Kyocera Collaborates with Runcom on Mobile WiMAX Devices

By The Associated Press
Kyocera Wireless and Runcom are planning to develop new consumer electronic devices that make use of mobile WiMAX technology.
Known for its CDMA wireless devices, Kyocera is looking to Runcom to provide its expertise in OFDMA and mobile WiMAX technology. With WiMAX delivering high-speed broadband wirelessly to large areas at a lower cost, some companies are betting that the technology will outshine current 3G data networks.
Runcom and Kyocera already have developed early plans for PC cards, residential gateways and customer premises equipment that can take advantage of the wireless technology.
"Mobile WiMAX devices and their diverse capabilities will change the landscape of wireless services available to consumers, truly offering aquadruple play' of cable television, broadband Internet, home telephone and mobile telephone functionality," said Dave Carey, vice president of strategic planning for Kyocera Wireless in a prepared statement.

WiMAX equipment will be used for new wireless service at Yakima

Craig McCaw, who built one of the first nationwide cell phone networks, created the company in 2003. Through its service, users can access high-speed Internet anywhere in its service area through a wireless modem.
Its service is offered in more than 370 cities worldwide, including the Tri-Cities. It just launched service in the Seattle area, one of its largest markets to date.
It has gained attention from the wireless Internet industry by adopting WiMAX technology, where data is transferred through government-licensed radio waves via a set of towers, similar to that of a cell phone network. Clearwire has even caught the eye of Intel and Motorola, who have invested in the company.
Clearwire may eventually have such a large network that its users could someday access the Internet anywhere nationwide, said Philip Solis, principal analyst for ABI Research.
Many devices, such as cell phones and laptops, should be WiMAX-enabled later this year, he said.
"I think the company is aggressive with rolling out the new technology," Solis said.

WiMAX equipment will be tested in Ball State

The university, ranked as the top wireless campus in the country in 2005, has been granted an experimental, six-month license from the Federal Communications Commission to test WiMAX, a newly developed, faster and wider-ranging technology that could replace Ball State's current wireless service.
Ball State's existing wireless network has about 1,100 access points, each with a range of 1,500 feet and a capability of accessing 54 megabytes per second of datastream. To view an online video from a Web page like YouTube requires a minimum data stream of at least six megabytes per second, Smitherman noted.
During recent testing of WiMAX, Smitherman said Ball State researchers have discovered its strength to reach about 4 miles, a distance that, with one WiMAX access point, easily covers the 700-acre campus and nearly three miles surrounding it.
Depending on its reach and strength, Ball State's existing access points cost between $500 and $1,000 each. It is unknown yet how much WiMAX will cost when it hits the market in the months ahead.
Ball State's six-month, FCC license to test WiMAX at 3.5 gigahertz expires Feb. 15. Smitherman said the university will then test the technology at 2.5 gigahertz, which is a more common radio frequency used in the United States and thus does not require a special license.
As WiMAX equipment continues to be tested, Smitherman said he expects it to get "better and better."
"What's great is that Ball State is at the forefront of testing this technology and people will continue to associate Ball State as a technologically-rich environment," he said. "If that means we can bring more businesses that rely on technology to the area, then that's great because those are the best kinds of jobs to have in a community."
In the future, he said Ball State likely would not do away with its current wireless network, but would find a way to use WiMAX to expand the university's wireless reach and improve access in buildings on campus known for delivering weak WiFi signals.
Ball State seniors Krystina Trimble and Jen Jones say they are already behind the idea of WiMAX if it means improvements to Ball State's WiFi network.
"What we have right now is pretty good, but I've found the library is the worst for getting a signal sometimes, maybe because so many people use it in there," Trimble said.
Jones said Room 311 in the Whitinger Business Building is "notorious" for not being able to access a wireless signal. "And that's a room where you have a lot of students in sales and marketing who need it," she said.
Trimble said she also likes the idea of WiMAX becoming a wireless service provider for homeowners in rural areas. "My grandma lives out in the country, and all she can get is dial-up, which she doesn't even bother with because it's so slow," she said. "If she could get access to something like this, then maybe she could keep in better touch with her grandkids like me."

Companies to collaborate on Mobile WiMAX devices

Posted: 28-Jan-2007 [Source: Kyocera]
[Kyocera Wireless announces collaborative effort to develop Mobile WiMAX consumer electronic devices powered by Runcom's MIMO-powered WiMAX chipset.]
SAN DIEGO & RISHON LEZION, Israel -- Kyocera Wireless Corp., a leading global supplier of CDMA wireless devices and accessories, and Runcom Technologies, the pioneer in OFDMA enabling technologies for Mobile WiMax, disclosed today a development agreement aimed at leveraging Kyocera's expertise in wireless device development and Runcom's leading chipset technologies. The companies are working closely to develop exciting new consumer electronic devices employing the latest in broadband Mobile WiMAX technology.
WiMax delivers high-speed broadband fixed and mobile services wirelessly to large areas using considerably less infrastructure than previous wireless protocols. When paired with new MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology, it can deliver mobile services three to five times faster than today's third-generation (3G) standards at a lower cost. A growing number of wireless service providers around the world are planning to use WiMax's multimedia capabilities to complement existing cellular networks and service offerings.
"Mobile WiMax devices and their diverse capabilities will change the landscape of wireless services available to consumers, truly offering a 'quadruple play' of cable television, broadband Internet, home telephone and mobile telephone functionality," said Dave Carey, vice president of strategic planning for Kyocera Wireless Corp. "Users will enjoy an unprecedented combination of productivity, connectivity and entertainment that's as mobile as they are. Kyocera is determined to be at the leading edge of this evolution and we are pleased to be working with Runcom, a company that clearly shares this vision."
Kyocera and Runcom worked closely over the last several months in the early development of multiple classes of Mobile WiMAX terminals, such as PC cards, customer-premises equipment (CPEs), residential gateways and others. At the heart of these devices, the companies anticipate incorporating Runcom's RNA 200 Mobile WiMAX baseband ASIC with MIMO capability.
"Runcom is proud to offer the world's first MIMO-powered WiMax chipset and we are confident it will lead the wireless industry into true 4G services," said Israel Koffman, vice president of marketing at Runcom Technologies.