WiMAX Forum to run 'Plugfest' in Beijing

The WiMAX Forum has announced that it will be running the "Plugfest" interoperability forum from Oct. 30 to Nov 6 in Beijing. Sponsored by Cetecom, ETSI and CATR, the forum is aimed at bringing WiMAX closer to ubiquity as the WiMAX equipment development community gears up for Certification, and deployment for fixed network systems at the end of 2005.

"Together, WiMAX member companies continue to collaborate to ensure that these systems will interoperate in real-world environments -- critical steps to achieving Certification," said WiMAX Forum president Ron Resnick in a statement. "Compared to other wireless standards, the way the WiMAX Forum and its member companies have organized has allowed for accelerated progress and successful achievement of pre-set WiMAX Certification milestones. This Plugfest represents the next achievement."

Participants to the WiMAX Forum Plugfest include Airspan Networks Inc., Alvarion, Aperto Networks, Axxcelera Broadband Wireless, Huawei Technologies, PicoChip, Proxim Wireless, Redline Communications, SEQUANS Communications, Wavesat Wireless Inc., WiNetworks and ZTE Corporation, along with test equipment vendors Invenova Corporation and Sanjole.

CATR vice president Xie Yi said, "The WiMAX Forum and supporting companies are making great strides in helping the WiMAX community progress toward the seamless delivery of personal wireless broadband to homes and offices. We would like to continue to support these steps toward Certification."

The WiMAX Forum allows equipment suppliers the opportunity to test their pre-certified equipment before final certification, which is in turn aimed at ensuring interoperability and mass production for certified products.