Google

WiMAX coming later to Centrino 2

Lynnette Luna — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:15:14 -0400

Intel plans to ship its highly anticipated Centrino 2 mobile laptop platform this week, but one key feature that will be missing is the dual-mode WiFi (802.11n)/WiMAX module. That feature, said an Intel spokeswoman, won't ship until sometime later this year--likely in time for commercial WiMAX launches from Clearwire and Sprint.

The platform that will be introduced today will include what Intel calls enhanced WiFi capabilities, and it's assumed that means the Draft 2.0 802.11n standard.

Centrino 2.0 is the fifth generation of Centrino technology. PC makers such as Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba are reportedly planning to launch new notebooks concurrently with the release of Centrino 2.

Intel, as you remember, invested $1 billion in the new Clearwire WiMAX business, which includes Sprint, cable companies and Google. Intel is hoping WiMAX incorporated in the new platform will do the same thing incorporating WiFi did, spur adoption. However, Clearwire's rollout will be on a market-by-market basis with 2010 or even 2011 delivering a reasonable footprint in the majority of the top 200 markets.

For more:
- read Network World

Related stories:
Intel: July launch for next-gen WiFi/ WiMAX platform. Intel story
Intel to re-enter mobile-phone market. Intel mobile-phone story

FCC to commence field testing of white-space devices

Lynnette Luna — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:22:00 -0400

The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology announced it will begin field testing of prototype white-white space devices on Monday. The testing is part of its rule making process to determine whether these devices are capable of co-existing on an unlicensed basis with television broadcasts. Up until now, the FCC has conducted laboratory tests using prototypes.

The issue of using unlicensed white-space spectrum has been a significant area of contention, as the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) staunchly oppose the use based on interference concerns. Heavy wireless microphone users such as the NFL and entertainers are also concerned over the idea.

"NAB has no quarrel with field tests, but based upon multiple failures of unlicensed devices in laboratory testing thus far, we remain highly skeptical that this technology will ever work as advertised," NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton said in a statement regarding the FCC's next moves to field test the devices.

NAB continues to point out that the devices failed to work properly during lab testing, while white-space advocates--including Google and Microsoft--claim the malfunctions were power malfunctions and had nothing to do with whether they interfered with television signals. In fact, they say, the devices showed no interference problems, they say.

NAB and CTIA are aligned on the notion that white-space spectrum should be licensed to prevent interference.

For more:
- read the FCC's public notice

Related stories:
The drama continues over white-space spectrum. White space story
Professional sports leagues concerned about white space spectrum. White space interference story

Clearwire looking for partnership deals in Europe

Lynnette Luna — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:31:42 -0400

Clearwire CEO Ben Wolff said the company is in discussions with European companies to create partnerships similar to Clearwire's deal in the U.S. to help it build out mobile WiMAX across Europe, according to an Unstrung article. The operator owns licenses in seven European countries, covering about 200 million people. Clearwire is pooling its assets with Sprint's Xohm business with cash infusions from Intel, Google and three cable operators.

Clearwire has acquired 3.5 GHz licenses in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Romania, and Spain, and through its affiliate in Denmark, Danske Telecom A/S. At the end of March, Clearwire had just 51,000 customers in Brussels and Ghent, Belgium; Dublin; and Seville, Spain.

For more:
- read Unstrung

Related stories:
Clearwire expects 30 million subs by 2017. Clearwire story
New Sprint-Clearwire deal a shot in the arm for mobile WiMAX. Clearwire editorial

Voyant inks $2M white-space device deal

Thu, 29 May 2008 06:59:57 -0400

The FCC isn't finished testing white space prototypes for possible interference but that isn't stopping a technology holding company from entering the market and inking a $2-million contract for the development and production of the first 3,000 white space radios. Voyant International announced that its contract with the unknown entity will see the company designing and delivering the devices over multiple years. The unnamed customer will use them for a variety of applications, including "green, energy-efficient, utility and power management."

White space spectrum represents more than 200 megahertz of vacant bandwidth in the adjacent TV airwaves and is the subject of vigorous debate as Google, Microsoft and others are pushing the FCC hard to allow broadband services in the spectrum. The broadcast industry opposes the move, saying it will threaten the transition to digital TV and cause interference. The CTIA meanwhile recommends auctioning off the unused broadcast spectrum, and a host of other industries are concerned about interference, including hospitals, entertainers and professional sports organizers. They fear interference with wireless microphones. During a recent speech in Washington, D.C., Google co-founder Larry Page discounted the broadcasters' view that using white space spectrum would cause interference, saying that there isn't any technical validity to that claim. The FCC has been testing several white space device prototypes and is expected to continue to trial devices.

Voyant is a digital media and technology holding company that will be entering the wireless space for the first time with this $2-million contract. The company says its strategy is to combine existing and new technologies with the company's substantial portfolio of intellectual property and domain knowledge in order to address emerging applications in the wireless sector. Don't be surprised to see others gravitating to the white space market now that Google has done a fine job publicizing it.

To find out more about Voyant's white space strategy:
- read this TMCnet article

Related stories:
- Sprint, T-Mobile advocate white space for backhaul. See this white space story
- CTIA, carriers join NAB against white space devices. Read this white space story
- FCC begins second round of white space testing. See this white space story

Google's Page dismisses white space concerns

Tue, 27 May 2008 06:59:54 -0400

Speaking at a New America Foundation event last week in Washington, D.C., Google co-founder Larry Page tried to bolster his firm's case for the FCC to make white spaces--vacant channels of spectrum next to the television broadcaster bands--available for unlicensed wireless broadband access. Page is hoping to sway the FCC, which is expected to issue a report on its white-space device testing some time this summer. The FCC has been testing several white-space device prototypes and is expected to continue to trial devices.

White spaces are slivers of spectrum in the 700 MHz that were originally designed to prevent interference between TV broadcasts. However as broadcasters transition to digital broadcasting, some industry players (such as Google) believe there is an opportunity to use these white spaces to deliver unlicensed wireless broadband services. The broadcast industry opposes the move, saying it will threaten the transition to digital TV and cause interference. The CTIA meanwhile recommends auctioning off the unused broadcast spectrum, and a host of other industries are concerned about interference, including hospitals, entertainers and professional sports organizers. They fear interference with wireless microphones. During his speech, Page discounted the broadcasters' view that using white space spectrum would cause interference, saying that there isn't any technical validity to that claim.

For more:
- see this BusinessWeek article

Technology-neutral European auctions opportunity for technology companies

Mon, 19 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

European governments have taken an unprecedented move to offer wireless broadband licenses on a technology-neutral basis, and technology companies are taking advantage to foster the proliferation of their technology interests and for a relatively cheap price tag.

Qualcomm last week won U.K.-wide L-band spectrum for $12.9 million, but the company is being vague about its plans for the band, saying it wants to "explore emerging business models and advanced mobile technologies."

Said Andrew Gilbert, an executive VP of Qualcomm: "Acquiring this spectrum will enable us to develop, test and explore a variety of innovative wireless services and technologies that will benefit European consumers and the wireless industry as a whole. The company has a long history of innovation and creating new technology markets."

Earlier this month, Intel Capital was among the winners of Sweden's auction of the 2.6 GHz band, acquiring 50 MHz of TDD spectrum for $26.5 million. Intel is seeking partners to build and operate a WiMAX network. The company plans to rent out the license to partners rather than sell it to grow WiMAX and the market for its Centrino WiMAX-enabled chips.

Of course, Qualcomm has a history of pushing new technologies via license ownership, with mobile TV being the latest. As it was going around evangelizing CDMA in the 1990s, the company bought licenses to begin Leap Wireless to push CDMA. Maybe it wants to prove that Ultra Mobile Broadband, the 4G path for CDMA technology, is a viable one.

It will be interesting to see who bids in the auctions going forward. Might Google make a play for a license and look for someone to run the network so it can guarantee its services on a carrier's network? Will Intel look to win more licenses, and what in the world is Qualcomm doing?--Lynnette

Sprint: WiMAX ready in Baltimore, Washington D.C.

Mon, 19 May 2008 06:59:54 -0400

Sprint Nextel and Samsung Electronics announced that WiMAX services in Washington D.C. and Baltimore have completed the testing phase successfully and are now ready to launch commercially. The companies, however, did not disclose a specific date for when the services will be made available to the public. Sprint spokesman John Polivka said the services will make their full commercial launch sometime "later this year."

"This is a major step towards launch readiness and Sprint is extremely pleased with the performance of the mobile WiMAX network and access devices from Samsung," said Barry West, president of Sprint's mobile broadband network branch, called Xohm. "The collaboration with Samsung and our other partners has created a WiMAX ecosystem that has now proven that it can deliver this new technology to the marketplace well ahead of any feasible alternative."

Right now only PC cards have been used, but mobile devices such as Nokia's tablet are also in the pipeline. Plans to embed WiMAX chips into various personal devices, including digital cameras, have been widely discussed.

Recently, Clearwire, with is merging with Sprint with the help of cable partners, Google and Intel, announced plans to launch mobile WiMAX in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Grand Rapids, Mich., where it has a deal with the government, after it launches in Portland, Ore., during the second quarter of this year. It will do so prior to its merger with Sprint.

For more on Sprint's WiMAX plans in D.C. and Baltimore:
- read this article from Washington Business Journal

Motorola submits new white space device to FCC

Thu, 15 May 2008 06:59:55 -0400

Amid the brouhaha over potential interference with wireless microphones and digital television signals in the white-space band, Motorola has presented the Federal Communications Commission with an updated version of a wireless device designed to work in the spectrum. Commission, which favors unlicensed white-space spectrum--that unused portion next to television signals, has already looked at devices from companies such as Microsoft and Philips Electronics. Early devices reportedly have not performed well in tests.

Motorola's device primarily looks at a database of existing spectrum licensees to avoid interfering with signals. According to a Dow Jones report, the vendor has now updated the device to include sensors for adjacent channels that uses "techniques commonly utilized in cellular phones and two-way radios," according to a draft of the FCC presentation.

The sensors are designed to detect "nomadic" wireless microphones to avoid interfering with circumstances such as "roving, unplanned news-gathering operations," the draft document says.

To read more about Motorola's white-space device:
- check out this Dow Jones article

Clearwire's losses nearly double, but do the numbers matter?

Thu, 15 May 2008 06:59:54 -0400

Clearwire posted a first quarter loss that was nearly double its year-ago loss because of increasing network buildout costs. The $176.4 million loss is close to twice last year's $92.6 million figure. Clearwire's total revenue rose 76 percent to $51.5 million, up from $29.3 million last year. But does it all mean much given the $3.2 billion cash infusion the company is getting from its new cable partners, Intel and Google along with the Sprint Nextel assets? It will be a totally different company by the end of the year.

Clearwire also announced plans to launch mobile WiMAX in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Grand Rapids, Mich., where it has a deal with the government, after it launches in Portland, Ore., during the second quarter of this year. It will do so prior to its merger with Sprint.

For more about Clearwire's first-quarter results:
- read this Clearwire's Q1 press release
- check out this Unstrung article

Is Google satisfied with its new wireless broadband venture?

Mon, 12 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Google finally got what it wanted--access to a broadband network to realize its dream of transferring it dominance in online advertising into the wireless broadband world. By making a sizable investment in the new Clearwire--a deal that also includes Sprint, three cable operators and Intel--Google becomes the default search engine for the new WiMAX operator and guarantees a home for the Android platform all without having to sink billions in building out its own network.

Cracking the wireless broadband market has actually taken a few years for Google. Google had big hopes in 2005 and 2006 that muni-WiFi was going to be the wireless broadband opportunity it was looking for. Pundits had speculated Google was poised to blanket the U.S. with free WiFi in order to become one of the globe's largest Internet providers and one of the powerful ad sellers. That strategy didn't pan out as the muni-WiFi market hit a shakeout.

Then the 700 MHz auction came along, and Google lobbied heavily for open access and plunked down the minimum required to trigger the open access provision. Though the search giant got what it wanted, that still didn't guarantee Google would become a dominant force.

Lately the company has been pushing heavily for unlicensed white-space spectrum, and while it appears the FCC likes the idea, there is significant opposition due to fears of interference, which could significantly draw out the process.

The question now is, is Google happy with what it got or will it continue to find more ways to transfer its services in the wireless world?--Lynnette