Cable and Wireless is another company at the IP VPN vanguard, in a group including players such as Infonet, Global Crossing and XO Communications. Camille Mendler, Yankee Group director for European fixed telecoms, said: "The history of alliances...
BT recently began a trial of WiMax in four rural areas, and many telcos are thought to be interested in the technology. A US manufacturer of WiMax equipment has won $20m of investment, as venture capitalists show renewed interest in the high-tech...
And, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance's Hanzlik, the WiMax and Wi-Fi bodies aren't at each other's throats: "We have a very good relationship with the WiMax Forum - we're trying to find areas where the technology is complementary.
It's a problem that's been dogging the technology for some time, with the standard yet to be ratified and the WiMax Forum's projected date for the debut of the relevant 802.16 standard having slipped repeatedly.
While these vendors may claim to provide WiMax products at present, only a pre-WiMax solution exists and most vendors are undergoing the WiMax Forum certification testing for 802.16d standard, according to analyst Frost and Sullivan.
To ensure interoperability for global operators and consumers, the WiMax Forum supports the end-to-end certification process, from equipment development to test equipment validation and, finally, product certification.