NEC Sets Up WiMAX Lab in Taiwan

Taipei, June 24, 2008 (CENS)--NEC, Japan's No.1 manufacturer of computer and telecommunications equipment, recently opened a laboratory in Taiwan to test interoperability between different WiMAX systems and develop WiMAX systems.

NEC executives of its WiMAX business unit says that the firm will invest NT$20 million (US$666,000 at US$1:NT$30) into the facility and staff the laboratory with five to six specialists initially. They said more money would be spent and staff size would be increased to 20 to 40 upon achieving bigger operating scale.

They noted that the laboratory would initially offer tests of interoperability between end-user WiMAX equipment supplied by Taiwanese manufacturers and NEC's Paso Wings office-end systems. In the future, the laboratory will double as a system-development center.

The NEC WiMAX laboratory has won strong support from Taiwan equipment suppliers, including Tatung Corp., Quanta Computer Inc., Accton Technology Corp., D-Link Corp. and Alpha Networks Inc.

Tatung Chairman W.S. Lin said his company runs a joint venture with NEC to turn out telecom switchers. His company won a license last year to provide WiMAX service in northern Taiwan and has contracted NEC to supply it with WiMAX base stations. Lin noted that his company's WiMAX service would offer medical care, home health care and other Internet-based services to remote customers.

Taiwanese industry watchers pointed out that WiMAX had emerged as a hot wireless technology thanks to its high transmission speed, high security and huge load capacity, which meet the rising global demand for broadband connections.

NEC executives pointed out that the company hoped to help build Taiwan's WiMAX industry through the establishment of the laboratory.

Taiwan network-communications equipment suppliers pointed out that such a laboratory would help them shorten test time and cut cost.