Economic growth in emerging markets, like South Africa, is being strangled by the lack of progressive communications infrastructure. People can`t communicate and when people can`t communicate, opportunities are missed and the potential to empower lost. This is the word from Rick Rogers, Director of Alvarion, an international leading provider of innovative WiMax solutions which has broken significant ground in Africa.
"In emerging markets, the lack of a developed communications infrastructure is dramatically reducing the ability of achieving or strengthening economic development, improving social well-being and enhancing personal communications. Broadband access services can empower local populations with communication capabilities which provide the information to strengthen social, economic, educational, and health trends. In emerging markets, where little infrastructure is available yet economies are growing, WiMax-based communications networks can promote equal opportunity communications."
It`s for these reasons that experts say the world is going wireless. Market research puts wireless broadband growth globally at an average of 95% annually up to 2010. Rogers says that an increasingly on-demand culture is really driving this growth.
"Sceptics are always ready to point out the failure of another highly-touted technology and WiMax is no exception. However, naysayers may have to eat their words as the strength and versatility of WiMax is fast addressing both mature and emerging markets, and demand is soaring, thanks to this faster, economical and more reliable technology."
WiMax is a worldwide approved and accepted standard for mobile broadband communications. It enables fixed-line, cable, mobile operators and new challengers to capitalise on new revenue opportunities with higher average revenue per user). WiMax standardisation promotes interoperability of products and solutions, and encourages economies of scale resulting in lower expected price points for WiMax infrastructure equipment.
In June 2008 the WiMax Forum announced the completion of the first round of Mobile WiMax Wave II certification for base stations and devices in the 2.5GHz frequency band. Alvarion was one of the first three vendors with commercially-available base stations to receive certification, along with seven device manufacturers.
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Alvarion
With more than 3 million units deployed in 150 countries, Alvarion (www.alvarion.com) is the world`s leading provider of innovative WiMax and wireless broadband network solutions, designed to enable personal broadband to improve lifestyles and productivity with portable and mobile data, VOIP, video and other services.
Alvarion is leading the market to Open WiMax solutions with the most extensive deployments and proven product portfolio in the industry covering the full range of frequency bands, with fixed, nomadic and mobile solutions. Alvarion`s products are designed to enable the delivery of personal mobile broadband, business and residential primary broadband access, corporate VPNs, toll quality telephony, mobile base station feeding, hotspot coverage extension, community interconnection and public safety communications.
As a wireless broadband pioneer, Alvarion has been driving and delivering innovations for almost 15 years from core technology developments to creating and promoting industry standards. Leveraging its key roles in the IEEE and HiperMAN standards committees and with experience in deploying OFDM-based systems, the company`s prominent work in the WiMax Forum is focused on increasing the widespread adoption of standard-based products in the wireless broadband market and leading the entire industry to Open WiMAX solutions.
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