WIMAX

Certification for WiMAX equipment on the 2.3GHz spectrum could be delayed longer than expected and this will impact the country’s rollout of wireless broadband services using the technology.

• The certification by the WiMAX Forum may only happen by end-09 or even later, said Nokia Siemens Networks, the manufacturer of such equipment because the US is close to a WiMAX rollout, scheduled for June, but only on the 2.5GHz spectrum which has been given priority. In fact, the certification for 2.3GHz could face a long delay. Thus, the four WiMAX licensees in Malaysia would be caught out by the delay.

• If they choose to roll out their services as planned without the certification, interoperability between base stations, access points and networks could be - compromised, said Nokia Siemens Networks. Going on without certification could also lead to technical glitches in their WiMAX services in the future, the manufacturer added.

• A possible solution would be for MCMC to swithc spectrums but that is unlikely as it would leave the four Wimax service providers in a lurch as the 2.5GHz spectrum has already been assigned to seven other wireless broadband service providers, which together have taken up the maximum capacity for that frequency. It is also an unlikely scenario as these WiMAX service providers have already invested in 2.3GHz equipment and has started infrastructure work from June last year.