SINGAPORE – Malaysian technology firm Green Packet Berhad has signed an agreement with French communications giant Alcatel-Lucent to promote the world’s first comprehensive lineup of WiMAX equipment.
According to key executives of both companies, this is the first international offering of a comprehensive series of WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) customer premise equipment (CPE) by a single source.
Under the agreement, the companies will jointly promote Alcatel-Lucent’s WiMAX Rev-e (802.16e) products, as well as Green Packet’s new WiMAX Rev-e Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) and Intouch Connection Manager (CM) software.
Green Packet’s devices include outdoor and indoor subscriber modems and USB dongles will be distributed to telecommunication service providers.
WiMAX revenues in the Asia Pacific region are expected to exceed $5.46 billion by 2012.
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Field tested and ready
According to Green Packet senior GM Kelvin Lee, the WiMAX CPE devices on offer have been field-tested for interoperability by Packet One Networks (P1), which became the first company to launch WiMAX Rev-e commercial services in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region in August this year.
Green Packet’s WiMAX Rev-e CPEs are also undergoing comprehensive and stringent interoperability testing (IOT) under Alcatel-Lucent’s Open Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) Program, which has been established to accelerate the development of a global and open WiMAX ecosystem, Lee added.
Lee also said that WiMAX Rev-e CPE comes complete with Intouch software, which provides Operators with revenue-generating value-added services and applications that help to increase ARPU (Average Revenue Per User).
Challenge of network congestion
“Intouch also addresses the need for telcos and Internet service providers [ISPs] to overcome the constant challenge of network congestion, by offloading bandwidth intensive networks to a Wi-Fi network,” said Lee. “This key advantage has been one of the reasons for its take-up by many telcos in Asian markets.”
Speaking of the collaboration with Alcatel-Lucent, Lee said: “We are confident we will enjoy success in many markets with telcos and ISPs because of the functional, modern design and consumer appeal of our devices and, more importantly, because these products are proven in-market.”
Alcatel-Lucent VP and head of WiMAX activities, Karim El Nagger said: “This collaboration with Green Packet will further enhance the widespread adoption and development of WiMAX Rev-e in the Asia Pacific and it is further evidence of the key role Alcatel-Lucent’s Open CPE Program is playing in the WiMAX Rev-e eco-system.”
