The WiMAX Forum announced today, a second WiMAX certification test lab, the first in Asia and likely to be the first lab to conduct certification tests for Mobile WiMAX gear.
Working in close collaboration with the Korean government and Cetecom Laboratories in Spain, the WiMAX Forum named Telecommunications Technology Association’s (TTA) IT Testing & Certification Lab in Seoul, Korea, as the first lab in Asia to certify interoperability of WiMAX products. Korea’s WiBro is a precursor to the developing IEEE Mobile WiMAX standard which added additional frequencies and features.
The state-backed TTA, the country’s standardization organization, was not available for comment. The TTA’s IT Testing & Certification Lab has established relationships with a range of other certification institutions, including CableLabs, BQTF, CCF, CTIA, GCF, PTCRB and VeriTest.
The WiMAX Forum plans to have the TTA Lab operational in the fourth quarter of 2006 to begin receiving Mobile WiMAX equipment and start validating the test procedure. It is expected that by the first quarter of 2007, the first commercial Mobile WiMAX products will achieve the designation of “WiMAX Forum Certified.”
In other WiMAX news, WiMAX Telecom Group, the only multinational WiMAX service provider in Europe, says it’s the first in the world to offer telephony via WiMAX technology. “WiMAX FON” is the cheapest comprehensive last-mile connectivity solution in Austria, says the company. Thanks to number portability, customers can take their existing telephone number with them when switching to WiMAX FON.Work on an independent wireless network in Croatia is due to begin in mid-2006. The first services will go live shortly afterwards. WiMAX Telekom has offices in Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia and Croatia.
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