WiBro

Description:

Wireless Broadband, or WiBro, is based on the same standard as WiMAX, 802.16, but WiBro continues to work in motion and is therefore sometimes referred to as mobile WiMAX. WiBro is promoted as bringing mobile broadband access speeds to levels until now seen only on fixed-line networks.

WiBro-enabled cellphones allow always-on connections to the Internet, eliminating connection delays and permitting a service similar to that of a broadband fixed-line connection. Samsung developed WiBro in South Korea, where the commercial rollout is scheduled for the coming months, and the technology is now making inroads in the rest of the world.

Telecom Italia Mobile and Samsung tested Europe's first WiBro network in Turin during the Olympic Games in February. Telecom Italia Mobile has said it will begin selling WiBro phones at the beginning of next year, when it will make the WiBro service available. Source

The largest Korean phone company carries 94% of the country's local fixed-line calls and half of all broadband connections. In the face of dwindling voice traffic and near saturation in the landline Internet market, it seeks to drive growth by offering high-speed wireless access to the Net together with fixed-line connection. KT has set up antennas at 12,000 crowded spots -- hotels, universities, subways, airports -- across the nation to allow people to shop, play games, and swap video clips on their wireless devices. It's launching a pilot service in November to allow Net access to people on the go. This new service, called WiBro, enables people to keep surfing the Net while riding in a vehicle at speeds up to 60 km an hour.

Enablers:

• Mobility
• The Increasing Use of Internet
• Increasing Mobility
• Need for Information On Demand
• Power of Information-anywhere, everywhere
• Wireless is better than wire

Inhibitors:

• Wi-Fi
• WiMAX
• Cost of Setting up a Wi-Fi Network
• The Rapid Increase in WiFi Transmission Rates
• Voice over Wi-Fi (Vo-Wi-Fi) will be released

Paradigms:

WiBro will allow Net access to people on the go. It will enable people to shop, play games, and swap video clips on their wireless devices.

Experts:

• IEEE
• Korean Telecom
• Samsung
• WiMAX Forum

Timing:

• 2004: Intel and LG Electronics executives agreed to ensure compatibility between WiBro and WiMAX technology. Source
• 2005: Samsung Electronics signed a deal with Sprint Nextel Corporation to provide equipment for a WiBro trial. Source 1 Source 2
• 2005: KT Corporation(aka Korea Telecom) showed off WiBro trial services during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan. Source
• 2006: KT Corporation will launch commercial WiBro service in mid-2006. Source
• 2006: Telecom Italia Mobile and Samsung tested Europe's first WiBro network in Turin during the Olympic Games in February.
• 2006: A Public Build Wimax Wireless Internet Map is currently being developed. Source

Web Resources:

• Businessweek
• Blog
• Wikipedia