‘WiBro’ Has Global Potential: Study

Once thought to be only a regional variant of WiMax, the Korean WiBro broadband standard has the potential to spread worldwide, a new study says.

WiBro, a Korean variant of WiMAX, has potential to catch on around the world, a study released Thursday by ABI Research claims.

The largest Korean telecommunications firms will launch WiBro services early next year, the study notes. In addition, the Japanese government has approved WiBro as a candidate for next-generation wireless broadband services in that country, along with mobile WiMAX.

The study notes, however, that WiBro and mobile WiMAX are compatible. Mobile WiMAX, also known as 802.11e, however, is at least a year away, and perhaps longer, from being ratified as a standard.

In the meantime, WiBro combined with voice-over-IP is an attractive option for cellular operators because it is inexpensive and fast to deploy, according to the study.

By Mobile Pipeline Staff
Mobile Pipeline

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