensely gratified that the international community, through ITU, has recognized the significance of the IEEE 802.16 WirelessMAN standard."
Proposals to the forthcoming World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-07) starting next week in Geneva that will be requesting additional spectrum for the deployment of the IMT 3G-type systems worldwide will take into account the new IMT-2000 OFDMA TDD WMAN standards derived froom the IEEE 802.16 mobile component.
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