Wimax still alive as Greenpacket announces EU deals

Mobile broadband and networking solutions provider Greenpacket insists that WiMAX technology still has a place in bringing 4G to consumers in Europe after it announced that it has secured 4G device deals with EU operators Aria in Italy and Max Telecom in Bulgaria.

The firm said that its 4G WiMAX devices are deployed in one in three EU countries and are gaining traction in countries such as Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain. The firm added that its sales shipment grew four-fold last year, a significant increase since the company entered the market in 2009.

“Our consecutive wins in the region prove that operators have confidence in our products. We see 4G WiMAX playing a significant role especially in Eastern Europe,” said Kelvin Lee, senior general manager at Greenpacket.

“The technology is well-suited as the most cost effective fixed-DSL replacement for rural connectivity; serving areas where wireline broadband is unavailable and 3G wireless broadband is limited and of low-quality.”

The firm argues that with digital divides between rural and urban areas and huge gaps in economic stature between EU countries, there is vast potential for further growth in broadband penetration.

And Lee is adamant that 4G WiMAX is set for a new wave of growth in the fast developing and underserved EU regions.

“We are committed to the European market, and will continue to build relationships and evolve our products to suite the specific needs of our EU clients and the EU market at large,” he said.

Greenpacket is currently deploying to operators including Clearwire, Zapp, MVM and 2K Telecom.