Motorola touts single Radio Access Network for WiMax

Motorola hopes to spur the take up of WiMax services

Motorola has enhanced its WiMax portfolio with a new service designed to help facilitate the move to 4G services by allowing operators to upgrade networks to switch between Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMax services.

The WiMax Evolution Single Radio Access Network is designed to allow operators to switch access points between 802.16m, Frequency-Division Duplexing LTE or LTE-Advanced.

"There is a lot of uncertainty over LTE and WiMax, and this could have an impact on spending in this area. This product can enable businesses to switch between services and guarantee that their investments will last," said Motorola WiMax marketing manager Ben Ansell.

"For example, roamers entering a network are a good source of income for some operators, and it might be that they want to clear a portion of their spectrum to solely provide this. This product can enable them to do so."

Ansell said that Motorola hopes to spur the take up of WiMax services by removing the uncertainty surrounding the technology as people wait to see how 4G services evolve.

Motorola has also expanded its portfolio of WiMax customer premise equipment (CPE) with two new fourth-generation products.

The CPEi 800 and CPEi 885 combine the delivery of services including voice, data and Wi-Fi b/g/n through a single unit to reduce costs and customer churn.

The CPEi 800 delivers a high-performance data service to meet the needs of operators and their subscribers, while the CPEi 885 matches data, voice and Wi-Fi capabilities with the addition of 802.11n functionality, according to Motorola.

"These updates to our products take advantage of the improved physical capabilities of CPE technology and reduced manufacturing costs to offer a more advanced level of products for a lower price," said Ansell.

The CPEi 885 will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2011, and the CPEi 800 will be available in August.