News

Big "success story" for WiMAX in Singapore... turns out to be WiBro

Seems it's the Korean version of WiMAX, not the modern standard, which is the star of a nice-looking niche wireless network in Singapore.

The system, WisePort, was announced as a WiMAX Internet access service provided by  local operator QMax Communications. Sumner Lemon told readers that it was part of the local ballyhoo for Intel's launch of Centrino 2, a laptop chipset which will (soon) include WiMAX wireless.

The service allows ships in Singapore harbour space to connect to the Internet without using satellite links.

Intel's launch, Lemon revealed, was performed using a modern WiMAX dongle, the Flyvo U100, since the current prototype Centrino laptops don't actually have WiMAX circuits in them.

The good news (she said) is that the Flyvo device was able to talk to a server, which "uses the same version of WiMax found in South Korea, called WiBro, that uses the 2.3GHz spectrum band."

Flyvo assures customers that compatibility is assured:

WiBro is the name of the service in Korea that uses Mobile WiMAX technology. In other words, WiBro is a Mobile WiMAX technology defined as the Mobile WiMAX certification profile Korea independently developed wireless Internet technologies in the past, but has been using the same technology and specifications after ensuring compatibility with IEEE802.16 in 2004

says the FAQ

Sailors may be advised to use caution when surfing the web from on board; Singapore has strict rules about what it regards as proper conduct, and isn't famous for its scruples about privacy. Some messages might be better sent by satellite anyway...