Europe's first mobile WiMax network goes live

Dutch firm Worldmax has demonstrated Europe's first mobile flavour of WiMax, offering high-speed web access while on the move.

Launched at the WiMax Forum Global Congress earlier this week, the Alcatel-Lucent built network is due to be up and running as a commercial service by the end of this summer.

The WiMax Forum also issued its first certifications for mobile WiMax products at the Congress.

Using the 802.16e mobile WiMax standard, the Worldmax service differs from previous networks designed as wireless replacements for conventional fixed broadband networks.

In contrast, the Worldmax Aerea service has been designed to cater for users indoors and outdoors, providing wireless broadband access to users of laptops, smartphones and PDAs.

Worldmax described its initial offering as a "light" version of what is to come, and said that it will cover users only in Amsterdam's city centre in its first stages.

However, the Intel-backed company plans a national rollout over the coming years, with low-cost services aimed at teenagers as well as mobile professionals.

Worldmax chief executive Jeanine van der Vlist compared the rollout to building a new mobile phone network with around 3,000 sites required to cover the entire country.

The launch is widely seen as a direct challenge to mobile network operators looking to provide data services to offset weaker revenues from voice calls.