Motorola improves wireless broadband position

Lead with your strength. Motorola is moving aggressively to strengthen its wireless broadband position. The latest move: It is acquiring U.K. manufacturer Orthogon Systems. The price was not disclosed. Orthogon specializes in equipment using OFDM technology for point-to-point high-speed wireless network connections. OFDM has many advantages, chief among them the fact that it uses several radio bands, thus making it more resistant to noise; it can also overcome physical obstacles between the transmitter and receiver.

Motorola says that Orthogon has "thousands" of deployments in 53 countries. Motorola plans to use Orthogon's technology to build out wireless broadband offerings under its Motowi4 brand, including WiMAX, Mesh Solutions and Canopy products. Greg Brown, president of networks and enterprise business at Motorola, said, "Orthogon's products and technologies will advance Motorola's vision of seamless mobility by providing customers with easy, uninterrupted access to communication and information."

For more on Motorola's acquisition:
- see Orthogon's press release
For more on Motowi4:
- see Motorola's Web site