Korea Telecom has signed a memorandum of understanding with Intel to collaborate on WiMAX technology.
The deal will see Intel produce a chipset just for Korea's WiMAX bands. While KT and SKT operate WiBro networks, which feature different channel profiles than WiMAX, new licenses in the 2.3 GHz band will adopt WiMAX, and KT and SKT will eventually deploy WiMAX too. In the meantime, the deal with Intel is expected to lower the price and broaden the market for WiBro by embedding chips in devices.
Three-year-old WiBro has fallen short of uptake goals set by the Korean regulator KCC. The regulator determined that WiBro needed to come in line with mobile WiMAX to enable Korea's operators to participate in the broader ecosystem that WiMAX provides. The WiBro standard fully supports 802.16e but the channel profiles remain a barrier.
For more:
- see this Rethink Wireless article
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