WiMAX Taking Over Japan Like Godzilla

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.