Taiwan forged a deal with Intel to serve as a testing ground for WiMax. The Taiwanese government plans to fund the project with $209 million. The government will also provide spectrum allocation while Intel will provide technical assistance. The government plans to donate an additional NT$1.1 billion in research funds in 2006 specifically for WiMax development.
WiMax, also known as 802.16, is a next-generation WiFi technology that many expect will provide users with wireless high-speed Internet access at far greater distances than current WiFi technologies. More than 100 WiMax trials are taking place worldwide, but Taiwan is hyping its deployment to be the largest one to date. The plan, however, is still in the beginning stages. Taiwan does not yet have a blueprint for how the network will be deployed, an idea for who will run it, or a pricing plan for access fees.
For more on Taiwan's WiMax deployment:
- read this article from InfoWorld