Maxis trials WiMAX

Malaysian carrier Maxis Communications has embarked on a six month trial of 802.16e mobile WiMAX using kit supplied by Motorola.

The trial in the country’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur is among four Maxis live trial sites using Moto kit in the 2.5GHz spectrum.

Due to its capacity management capabilities for high broadband traffic the carrier views WiMAX as a complementary service to its ongoing HSDPA deployment.

“Mobile WiMAX plays a critical role in our wireless broadband strategy,” said Nikolai Dobberstein, senior general manager for products and new businesses at Maxis. “We see mobile WiMAX as an essential.”

The trial, when completed, will provide full wireless connectivity and access to residential broadband users. It is Motorola’s first mobile WiMAX live trial in Southeast Asia.

All trial sites are being monitored by an EMS (Element Management System) Portal. This will enable Maxis to assess WiMAX traffic channeling capabilities and further evaluate the full mobility and performance of Motorola’s suite of mobile WiMAX offerings in the 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz frequency bands.

Motorola also announced recent WiMAX deployment projects with Wateen Telecom-Pakistan, which is a part of Warid Telecom International, to roll out a nationwide WiMAX 802.16e network in Pakistan, and Agni System, a Bangladesh-based ISP.