WiMax technology set for UAE next year
Dubai: A new technology promising long-distance wireless broadband access could be unveiled to UAE customers early next year.
Mohammad Al Ganem, director-general of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, acknowledged on Wednesday that both UAE telecom operators are undergoing trials for a technology called WiMAX, or worldwide interoperability for micro-wave access.
“etisalat has been doing some testing, and du has been doing some testing,” he said.
WiMAX allows users to access the internet wirelessly from broadcast points five to seven kilometers away, in contrast to the current 100-metre limitation with wi-fi.
du announced its intentions with WiMAX in September. Earlier this month, Motorola said it was partnering with the new telecom to test the wireless network.
Etisalat’s plans with the new technology were unknown until Wednesday, when Gulf News learned etisalat has been deploying a pilot project in Abu Dhabi with Samsung.
“We have successfully tested the WiMAX roll out for the UAE recently,” Sandeep Saihgal, Samsung’s general manager for Telecommunications Division-Mena, told Gulf News.
“We were told that Etisalat will launch the service by the first half of next year. In terms of technology and handsets, we have all ready for the WiMAX as we have the same environment in Korea and some other countries.”
He said, it is due to a lack of the country’s readiness that his company could not provide this service.
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