Blazing Fast Wireless Connectivity from Nortel

Nortel presented its AirStation MIMo-powered device at WiMax World show in Boston, but American customers won't be able to use this technology until 2008. Nortel plans to massively replace the American DSL connections with its MIMO multiple-antenna & 802.16e combo. The company states that its technology offers 4G-like wireless broadband speeds up to three times faster than regular WiMax connections.

Nortel has its headquarters in Ontario and it is a major vendor of network infrastructure all across the USA. In order to bring cheap broadband connectivity, the company collaborates with Runcom Technologies - the Israeli maker of WiMax device chips. Runcom and Nortel use the same multiple-antenna approach 9MIMO). This technology is similar to the one incorporated in IEEE 802.11n, which is the upcoming standard for broadband WI-FI.

WiMax technology offers high-speed data transfers and is designed for coverage over several kilometers or miles. The speed may vary depending on how it is deployed, but it should be able to provide speeds comparable to consumer wired broadband.

With the new technology coming in mid-2007, Nortel is planning to introduce IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) and VoIP as well as other fast-transfer data services. One example of IPTV over mobile, WiMax might be transmitting video to in-car LCD screens on seat-backs. The American and Israeli companies are working on solutions which should eliminate transmission interruptions and delays for the new broadband connection. Devices will also have longer battery life because they won't have to work as hard to make a connection with the network.