Taipei, Sept. 5, 2008 (CENS)-Impressed by the considerable deployments of WiMAX networks in emerging economies, Taiwanese equipment suppliers aim to tap such markets for more orders.
According to Taiwan`s industry watchers, many emerging economies began last year deploying fixed-line 802.16d WiMAX networks as their broadband infrastructure. This year, many of them have started laying wireless 802.16e networks to create a mobile setting for Internet connection.
Malaysian telecom provider Packet One, for instance, has recently rolled out the country`s first WiMAX mobile service. TATA of India plans to spend US$500 million on WiMAX network, while Russian carrier Enforta and Mexican provider AXTEL are carrying out aggressive investments in WiMAX networks. Similar investment activities have also been seen in Pakistan, Saudi Arab, Brazil, South Africa, and Vietnam.
GemTek Technology Co., Ltd., currently Taiwan`s No.1 exporter of WiMAX equipment, began last year shipping 802.16d-based equipment to emerging economies and has begun last month delivering 802.16e equipment to those economies. The company`s products go to market hand in hand with base stations supplied manufacturers like Motorola.
Zyxel Communications Corp. has begun last quarter shipping products to Malaysia, the Middle East, and Latin Americas with base stations from Alcatel Lucent. Packet One is among its customers. Zyxel`s executives pointed out that WiMAX shipments accounted for around 4% of the company`s revenue and estimated the shipments to remain insignificant throughout this quarter. They expected demands to rise next quarter, helping boost the shipments to represent 6-7% of corporate revenue by the end of this year.
Accton Technology Corp., D-Link Corp. and Microelectronics Technology Inc. are also tapping emerging markets, with Microelectronics cooperating with Canadian supplier SR and poised to ship the equipment to Vodacom of South Africa. Accton is looking for orders from TATA.
Some institutional investors pointed out that Taiwanese equipment suppliers had shipped more equipment to rising markets than to developed markets.
Taiwan WiMAX Equipment Suppliers And Shipments To Emerging Markets
| Supplier | Product Spec. | Market |
| GemTek | 802.16d, 802.16e | The Middle East, Africa |
| Zyxel | 802.16e | The Middle East, Southeast Asia, Latin Americas |
| D-Link | 802.16e | India, Russia, Southeast Asia |
| Accton | 802.16e | India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia |
| Microelectronics | 802.16d, 802.16d | Africa |
Source: the companies
(by Ken Liu)
