November 19, 2009

WiMAX Forum Touts Stimulus Focus

The WiMAX Forum Congress is touting a special Broadband Stimulus focus day on Dec 1, the day before the two-day Congress convenes in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

According to the Forum, the U.S. government has received requests for $28 billion in funding, including 306 WiMAX applications requesting some $1.6 billion. Announcements of the beneficiaries of the first $4 billion in funds are expected soon.

“However, it is easy to forget that award of the stimulus funding is just the start,” the Forum states. “There is no provision for OpEx support after the initial CapEx injection offered by the NTIA.”

The Forum touts its Special Focus Day as a way for carriers to learn how to take advantage of funding and develop sustainable business models.

The official 2009 Congress Partner is Clearwire. According to the Forum, speaks at the event include representatives from more than 30 tier 1, 2, and 3 carriers, 13 analysts, 5 governments and 3 CE companies.