Motorola calls for greater industry support of fixed and wireless phone networks

Heralding the company's MOTOwi4 strategy at the upcoming Wireless Middle East event taking place from Jan. 28 - Feb. 1, Noel Kirkaldy, Middle East and Africa (MEA) Director of Wireless Broadband, will articulate a 'win-win' scenario for both consumers, who want faster and more reliable access to voice and data applications, and telecoms providers seeking to increase their revenues. Motorola is a silver sponsor of Wireless Middle East.

"The demand for high-speed broadband connectivity is significantly outpacing its supply, demonstrating that if telecoms operators can deploy networks that give their subscribers the speed and reliability they want, then their revenues can be enhanced and all parties are more satisfied," said Kirkaldy.

"In the Middle East, operators are in a position to leapfrog more established markets and deploy WiMAX solutions that scale upward from the most basic connectivity needs right through to leading-edge business applications, including VoIP,"

he added.

Motorola's WiMAX strategy was boosted by the recent IEEE's ratification of the WiMAX 802.16e standard last month. The company considers the ratification a significant step forward to ushering in a new wave of wireless broadband access, service and products. According to Motorola, the 802.16e standard, also known as 802.16-2005, not only has better technical and business performance, than the 802.16d standard, but it also introduces mobility, in addition to fixed and nomadic services.

WiMAX is a solution that promises to be able to bridge the digital divide in high growth economies, and welcomes an exciting new era of wireless applications and services. To meet these opportunities, Motorola will begin shipping its first MOTOwi4 solution based on 802.16e in mid-2006.