ABS launches WiMAX in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Feb 20 (UNI) Aircel Business Solutions (ABS), part of Aircel, today announced the launch of wireless internet services, through Worldwide Interperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) technology in Hyderabad which enables 'last mile' connectivity using 'near line of site' (NLOS) wireless equipment.

Targetting corporates and the small and medium enterprises, the company said it would offer gamut of enterprise services to them on WiMAX technology planning to cover 44 cities, mostly Metros and 'A' class cities, by 2007, according to a release here today.

ABS has successfully employed WiMAX (802.16d) network across Hyderabad's prominent locations such as the Banjara Hills, Punjagutta, Saifabad, ECIL(A S Rao Nagar), Tarnaka, Dilsukh Nagar and Mehdipatnam and can provide pan-city coverage across many other commercial areas shortly.

Chennai headquartered Aircel now part of Maxis Communications Berhed, Malaysia has acquired licences to provide International Long Distance and National Long Distance telephony services.

Over the 24 months ABS plans to cover 125 cities offering entire services from broadband to IP-VPN and NLD at a speed ranging from Two MBPS to Ten MBPS. The tariff will depend on the speed and spectrum provided by the company with a minimum of Rs four lakhs a year for accessing the services with Two MBPS speed.

However, the company also expects greater penetration, if the Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) currently costing USD 500 is brought down to USD 70 with the latest technology to access the latest technology being experimented by world chip makers. Current level of WiMAX business worldwide is around USD 10-20 million which is expected to go up to USD 10-20 billion by 2010.

The company currently has introduced WiMAX services in Chennai, Bangalore and Pune and will follow the roll out from Hyderabad to Delhi, Ahmedabad and Coimbatore over the next few months, the release added.

UNI