By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter
South Korean companies have proven their leadership in mobile Internet technology by receiving international certificates for the Mobile WiMax system.
Samsung Electronics and POSDATA said Wednesday that they received the WiMax Forum Certified Seal of Approval, followed rigorous testing of products to ensure that they meet strict interoperability and conformance standards.
Only eight products from four companies received the first certificate from the WiMax Forum, an industry group of more than 500 companies in the telecommunications sector. The endorsement will open ways for the firms to export more products and maintain their technological leadership, they claim.
Mobile WiMax is a wireless Internet platform that can provide citywide or nationwide coverage. Korean firms such as Samsung, POSDATA and KT have led the development and deployment of it with strong support from the government. It is better known as WiBro (wireless broadband) in Korea.
``We are very proud to be among the world's first vendors to receive the WiMax Forum's official certification,'' Choi Gee-sung, president of Samsung's telecommunications business, said in a release. ``As the lead vendor for KT's network and terminals, we have demonstrated the superiority of this exciting new technology in a live commercial network in Korea, and will continue to do so with other partners throughout the world, including imminent commercialization with Sprint Nextel in the United States.''
``I believe that the announcement of the first-ever certified Mobile WiMax products is a truly exciting and historic milestone for the entire Mobile WiMax community,'' said Shin In-cheol, executive vice president and CTO of POSDATA. ``At the same time, it is a great honor for POSDATA to be a part of this undeniably memorable moment. I wholeheartedly hope this will serve as a catalyst for bringing forth a huge avalanche in expanding the Mobile WiMax market on a global scale, and POSDATA promises to continuously do its due part in the promotion and maturation of the technology.''
Samsung and POSDATA each had one modem and one base station certified by the forum.
Samsung is providing equipment to Sprint in New York, Washington and several other cities on the U.S. east coast. POSDATA supplies its Flyvo brand products to Venezuela, Singapore and is seeking business opportunities in Thailand.
Starting with this endorsement, the WiMax Forum forecasts more than 100 products will be certified this year and more than 1,000 products will undergo Mobile WiMAX certification testing by 2011. The world market will accelerate through availability of the certified products, KT's Executive Vice President Pyo Hyun-myung said.
Currently, KT has more than 140,000 customers on its WiMax network in Korea and expects at least 410,000 subscribers by the end of 2008, covering more than 40 percent of the country.
indizio@koreatimes.co.kr