Intel News Release

Intel, Samsung Announce Plans to Deliver Products Based on WiMAX 2



NEWS HIGHLIGHTS


  • Intel and Samsung have signed an MOU to accelerate the implementation of next-generation WiMAX technology, Mobile WiMAX Release 2, or WiMAX 2.
  • IEEE 802.16m builds on the existing WiMAX broadband standards and is expected to be fully backwards compatible with current 802.16e products.
  • WiMAX currently boasts more than 500 deployments in 147 countries today, continuing to drive a new era in global connectivity.
 

SANTA CLARA, Calif., and SEOUL, South Korea, April 8, 2010 – Intel Corporation and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd today announced that the companies have signed an MOU to accelerate the delivery of products based on the next release of WiMAX technology, 802.16m, that will be made available on a host of devices including laptops, netbooks and entry-level desktops, USB dongles and smartphones. Also known as Mobile WiMAX Release 2, or "WiMAX 2," 802.16m builds on the existing 802.16e standard by adding new capabilities to significantly increase performance while maintaining backwards compatibility.

With global mobile data traffic expected to double every year through 2014, it is imperative to advance the performance of 4G solutions in order to improve the business model for service providers. With this goal in mind, leading WiMAX contributors Samsung and Intel intend to work together closely to accelerate the implementation of WiMAX 2 equipment and devices, while also working to improve the economics of mobile broadband. The companies expect to see solutions in market based on WiMAX 2 in late 2011.

"WiMAX is an important technology for the evolution of broadband today," said Dadi Perlmutter, Intel executive vice president and co-general manager of the Intel Architecture Group (IAG). "Intel has dedicated the past five years to working together with the ecosystem, building and improving WiMAX cost benefits, products and technologies along with our partners. Working closely with Samsung will help ensure best-in-class broadband solutions for WiMAX global momentum and enhance our vision for the compute continuum."

"Samsung believes wireless leadership begins with early involvement and commitment to continually innovating standards," said Woonsub Kim, executive vice president and head of the Telecommunication Systems Business for Samsung Electronics. "Together with Intel, we plan to leverage our existing knowledge of 802.16e to provide end-to-end solutions based on the evolutionary 802.16m standard, and to deliver next-generation technologies ranging from wireless infrastructure equipment to devices and chipsets."

WiMAX Release 2 802.16m defined
Consumers on WiMAX networks are consuming between 7 and 10 gigabytes of data per month, directly correlating users' behaviors to the speed and performance of their broadband connection. Today, WiMAX is the only broadly available, mass market mobile wireless solution that can support these levels of data consumption.

The 802.16m air interface standard definition began in late 2006 in IEEE as a follow on to 802.16e, and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2010. The corresponding WiMAX 2 network specifications and interoperability tests are being defined in parallel by the WiMAX Forum. 802.16e equipment vendors such as Samsung have already started development of next-generation 802.16m products, with commercial launches of WiMAX 2 systems expected in late 2011.

In addition, 802.16m meets the International Telecommunications Union requirements for 4G, or "IMT-Advanced," delivering higher peak throughputs – more than 300 Mbps in a 20 MHz channel – lower latency and increased coverage and VoIP capacity. 802.16m also introduces the ability to aggregate multiple RF carriers, making peak data rates of more than 1 Gbps possible in 100 MHz of effective bandwidth. Enhanced support for multi-hop relays and femto-cells provide operators with better tools for improving coverage while enhanced broadcast and location-based features enable premium applications and services.

WiMAX global broadband momentum
With more than 500 deployments in 147 countries today, WiMAX brings a new era in global connectivity – the first wireless broadband technology delivering 4G in Tokyo, and the first broadband connection to thousands of villages across India. WiMAX continues to be a unifying global technology redefining mobile broadband in the most advanced market segments today, while cost-effectively closing the digital divide in countless emerging markets.

As the world's first Mobile WiMAX system and device provider, launching the world's first commercial services in Korea in June 2006, Samsung is currently deploying Mobile WiMAX networks with 26 major operators in 22 countries, including Clearwire in the United States, UQ Communications in Japan, Yota in Russia and Mobily in Saudi Arabia. In networks such as these, there is a non-linear shift in mobile broadband usage models – similar in magnitude to when people went from dial-up to broadband.

Intel remains a leader in driving the evolution of WiMAX, investing and supporting research and development to help deliver the most advanced 4G mobile solutions to the market, bringing the leadership of Moore's Law to connectivity. Leading OEMs including Acer, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu, Lenovo, MSI, Onkyo, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba are delivering Intel-based, embedded WiMAX laptops and netbooks across the globe today. In addition, hundreds of WiMAX devices are certified and currently being deployed by service providers.