WiMAX operators working on draft roaming agreements
Sixteen WiMAX operators from across the globe have gathered in Taipei this week to draft roaming agreements on 4G networks. The first WiMAX Forum Global Operator Summit served as an interactive working event for all service providers to gain a concrete understanding of the opportunity for roaming and how to build a framework for execution.
Global roaming continues to be one of the biggest challenges and opportunities for operators in the near and long-term. According to reports, global roaming revenues are expected to grow by 86% over the next five years to reach US$67 billion in 2015.
According to Ron Resnick, President and Chairman of the WiMAX Forum, the WiMAX Forum Global Operator Summit was created to specifically address overcoming both business and consumer perceptions that data roaming is expensive, and to explore ways to help operators grow revenue. WiMAX has an established ecosystem with nearly 600 deployments around the world. The opportunity for operators to offer their customers roaming is there, and it is an excellent way for operators to add another viable revenue stream and earn returns on their 4G network investments.
Nearly 70 representatives attended working sessions and collaborated to overcome the industry obstacles.
Enforta secures US$14.6 million loan from EBRD (Russia)
Russian WiMAX operator, Enforta has announced that it has secured an US$14.6 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The funds will be used to expand the company’s WiMAX network to a total of 130 cities. The first stage of the rollout will see around 25 cities connected to Enforta’s WiMAX network during 2011 and 2012. Strategic investor EBRD, which holds a 6.4% stake in Enforta, supplied the telco with an initial loan of US$15 million in January 2009 to fund the previous stage of its launch.
According to Enforta, its operations are focused in Russia’s regional capitals, with WiMAX service offered in 78 cities, including numerous smaller cities in Moscow region.
According to Oleg Taynov, Chief Commercial Officer of Enforta’s Prestige Internet brand, this new phase in Enforta’s development will involve widening the network, deploying new telecoms equipment and enhancing business processes within the group. The acquisition of regional fibre-optic transmission lines and WiMAX assets is also possible.
Six operators apply for WiMAX licence
The German regulator Bundesnetzagentur says that six firms have expressed interest in acquiring for a WiMAX operators licence in next month’s auction. The applicants have not been named but three are believed to have applied for a national licence and three have applied for regional concessions. The auction is for spectrum in the 3.4GHz to 3.6GHz bandwidth, frequencies typically used for WiMAX technology in Europe. Incumbent Deutsche Telekom, as reported in CommsUpdate last week, has said it will not be participating in the auction.
Source- telegeography Wireless Mobile Telecom
