Intel, Motorola and other leading WiMAX vendors formed an alliance to accelerate the development of the WiMAX 2 ecosystem and ensure interoperability of WiMAX technologies. The group is called the WiMAX 2 Collaboration Initiative, or WCI.
The WCI includes Alvarion, Beceem, GCT Semiconductor, Samsung, Sequans, XRONet and ZTE, as well as Taiwanese research organization ITRI. The group said it will work closely with the WiMAX Forum and collaborate on technology and performance benchmarking, as well as joint testing of applications and early network level interoperability testing.
The WiMAX standard, formally known as 802.16m and marketed under the "WiMAX 2" brand, can deliver theoretical peak download rates of 300 Mbps. Last week, the WiMAX Forum said the new release is expected to be completed in the second half of this year, with device certification coming in late 2011.
Within the next three to six months, the WCI said it will issue detailed milestones and delivery schedules in order to meet the goal of device certification for next year.
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Article modified April 13 to clarify the relationship between the WiMAX Forum and the WCI.