Alcatel shows mobile WiMAX base station

Rethink Research

Alcatel has unveiled its Evolium WiMAX base station, based on 802.16e, and claims this will be commercially available in midyear, although it is not certain that certification for the mobile standard will even have begun by then. Alcatel will face the choice, like Motorola, of whether to launch a pre-certified product in order to gain early marketing profile,
or delay its roll-out to wait for the WiMAX Forum.

Alcatel resells Alvarion equipment for fixed WiMAX and also the Navini mobile broadband system, but has always said it aimed to build its own 802.16e system. It has signed partnerships with Samsung, main creator of the pre-802.16e technology Wi-Bro, and that platform’s first adopter, Korea Telecom. Therefore, it is expected to focus heavily on Wi-Bro interoperability, and also integration with its cellular systems.

Evolium will support fixed, nomadic, and mobile usage and will be targeted in particular at developing economies, where Alcatel is strong. It has an important joint development with Indian technology institute C-DOT, focused on low cost user devices. In a live showcase at 3GSM, Alcatel demonstrated its compact oudoor base station - equipped with smart antenna technology - delivering video streams over the air to laptops equipped with PCMCIA cards. Like Motorola, Alcatel is presenting WiMAX as part of a universal broadband access strategy that also encompasses DSL and 3G.

An interoperability testing campaign is underway to ensure that Intel-powered WiMAX devices will work seamlessly with Alcatel's WiMAX infrastructure, and the two giants are pursuing co-marketing activities.