ASIA : WiMAX, the global non-profit organization dedicated to the realisation of IEEE 802.16 and ETSI HiperMAN wireless standards for last-mile broadband access, announced that its wireless broadband technology was recognized as the "Most Promising Technology of the Year," as part of CNET Networks' UK Technology Awards 2003 held in London yesterday. Following nominations by the readers of ZDNet UK and silicon.com, WiMAX was voted as the most significant technological development of the last year over Ultrawideband, Globus (grid computing), ebXML and UMTS.

"The members of WiMAX are excited to receive this accolade, which proves that wireless broadband is gaining worldwide acceptance as a critical last-mile method to deliver ubiquitous high-bandwidth voice, data and video services to businesses and residences," said WiMAX President Margaret LaBrecque. "Since WiMAX's inception, we have seen a growing number of service providers and equipment and component manufacturers embrace this global standard and our compliance and interoperability efforts. Over time, the economies of scale made possible by standards-based, interoperable solutions will drive price and performance levels unachievable by proprietary approaches. With our expanding membership, there is a strong commitment and industry-wide confidence to deliver and proliferate WiMAX systems next year."

With WiMAX-certified standard network equipment, operators worldwide will soon be able to build cost-effective wireless broadband networks on a mass scale to be on par with cable modems and DSL technologies. As a result, operators can deliver broadband data, voice and video services to both residential and business customers, as well as use WiMAX systems to provide broadband backhaul infrastructure to the growing number of WiFi "hot spots" and address the evolution of mobile cellular networks.
The CNET Networks' award was presented to WiMAX at the European Technology Forum's Third Annual Technology Summit held in London on 8 October, which is fast becoming one of the industry's premier technology events.

"Without broadband, IT won't be able to reach into people's lives to full effect. But broadband provision has been patchy," said Matt Loney, editor of ZDNet UK. "The readers of silicon.com and ZDNet UK recognise that WiMAX will change all that - a very fast, quick-deploying wireless point-to-multipoint technology that will get cities of people connected at speed. It has the potential to be as universal as television, and the power to span the world."

"Broadband wireless technology has thus far promised much but delivered relatively little, as a fragmented market designing proprietary systems struggled to supply compelling, competitive solutions," added Richard Dineen, research director for Ovum's Wireless Group. "WiMAX is poised to change this, offering open standards interoperability, providing the basis for a competitive supply ecosystem and ultimately driving down costs and prices. WiMAX (802.16a) technology promises mobile operators and WISPs a cost-effective substitute for leased line backhaul from cell-sites or WiFi hotspots and will offer a powerful wireless alternative to DSL or cable access in areas underserved by fixed broadband infrastructure."

Covering frequencies up to 11 GHz, WiMAX networks have a service area range of up to 52 kilometers (31 miles) and allow users to get broadband connectivity without needing a direct line of sight to the base station. This wireless broadband technology also provides shared data rates up to 70 Mbps, which is enough bandwidth to simultaneously support more than 60 businesses with E1/T1-type connectivity and hundreds of homes with DSL-type connectivity using a single sector of a base station.