This morning, I had an amazing discussion with Robert H. Stubblebine, CEO of InfiNet Wireless, manufacturers of fixed BWA solutions for carrier-class networks.
Robert had some great insight on the future of WiMAX and its development as well as the challenges of WiMAX moving forward.
Stay tuned for the full, indepth interview with Robert.
This editor/reporter has had a busy day! I've had the chance to speak with many wonderful people today, especially the team at Epygi who just announced their partnership with Sales Force Europe in an effort to spread VoIP globally. Be sure to watch Epygi's Selecting VoIP Solutions channel, because you'll get to read all of the great insight from the experts at Epygi on this collaboration.
While I'm on the subject of Epygi.....here's an interesting announcement:
EPYGI BREAKS NEW GROUND AS FIRST ADVERTISER TO LAUNCH INTERACTIVE, MULTILINK-DRIVEN AD
New York and
Epygi CEO/President, Jeff Kirchner, explains, “CDI’s implementation of DOI technology allows Epygi to syndicate our marketing and sales information globally in real time ads and information updates all over the Web. We can instantly update information in every channel, keeping pace with an accelerating business. Knowing that public information and channel information is updated automatically via CDI’s MultiLink creation and maintenance process represents a breakthrough in sales support and channel development for Epygi. The same MultiLink can also be disseminated as a contextual link within product reviews, white papers, news articles, electronic feeds, blog entries, and downloadable marketing brochures. It is a permanent link that always brings customers back to our most current product information.”
Hugh Brownstone, CEO of Content Directions, adds, “We are delighted to help Epygi maximize the effectiveness of its online ad budget. We believe DOI-enabled ads represent a breakthrough in interactive advertising. Our custom-tailored MultiLinks allow advertisers to define the boundaries of a highly flexible, tuned ad campaign which remains a user-driven interaction. Our technology and the superior user experience it enables yield improvements in click-throughs and conversion rates at levels beyond anything else currently available.”
To view other examples of MultiLinks for Epygi products, see:
http://dx.doi.org/10.2120/0001-EPYGI-0000000000-0000000001 - IP PBXs
http://dx.doi.org/10.2120/0001-EPYGI-0000000000-0000000002 - Gateways
http://dx.doi.org/10.2120/0001-EPYGI-0000000000-0000000003 - Conference Servers
http://dx.doi.org/10.2120/0001-EPYGI-0000000000-0000000004 - Vonage Services
Those of us on the channels team are ecstatic that Epygi chose their Selecting VoIP Solutions portal as a means for deploying the next-gen ad.
There is even more coming tomorrow. Keep watching this WiMAX blog for an indepth interview with Robert H. Stubblebine, CEO of InfiNet Wireless...all the way from Russia!
It has just been confirmed: Republican Kevin Martin takes the FCC seat as chairman following Michael Powell's post.
Lucky for him, having already been serving on the FCC's board, no confirmation from the Senate is necessary.
Watch TMCnet for more news and updates on the FCC.....more to come!
::is silly::
I couldn't help but laugh at my own headline, but in all seriousness - some interesting news just arrived in my inbox. WiFi on wheels? That's right. WiFi is literally whizzing through the city of Cerritos, CA. Aiirmesh Communications, a high-speed wireless Internet service provider deploying the latest in 802.11/Wi-Fi and pre-WiMAX technologies, announced that on March 31 it will launch a pilot program to provide WiFi access for the Cerritos on Wheels (COW) public transportation.
Per the release, almost a year ago, Aiirmesh unwired the entire 8.6 square miles of the City of Cerritos by providing broadband Internet service and has since expanded network coverage into surrounding cities of Artesia, La Palma, La Mirada, Bellflower, Lakewood, Buena Park and Norwalk to total more than 40 square miles with its newly upgraded pre-WiMAX network. The service is being marketed to businesses and residents in these cities as wireless Broadband with the added advantage of inter-city roaming available in all selected outdoor hotzones. Pricing for the services are comparable to offerings by major broadband providers in the nation.
The COW is the City of Cerritos’ public transportation system that links parks, schools, retail centers, the Civic Center, Cerritos Library and other major points of interest in the City. Approximately 160,000 passengers ride the COW every year.
Newly designed, metallic blue, silver and white Cerritos on Wheels (COW) buses and an improved COW service were introduced to the public in February 2005. The new COW buses are larger than the previous vehicles, and showcase a new design symbolizing movement and evoking "little hills," the Spanish namesake of Cerritos. The back of each new vehicle displays a different image of a well-known City facility.
More interesting news on the WiMAX front just hit the wires straight from CTIA 2005....and WiMAX is the hot topic of this wireless event and is looking up for 2006.
Motorola just announced the development of its Canopy WiMAX platform which will be available worldwide outside of the United States. The platform includes infrastructure, indoor and outdoor customer premise equipment (CPE) and various management components.
Per the release:
"The expertise and success we've gained in developing Canopy Advantage(TM) can be easily leveraged to create a robust solution for the licensed bands. The Canopy WiMAX platform will be a powerful solution providing an alternative to E1/T1, DSL (digital subscriber line) and cable for fixed business and fixed residential customers, as well as a graceful migration to mobile services through 802.16e in the future," said Juan Santiago, director of strategy for Motorola's Wireless Broadband group.
The plug-and-play indoor CPE will be fully user installable, with a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) range of up to two miles (three kilometers). By eliminating the cost of a truck roll, lowering initial customer support costs, and enabling wide retail distribution, carriers will finally have a wireless alternative that addresses today's residential and enterprise broadband business case and opens a new market of affordable personal mobile broadband in the near future.
From CTIA Wireless 2005 -- the news hit the wires this morning:
Nortel and LG Electronics are teaming up in an effort to produce WiMAX products based on the 802.16e standard with trials commencing during the latter half of '06.
"Nortel's and LG Electronics' strengths will combine powerfully to deliver the future WiMAX vision," said Jae Ryung Lee, executive vice president, Networks, LG Electronics. "With the advent of 802.16e, mobility solutions for broadband wireless will become possible, and Nortel is an acknowledged leader in networking technologies that will be married with WiMAX access to enable that vision."
Nortel believes that the combination of OFDM and MIMO can be realized in 802.16e and WiMAX. These technologies provide greater spectrum efficiency, which is needed to scale wireless broadband systems for large numbers of users and high data throughputs. Nortel has invested in advanced development of OFDM and MIMO for the past six years and has demonstrated the benefits and commercial feasibility of these technologies to more than 100 customers.
Nortel is at the forefront of all broadband access technologies, including wide area cellular, wireline and wireless LAN. Nortel has designed, installed and launched more than 300 wireless networks in over 70 countries. Nortel was the industry's first supplier with wireless networks operating in all advanced radio technologies (GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO, UMTS and WLAN), and is the only end-to-end provider of all next generation wireless solutions, as well as edge and core network solutions for IP, ATM and optical transport.
So, does this mean that we'll see WiMAX right here in the good ol' U.S. of A? One can only hope!
Move over, Godzilla. There is a bigger monster taking over Japan. (at least, Tokyo for now)
The news just hit the wires this morning: Airspan Networks, along with YOZAN Inc. are joining forces to bring the first ever WiMAX monster-network for the metropolitan area of Tokyo, Japan. According to the release, the Yozan MetroZone will deliver high speed IP connectivity, and support Voice, Video and broadband data services.
Here's a bit more from the release:
Airspan and Yozan will commence trials of AS.MAX products in the second quarter of 2005 and commercial rollout will begin in the fourth quarter of the year, to be ready for a December 2005 launch. Airspan expects to complete deliveries of the base stations by the end of March 2006. The contract is valued in excess of $12 million.
The initial network will be based on a rollout of 600 cells in central Tokyo, and it will gradually expand to provide coverage throughout the greater Tokyo Metropolitan area and surrounding eight prefectures. This project will use Airspan's software-upgradeable radio technology, which will initially support 802.16-2004 and will later be upgraded to support 802.16e. Customers on this network will use Airspan's unique Self-Installable Indoor WiMAX customer premises equipment ("CPE"), called EasyST. This CPE provides WiMAX connectivity to the Base Station and Wi-Fi coverage inside the customer premises via its integrated Wi-Fi Access Point.
Henrik Smith-Petersen, President of Asia Pacific for Airspan Networks, said: "This network, in one of the world's top five cities, will be the first major deployment of a WiMAX Metropolitan Area Network. We are extremely pleased to be able to partner with Yozan, whose vision of pervasive broadband we share."
Mr. Takatori, Yozan's President and CEO said: "Yozan will provide its customers in Tokyo with a brand-new type of broadband service that can support IP Phones, video services and Nomadic and Portable broadband. We are pleased to be working with Airspan Networks, the leading provider of WiMAX equipment."
Time to add one more flag on my "Where in the World is WiMAX?" map.
As an avid iPod user, I have been concerned about the life of my iPod's battery because let's face it, I use it often and listen to it for as long as the battery will let me. But with the legal altercations regarding the iPod battery, I've grown more and more suspicious about using it because I don't want to have to replace the whole iPod thanks to it's (what seems) useless energy source. Last Fall, Apple responded to the masses by offering an extended warranty, granting disgruntled happy iPod owners an extra year of coverage and battery replacement promises. Well, thank you Apple. But still. Just one year? I've had my iPod for well over a year now and I've noticed that the battery life is growing shorter and shorter by the song. It ain't got the juice. What am I supposed to do? What happens when this year is over? Do I have to shell out another $3-500 for a NEW iPod? I like the iPod, but I don't want to get suckered into purchasing another.
But there is good news. My friends at OWC (Other World Computing) have released the NewerTech iPod battery for first through 4th gen iPods - and the price? $25.99 - $39.95. Sweet! And be sure to check out their iPod transmitter....it's fantastic.
Here is the full release:
Consumers want the biggest bang for their hard-earned bucks. But in an increasingly throwaway society, products that provide a good value are harder to come by.
So when companies like Apple Computer, producer of the popular iPod, leave consumers to choose between paying for an expensive replacement option or buying new, Other World Computing steps in. The McHenry County company offers high-capacity batteries that extend the life of First, Second, Third and Fourth Generation iPods.
Priced from $25.99 to $39.95, OWC's NewerTech iPod Batteries cost a fraction of Apple's replacement program and also provide 20 to 70 percent more capacity than Apple's iPod batteries. OWC includes non-scratching tools and instructions for installing each replacement battery. For individuals who prefer more visual guidance, installation videos for the different models are available under the Tech Center tab at the company's Web site -- www.eshop.macsales.com. A typical installation takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
OWC ships about 10,000 batteries each month. They represent the fastest growing segment of this $28 million-per-year company.
Another iPod enhancement sold by OWC is the iPod Road Trip! FM transmitter. This $14.99 device allows users to listen to their iPod tunes through a car stereo by plugging one end into their cigarette lighter, the other into their iPod and tune their radio to 87.9 or 107.7.
"Our goal is to offer customers better and more cost-effective alternatives that don't just keep them at their best, but make them better," said OWC President Larry O'Connor. "Our products not only save people money, but extend a product's life with a replacement part that itself lasts longer, which is more friendly to the environment."
The full NewerTech line can be viewed at www.macsales.com/NewerTech.
Whilst this is officially a WiMAX blog, I must share my experiences with a recent run-in with some customer-related issues, many thanks to SusCom.
I was visiting my parents this weekend to do my laundry catch up, see what was new, eat some Italian food. I went upstairs to surf the net some and to my disappointment, found that I couldn't access the Net because RCN wanted me to migrate to SusCom. Well, ok. I'm moderately technologically inclined, perhaps I can do this. So I notified my mother that we needed to migrate over to the new ISP by releasing the old ISP and reconfiguring the system. Well, I forgot that I was not, in fact, at work and stating this to my mother was like reciting Shakespeare in Japanese. So I told her that we needed to move to the new company since SusCom was taking over for RCN. That, I think, she understood.
I reconfigured mom's e-mail with no problems. The family runs on my brother's super-duper Mac G4 monster and being a Mac user myself, I thought that releasing the IP address would be as simple as pie. Nope. Not at all. SusCom was nice enough to provide IP-releasing instructions for PC users, not Mac users. Since the interfaces are rather similar, I broke in (well, I really asked if I could) the apps panel and tried to reconfigure all the jargin, but to no avail. OK. So my moment of geekdom was squashed. I was not triumphant. I must admit defeat and call -- gulp -- customer service.
I called. I watied. I waited. I waited. I waited.
I hung up the phone. Tinkered a bit more. Called again. I waited. I waited. And then, I waited.
I was not successful at contacting SusCom, nor was I successful at reconfiguring my mom's IP. As flustered as I was, I changed users and logged in as my brother only to find out that I was miraculously connected to the Internet with no submission forms popping up and no error messages telling me that I had to reconfigure something.
Either I fudged the process somehow and it worked or SusCom knew it was me waiting on the phone (rather, they knew it was my mother by phone number ID) and by some form of magic, decided to give this geek-in-the-making a break.
Whatever it was, I am thankful to the IP powers that be.
And I do hope that SusCom has a better method of handling their migration. Not everyone understands what releasing an IP means. And please - get some Mac instructions!