Forum Announces WiMAX Certifications

New high-speed mobile wireless broadband products have been certified, ZDNet.co.uk reports.

A total of nine wireless broadband base stations and mobile modules - from firms including Intel, Samsung and Motorola - have been approved by the WiMAX Forum. The organisation, which officially ratifies WiMAX products, said that more than 100 further certifications would also be granted by the end of the year.

Announcing the certifications, WiMax Forum president Ron Resnick said: "The WiMAX Forum is the only consortium to certify base-station equipment, which is key to ensure true network interoperability and a high quality of service among user devices and network equipment." He added: "We are setting an industry precedent by conducting certification in a way that has never been done before."

WiMax, which stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a type of broadband connection which can be used as an alternative to copper wire or fibre. Particularly useful for use with smartphones, WiMAX is also the main rival of 3G broadband conections in the current mobile internet market.

The technology is currently under development from firms including Sprint Nextel, which is working on developing a WiMax network on which to run its Instinct smartphone range. Chief executive Dan Hesse, speaking earlier this week, said that this progression would lead to a boost in mobile broadband connections. "WiMAX…is wireless at rocket speeds," he told an industry conference in Las Vegas.