In an effort to boost the uptake of WiMAX in Japan, Intel’s venture arm, Intel Capital, has invested $43 million in the country’s WiMAX operator – UQ Communications. UQ Communications will use the funding to continue the nationwide expansion of the WiMAX service in Japan, with the commitment to provide WiMAX coverage to 90% of the country by 2012.
Intel on its end is offering the WiMAX/Wi-Fi Link 5150 embedded module supporting both WiFi and WiMAX, which is used in some Toshiba, Panasonic and Onkyo notebooks. The laptops, as well as other products, are scheduled to debut next month in Japan to coincide with the UQ Communications rollout, scheduled for July 1st.
For the record, UQ Communications recently launched trial service of its UQ WiMAX in Tokyo’s 23 wards, Yokohama and Kawasaki, and Tokyo’s International Airport’s – Haneda.
[Via: CellularNews]