Singapore-based regional ISP Pacific Internet (PacNet) has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Intel to jointly develop mobile WiMAX infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region. As well as Singapore, PacNet has operations in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Australia, India, Thailand and Malaysia. Under the terms of the MoU, the pair will carry out tests, including market trials, ‘to better understand market needs and behaviour’. The joint trial is expected to begin in the middle of 2006 for select customers and will test the performance of such things as ‘nomadic and mobile access’, including handover.
This is the second major WiMAX project for Intel in the region. Last year it spent AUD37 million (USD27.6 million) on a 25% interest in Australian wireless access provider Unwired, which operates in Melbourne and Sydney. Unwired presently uses proprietary pre-WiMAX technology from Navini Networks but is promoting WiMAX for its network evolution.