The Hindu Business Line : Six metros, rural Haryana to go WiMax

The US-based provider of broadband wireless solutions Aperto Networks finds itself in a piquant situation of selling to BSNL — the largest telecom provider in India — the technology that was `largely' created by Indians — both in Bangalore and at its home base in Milpitas (California).

"A third of our development strength is based in India and another third mostly from India, strengthens our US operation," explained Mr Manish Gupta, Vice-President (Marketing and Alliances), who is himself a member of the WiMax Forum Board — the body that promulgates the standards that drive this long-range wireless technology.

WiMax Deployment

On Wednesday, Aperto's President and Chief Executive, Mr Mike Pratt, announced here that BSNL had just begun deploying the company's WiMax "PacketMax 5000" base stations and PM300 subscriber units across six Indian metros — Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Pune — as well as in four rural districts of Haryana.

This will enable the public sector provider to offer high speed Internet access, broadband data communication lines as well a backbone for tele medicine and Internet telephony, he added.

In March this year, VSNL used Aperto's WiMax certified-solutions to fuel broadband wireless services in 65 cities.

Announcing the stage-wise tripling of its development centre in Bangalore as well as partner operations in Chennai and Hyderabad, the visiting chief executive also indicated that his team was scouting for the right partner with whom to launch manufacturing operations in India.

"We hope to serve not just the booming Indian market, but also neighbours such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan, which have also decided on nationwide WiMax deployment,",he said.