ChinaTel Group and CECT-Chinacomm Communications are working together to deploy a WiMAX network in the 3.5GHz band across 29 markets in China, including Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Chinatel has 20 megahertz of spectrum which it got from the Chinese government as a grant as part of a mandate to WiMAX-enable 12 markets by June 2011. The company has already finished construction on three network operating centers and three switches.
Back in 2008, ChinaTel was deploying WiFi networks in Beijing to support the 2008 Olympics. Today, between 400,000 and 500,000 people pay to access their WiFi network in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
After the Olympics have ended, the company contracted through its partnership with CECT-Chinacomm to begin building a fixed WiMAX network. For that goal, they have signed an MoU with ZTE, which would supply equipment, operational services and financing.
Although the initial plan is to deploy the fixed version of WiMAX, there are some indications an upgrade to the mobile version can be done as well as the move to LTE as a network overlay or a side-by-side addition.
In addition to its domestic market, ChinaTel will also deploy a WiMAX network in Peru, where it acquired a 95% stake in telecom provider Perusat S.A., which holds 2.5 GHz spectrum licenses covering portions of the country…
[Via: RCRWireless]