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Kalimat Telecom launches WiMAX network in Iraq
National operator picks Redline for fixed wireless services to enterprises in Iraq.
Kalimat Telecom, Iraq's national telecom operator, has launched the first WiMAX
network in Baghdad. Kalimat Telecom will use WiMAX radios from Redline
Communications for fixed wireless communications. The $500 million project aims
to provide broadband Internet services to 28 million Iraqi citizens. Despite
security problems that have hindered the spread of access, the network operator
plans to secure an ambitious 60% of Iraqi subscribers over the next two years.
"We are proud to announce the launch and make it happen despite the prevailing
situation," said Wilson Varghese, Kalimat Telecom CEO and President. "We are
targeting customers like large commercial facilities, residential areas and
government institutions. As you know many investors do not want to go to Iraq,
but we managed to invest … and we are slowly getting there."
Several new services are anticipated for the small and mid-sized enterprise (SME)
sector and large enterprise organizations. "The WiMAX service will allow
provisions of up to about 21 Mbps per sector in the four sector base stations
that Kalimat uses," says Dr Nasi Abachi, CTO, Kalimat Telecom. Multiple tiers of
service are therefore possible, varying in speed, to a relatively large number
of users.
Figure 1: Dr. Nasi Abachi, CTO of Kalimat Telecom, presents during the launch of
fixed WiMAX services in Iraq
Kalimat Telecom is the privately-held Kuwait subsidiary of Kalimat Telecom BVI.
The network operator provides fixed wireless local loop (WLL) telephony and data
services. Only 54,000 Iraqi citizens have Internet access (0.2% penetration),
according to a March 2008 ITU study. No broadband subscriber data has been
collected for the country. Iraq's Communication and Media Commission awarded
Kalimat Telecom a 10-year wireless license in September 2006.
By Jeff Orr, ORR Technology, LLC
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Mobile Wimax in Erbil
National operator picks Huawei for Mobile wireless broadband services to enterprises in Kurdistan..
On Feb. 20, 2010, 7Netlayers Telecom, an Iraq's national telecom operator, has launched the first Mobile wireless broadband WiMAX network in Iraq, Kurdistan-Erbil. 7Netlayers Telecom will use WiMAX complete solution from Huawei Technology. The $10 million project aims to provide broadband Internet services to 6 million Iraqi citizens in Kurdistan.
The Mobile wireless network offers several new Broadband internet services for the student, small and mid-sized enterprise (SME) sector and large enterprise organizations. "The WiMAX service will allow provisions of up to about 18 Mbps per sector in the three sector base stations that 7netlayers used.
7Netlayers was established in 2008 by a group of Iraq/Kurdish and Lebanese investors whose vision was to deliver cutting edge technology and state-of-the-art interconnectivity solutions to the corporate industry and to the growing needs of consumers in Iraq-Kurdistan. Even though 7Netlayers obtained its license in 2007, it was not until May 2009 that it started its operations and launched commercial services in January 2010 using latest WiMAX 208.16e mobile technology to deliver the Mobile Broadband Wireless Access.