NEC to Deliver First Mobile WiMAX Solutions to Worldwide Market

December 17, 2007

NEC Corporation announced the release of its first mobile WiMAX solution, PasoWings. The new generation equipment brings the assurance of ITU and IEEE accreditation and marks a cornerstone in certification of the mobile WiMAX standard.

NEC's long history and strength in wireless networking and IMS delivery empowers it to bring a best in class WiMAX networking solution to the global market. The first products will be shipped to customers in December, with networks being rolled out in early 2008.

NEC has been shipping equipment worldwide during 2007 and has carried out key trials in Japan, Taiwan and other countries. The Tatung network is one of the first networks rolled out under the Taiwanese government sponsored M-Taiwan project. The network is viewed throughout the WiMAX industry as a medium to prove the excellence of WiMAX technology and as a best in class system.

Through on-going trials and commercial deployments NEC will continue to focus on developed and developing markets worldwide. Supporting both 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz frequency ranges allows the solution to support both mobile and fixed operators. The inherent agility in the system means that fixed and mobile business cases in WiMAX are no longer mutually exclusive.

Nobuhiro Endo, Associate Senior Vice President of NEC Corporation said "WiMAX is a strategic part of NEC's Broadband Wireless Solution portfolio and this launch demonstrates our potential to bring stability and realism to a fast moving and open area of the business."

NEC recently received an order from Tatung Co. in Taiwan to deliver its first commercial WiMAX system. NEC plans to actively participate in future trials, and to secure new orders for commercial systems based on its performance in Taiwan.

PasoWings, which provides end-to-end solutions, is comprised of subscriber terminals (CPE) such as PCMCIA cards that are inserted into PCs; wireless access products such as base stations and antennas, and application servers such as user authentication servers or user positional information management servers. By combining PasoWings with its network products - for example, backhaul systems for connections between base stations or between base stations and core networks (switches), or SIP servers that enable IP phone services to be offered via WiMAX networks - NEC can provide all of the elements required for the construction of communication carriers' networks in a single package.

High-performance, high-efficiency systems can be achieved by incorporating products and technologies in fields where NEC has demonstrated exceptional capabilities, including antenna technologies, advanced scheduling algorithms, and high-efficiency amplifiers developed using wireless technologies cultivated through the company's activities in W-CDMA and microwave/satellite communication systems.

As the market develops worldwide NEC will grow and develop its WiMAX product family to support its broad existing and potential customer base.

Source: NEC