US WiMax trials to start in 2006

A major US mobile carrier is set to launch the first wireless broadband services based on the emerging WiMax standard next year.

Electronics giant Samsung has held talks with a number of US telecoms firms and other parties interested in the technology, and plans to begin field trials next year, according to a report in the Financial Times.

Samsung already has WiMax deployments in South Korea and has agreements with several carriers to deliver field trials worldwide.

In August Pipex announced that it has teamed up with networking equipment firm Airspan Networks to launch a six-month UK WiMax wireless wide area networking trial in the Midlands.

Graham Currier, wireless development director at Pipex, said: "This is very much Samsung claiming its territory in the US. It is one of many announcements that will follow.

"Worldwide there is a debate about how WiMax will work but, as trials develop next year, we will start to see real implementations take place."

The trial involves delivering Pipex's home and business broadband services over Airspan's WiMax last-mile access products.

In addition to data services, the trial will also test VoIP services that would allow Pipex to offer voice and data over wireless broadband product bundles.

WiMax is a certification mark for products that pass conformity and interoperability tests for the IEEE 802.16 standards.

The technology is being seen by some as similar to Wi-Fi but providing a service over square kilometres rather than square metres.