Alvarion today announced that it is creating WiMAX Zone Rapid Deployment Kits (RDKs) to enable quick and easy deployment of broadband services in small to medium sized emerging markets. Together with Alvarion, Intel plans to promote these RDKs at AfricaCom, a telecommunications conference (press releases).
The solution has been created in conjunction with the Intel’s World Ahead Program — with the objective to bring affordable technology to the next one billion people.
The Rapid Deployment Kits feature:
- Equipment to support 1-5 cells.
- 3rd party deployment, management, and training services.
- Marketing consulting support.
- Financial strategy assistance.
“Both Intel and Alvarion believe that WiMAX provides an easy to deploy solution for supporting broadband connectivity in emerging markets,” said John Davies, vice president, Sales and Marketing group at Intel and general manager of the Intel World Ahead program.
Alvarion says it leads the market in Africa as the preferred choice with 60 networks commercially deployed in Africa, with over 30 countries; and a customer base of tier-1 operators, incumbents and local partners.
“The African market is definitely flourishing with WiMAX and is expected to grow from a few hundred thousand subscribers to more than 10 million WiMAX subscribers over the next several years,” said Tzvika Friedman, president and CEO of Alvarion.
Clearstream (not to be confused with Clearwire), launched a global WiMax acquisition fund in June 2007 to aggressively pursue its goal of acquiring spectrum and building out networks throughout Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Southeast Asia, and Africa. The company’s Web site states that it currently owns WiMax spectrum valued at more than US$128 million in five countries, and it hopes to assemble a one billion dollar portfolio of WiMax spectrum and licenses within the next two years. Clearstream Uganda is set to commence operations, having received a license to provide infrastructure broadband and telephony services nationwide, according to a notice in local newspapers.
