PR releases

PR - Intel introduces new WiMAX silicon to expand the reach of broadband internet access

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 18, 2005 – Intel Corporation today announced the availability of its first WiMAX product, providing equipment manufacturers and carriers the ability to deliver next-generation wireless broadband networks around the world.

In addition, several service providers worldwide announced plans to begin commercial WiMAX trials based on Intel silicon products later this year, giving consumers and businesses a glimpse at this emerging wireless high-speed broadband technology. Key equipment providers also announced WiMAX solutions based on Intel’s product.

WiMAX, short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a standards-based wireless technology for providing high-speed, last-mile broadband connectivity to homes and businesses and for mobile wireless networks. Intel’s WiMAX silicon delivers the features needed to provide cost-effective, high-speed wireless modems for homes and businesses. Initial deployments will enable delivery of broadband Internet access to remote areas not currently served by DSL or cable, and will make it possible to wirelessly connect buildings up to several miles apart. Because it is standards-based, WiMAX technology is expected to make it easier and more cost-effective for new and existing broadband users to enjoy wireless Internet access.

“As a standards-based, high-speed Internet access solution, WiMAX can provide the platform for the next generation of Internet expansion, connecting the next billion Internet users,” said Scott Richardson, general manager of Intel’s Broadband Wireless Division. “In addition to delivering the first flexible, highly integrated WiMAX system-on-chip, Intel has worked with a number of parties, including carriers and equipment manufacturers, to prepare the industry for the next wave of wireless technology.”

Optimised for Broad Adoption

Previously codenamed “Rosedale,” the Intel® PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface device is based on the IEEE 802.16-2004 standard, giving carriers and end-users the confidence that equipment from different vendors will work together. WiMAX solutions based on 802.16-2004 enable the creation of high-speed, fixed wireless broadband networks, providing Internet connectivity, Internet Protocol (IP) and TDM Voice capabilities and IP-based real-time video at high speeds.

The Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface is the first 802.16-2004 system-on-chip optimised for cost-effective WiMAX modems and residential gateways. These units may be placed in either homes or businesses to receive and transmit a wireless broadband signal.

The product is designed with a high level of integration to streamline the development process and reduce costs for equipment manufacturers. It also offers a programmable architecture that makes it easier for equipment manufacturers to add innovative, unique applications on top of the standards-based Intel solution.

To bring WiMAX connectivity to a broader audience, the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface enables both outdoor WiMAX products as well as new indoor solutions, such as self-installable WiMAX modems and residential gateways.    

Ecosystem Working to Bring WiMAX to Reality

Some of the carriers working with Intel to enable a broad ecosystem around WiMAX include: AT&T* (US), Altitude Telecom* (France), BT* (UK), Brasil Telecom* (Brazil),

ETB* (Columbia), Iberbanda* (Spain), Millicom* (Argentina), Qwest* (US), Sify* (India), Speakeasy* (US), Telkom* (South Africa), Telmex* (Mexico), TowerStream* (US), UHT* (Ukraine).

In addition, market-leading equipment manufacturers have announced their own products based on the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface, including Airspan*, Alvarion*, Aperto Networks*, Axxcelera Broadband Wireless*, Gemtek*, Huawei*, Proxim Corporation*, Redline Communications*, Siemens Mobile*, SR Telecom* and ZTE*. With the delivery of the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface, these vendors expect to participate in upcoming certification testing by the WiMAX Forum*, an industry group chartered to test and certify interoperability among WiMAX products from different manufacturers.

            Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom

Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

Industry Quotes:

Carriers

Altitude Telecom

“With its large wireless broadband network deployment in France, Altitude Telecom covers more than 5m customers. The new Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface design speeds up the development of mass market WiMAX CPEs and residential gateways by delivering affordable broadband Internet to the enterprise and consumers in the rural areas." said Jean-Paul Rivière, Chairman of Altitude Telecom.

BT

“WiMAX is an exciting technology and BT will continue to watch its evolution. Currently our focus is the fixed wireless access market and we have already deployed services in key sites across the UK, including Northern Ireland . In addition we are pleased to announce that we have won the contract to deliver wireless advanced broadband internet services to businesses in Lincolnshire,” said Chet Patel, general manager, Wireless Access Group at BT. “We are committed to wireless access and believe Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface  to be an important step in its evolution, and are excited about the impact it could have on wireless access and WiMAX markets.”

Brasil Telecom

“WiMAX, as a standards-based solution, is a key alternative to bringing cost-effective, high-speed broadband wireless access to thousands of people across Brazil who need Internet access” said Marcelo Nobre Frasson, Director of Network Planning of Brasil Telecom. “We are excited to be working with Intel to make WiMAX networks a reality, and we look forward to starting commercial applications of WiMAX networks using Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface in Brazil later this year.”

ETB

“For operators like ETB, the future is based upon the fast development of the broadband business,” said Rafael Orduz President of ETB. “In this context, the benefits that WiMAX offers to ETB will be key piece in the achievement of the goals of the company"

Iberbanda

“Iberbanda has deployed one of the main 802.16 networks in Europe, covering nearly 25% of the Spanish territory, with greater presence in Andalusia, Catalonia, and Murcia, where our company has been chosen to deploy a new network in areas which currently do not have broadband networks. Our network is ready to leverage WiMAX technology and to begin with the first trials in the coming months. The Intel chipset will allow us to optimize customer equipment costs and facilitate the deployment of new broadband networks in other areas such as Navarra and Castilla,” states Carlos Morell, CEO of Iberbanda. "Thanks to our exclusive wireless communication license, Iberbanda will launch WiMAX services with similar prices to other broadband solutions but with greater bandwidth, symmetrical connections and guaranteed qualities.”

Millicom Argentina

“As the leader in wireless communications in Argentina, we are pleased with the market and customer recognition received as we innovate in pursuit of our ultimate WiMax vision: ‘a wireless best connected country’,” said Luis Galli, CEO of Millicom Argentina SA. “It is fundamental to stay at the forefront in the development of wireless access solutions. Working together with Intel guarantees our success and strengthens our position in the market, complying that way with the commitment assumed with our customers to create the first and most broad and innovative WiMax Network in Argentina covering more than 140 cities.”

MobileCity

“Our experience from building Scandinavia's first WiMAX network shows how fast and easy this technology can bring broadband access to people living out of reach of DSL or cable,” says Goran Eriksson, CEO of MobileCity. “Intel's launch of standard compliant WiMAX silicon will take WiMAX to the mass market by increasing the availability of equipment and drive down the costs. MobileCity will work with ISPs, cities and companies to explore this new business opportunity.”

Qwest

“Wireless broadband services give Qwest the ability to deploy broadband in areas it otherwise may not have been feasible, and Qwest customers appreciate the convenience of wireless broadband,” said Balan Nair, Chief Technology Officer for Qwest Communications. “We are pleased to work with Intel on this latest WiMAX technology and look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship as we explore WiMAX services over the next 18 months.”

Speakeasy

“Speakeasy and Intel share a vision for a WiMAX future and are working closely to set the standard for high-performance WiMAX services,” said Speakeasy President and CEO, Bruce Chatterley.  “The capabilities of the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 chip-set serve as the foundation for our highly innovative work in making WiMAX a commercial reality.”

Telkom South Africa

“Telkom views WiMAX as a wireless alternative for ‘last mile’ broadband connectivity for both business and residential customers, connecting many to the Internet for the first time. We have been conducting initial WiMAX trials with Intel for the last 3 months,” said Thami Msimango, managing executive of Network Infrastructure Provisioning for Telekom. “We believe the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface is the right solution for CPEs and gateways, and Telkom intends to integrate the standards-basedl Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 into our trial in mid-2005.”

TELMEX

“As one of the world’s largest frequency holders, Telmex expects to use wireless mobile technology to expand, complement, enrich and overpass our customers’ expectations, not only in Mexico but also in Latin America,” said Andrés Vázquez del Mercado, Executive VP of Investments and Strategic Development at TELMEX.

TowerStream

“From the Centrino Chip to the launch of the PRO/Wireless 5116, Intel is once again revolutionizing the expansion of the Internet through the development of the IEEE 802.16-2004 system on chip (SoC).  The new PRO/Wireless 5116, now in production, will bring cost effective WiMAX CPEs and residential gateways to market, setting the stage for the next phase of standards-based broadband wireless,” said Jeff Thompson, COO of TowerStream.  “TowerStream's experience in the WiMAX Forum and its major market rollouts in select cities including New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago will enable us to quickly deploy Intel's PRO/Wireless 5116.   TowerStream provides customers with high-quality, reliable VoIP, high-speed data and video, offering a true alternative to wireline networks.  We will continue working with companies like Intel to deliver the freedom of wireless and the advanced features of WiMAX to bring the next generation of users online.”

Ukranian High Technologies (UHT)

“Ukranian High Technologies (UHT) plans to build nationwide WiMAX networks in Ukraine, using equipment from variety of vendors. This approach is based on our expectation that standardized equipment based on the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface will enable significant savings on network investment as well as allow us to make affordable customer premise equipment available to clients,” said Vasily S. Melnichenko, General Director, Ukranian High Technologies. “We want to leverage the anticipated worldwide trend of declining prices for WIMAX equipment to set relatively inexpensive prices for our customers.” 

Equipment Manufacturers

Airspan Networks

Eric Stonestrom, CEO of Airspan Networks said, “The introduction of the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface in our next generation CPE accelerates the WiMAX Roadmap. Combining the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 with our other WiMAX capabilities enabled us to build an Indoor, self-install CPE that delivers real plug-and-play capabilities, a first for WiMAX.”

Alvarion

“Culminating our strategic agreement for joint development with Intel signed in 2003, we are now the first equipment vendor to demonstrate a working WiMAX-ready CPE using the Intel® PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface in the official WiMAX Forum lab,” said Zvi Slonimsky, CEO of Alvarion. “With the product slated for commercial release in the second half of 2005, this milestone represents a significant step forward for both Alvarion and the industry, as we move to widespread adoption of WiMAX standard products.”

Aperto

“Intel has without question been the key catalyst in gaining acceptance for WiMAX as the new MAN paradigm,” emphasized Aperto CEO Reza Ahy. “We are pleased to implement Intel in our WiMAX CPE, and to work with them in the promotion of broadband wireless solutions. The critical mass now assembled within the WiMAX Forum and between silicon makers, subsystems vendors, systems providers and carriers is truly market-making. We look forward to great success with the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 platform.”

Axxcelera Broadband Wireless

“The Broadband Wireless market has long waited for cost-effective, standards-based solutions that provide a true alternative to last mile wireline technologies. Axxcelera has worked closely with strategic partners like Intel over the past few years and we are pleased to bring WiMAX-based solutions to deliver last mile broadband services in the licensed and unlicensed frequency bands. WiMAX has set the stage for mass deployment

of broadband wireless services world wide. We continue to work with our partners to introduce standards-based nomadic and mobile solutions in the future,” said Jamal Hamdani, CEO and President of Axxcelera Broadband Wireless.

Huawei

“Intel’s launch of the world’s first IEEE 802.16-2004 compliant system-on-a-chip today marks the beginning of an era of cost effective WiMAX solutions,” said Guo Zhiyan, Director of Huawei Broadband Wireless Department. “Huawei believes this will accelerate the success of WiMAX solutions.”

Proxim

“Intel's PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface has allowed Proxim to quickly and cost-effectively develop an innovative WiMAX platform,” said Kevin Duffy, president and CEO of Proxim.  “Our Tsunami MP.16 solution is unique in the PRO/Wireless 5116 Chipset support we can now demonstrate within both the base station and subscriber stations. Our collaboration with Intel is a critical component in our ongoing WiMAX development efforts.”

Redline Communications

“With our January announcement of the AN-100U, the world witnessed the first fully-compliant IEEE 802.16-2004 dual-purpose (base and subscriber station) platform,” said Majed Sifri, President and CEO of Redline Communications. “With today’s announcement of the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 – the first IEEE 802.16-2004 system-on-a-chip – Intel has set the stage for the rollout of WiMAX CPEs and residential gateways, for a mass market.”

SR Telecom

“The official launch of the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface is an important event in the evolution of fixed wireless access, and SR Telecom is proud to be a part of this WiMAX initiative,” said Pierre St-Arnaud, SR Telecom’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Combining Intel’s chipset expertise with our experience in large OFDM deployments will provide operators with the scalable and cost-effective broadband solutions they have been telling us that they need. We look forward to continuing to work with Intel and the WiMAX Forum on the further development of WiMAX-certified solutions.”

Siemens

“Siemens will integrate the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 chipset in the Customer Premises Equipment of its SkyMAX solution. A standard-based system-on-chip optimized for cost effective CPE and residential gateways is the prerequisite for a WiMAX mass market,” said Roberto Dalla Longa, President Microwave Networks at Siemens Communications . “Already very early Siemens has joined together with Intel and the WiMAX Forum industry organization to advance the IEEE 802.16 standard. This radio technology is beneficial wherever laying cables is impractical or non economical. This makes WiMAX an extremely useful complementary technology to DSL and UMTS.”

ZiMAX, a subsidary of ZTE Corporation

“Intel and ZTE have been working together for about two years for the development of standards and architecture for 802.16-based networks”, said James Jiang, president of ZiMAX Technologies. (ZiMAX is a subsidiary of ZTE Corporation, dedicated to the development of IEEE 802.16-based products) “Intel is our key silicon supplier for the WiMAX solutions. We are pleased with the launch of the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface and believe this will help build momentum for cost–effective mass market WiMAX CPE and residential gateway solutions.”

Other Ecosystem Players

Gemtek

“WiMAX has the potential to bring broadband access to a whole new generation of Internet users, but it requires easy-to-install and lower cost products to really reach a broad market,” said Howard Chen, Gemtek CEO. “As a highly integrated system on chip, the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface has enabled Gemtek to develop a cost-effective CPE that is suitable for the mass market.”

RF Magic

“RF Magic’s collaboration with Intel on the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface has created a complete antenna-to-baseband solution that will hasten the adoption of the WiMAX standard for broadband wireless communications,” said Rick Beale, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for RF Magic. “The resulting Bluefin front end reference design is another example of RF Magic's ability to solve the industry's most extreme RF design challenges.”

Sierra Monolithics

“We have seen the wireless broadband market enabled by cost effective CPEs and gateways. Standard based silicon is critical in achieving these cost points, the Intel PRO/Wireless 5116 SoC and our SMI7035 transceiver speeds up the development of WiMAX CPEs and gateways.” Vivek Pendharkar, Interim CEO of Sierra Monolithics, a supplier of RFICs transceivers for broadband wireless CPEs.

WCA

“We in the Wireless Communications Association are elated to see the cooperation of so many industry players to bring WiMAX and new broadband wireless deployments to the marketplace,” said Andrew Kreig, the president of the Washington, DC-based international trade association.  “Intel has been an outstanding leader in working with our members to move the entire industry into a new era of wireless access in the United States and around the world.”

WiMAX Forum

“The WiMAX Forum has worked hard to foster cooperation between so many industry players to bring WiMAX to the marketplace,” said Ron Resnick, President WiMAX Forum. “We're very pleased to see Intel's standards-based WiMAX chips entering the market and the many new products and trials being announced by industry participants today.”