'Redline is the first company to achieve the WiMAX Forum Certified mark'

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Tell us briefly about the background of Redline communication.
Redline Communications is a Canada-based company which provides mobile wireless broadband access and backhaul solutions. We are the first company to market standard based products. This was on 802.16 standard. We have more than 20,000 installations in 75 countries and our distribution network of more than 80 partners supports voice, data and video services. We are the principal member of the WiMAX Forum and the first to market an 802.16 compliant product. Earlier this year, Redline became the first in the world to achieve the WiMAX Forum Certified mark for our complete WiMAX system.

When is WiMAX moving beyond the trial phase?
We were into trial phase throughout last year, but right now we do have actual deployments. We have deployments in Saudi Arabia. We have installed hundreds of base stations and now we are in the process of deploying CPEs. We recently got an order from Lanka Internet, Sri Lanka's telecom services operator to establish a fully certified WiMAX broadband metropolitan network in Colombo. There are several operators who are waiting for the interoperability issues to be sorted out before deploying WiMAX systems. I think we are moving in the right direction towards mass deployment of WiMAX globally.

Is it true that most of the current deployments are on pre-WiMAX products?
With any new technology, marketing people get a bit excited and there is a lot of hype I am not proud of and this is typical with any new technology. Today there are several products, which are WiMAX products. If any product is certified, it is clearly specified that it is WiMAX Forum certified.

Is lack of availability of spectrum and regulatory restriction an area of concern?
3.5 Ghz is pretty pervasive throughout the globe. US is the only market I can think of which does not have 3.5 Ghz and this is also the country which is also most wired in terms of cable and DSL. The next big area is mobility where we have to face a lot of challenge with respect to regulators. The governments and regulators have also changed in the last five years and they also understand the need to encourage broadband. South Korea and Egypt were similar in GDP and both had less than 5% penetration of broadband. The government of Korea made a clear mandate to be number 1 in broadband and they now have 80% penetration of broadband while Egypt still has less than 10% penetration. Korea's GDP is 10 times of Egypt today which economists attribute to broadband.

Sudesh Prasad
sudeshp@cybermedia.co.in