Sequans Communications (News - Alert), Packet One Networks (Malaysia) and Greenpacket have announced their collaboration to develop LTE solutions.
Founded in 2003, 4G chipmaker Sequans Communications has been supplying LTE and WiMAX (News - Alert) chips to original equipment manufacturers and original design manufacturers worldwide. Greenpacket is a developer of next generation mobile broadband and networking solutions. Greenpacket claims to be the solutions pillar of Green Packet (News - Alert) Berhad. Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (P1) is a subsidiary of Green Packet Berhad and is a 4G telecommunications company.
Greenpacket is testing Sequans technology to develop LTE and dual-mode WiMAX/LTE reference designs as part of its strategy to launch a complete ecosystem of 4G networking solutions and devices by the end of 2011.
"We are testing Sequans' system-on-chip technology to develop LTE reference designs, including a dual-mode WiMAX/LTE reference design for our operator customers primarily in Asia, CALA and Middle East," James Wang, senior vice president of Innovation, Strategies and Development (ISD) at Greenpacket said in a statement.
Wang also said his company is planning to offer its solutions to early adopters of LTE such as P1 in support of its LTE/WiMAX coexistence strategy.
The technology Sequans is providing to Greenpacket and P1 for testing is part of Sequans' recently announced 4Sight program, a collection of advanced coexistence technologies and solutions for operators to help them transition smoothly and cost-effectively from WiMAX to LTE and enable harmonious WiMAX/LTE coexistence.
Sequans develops and supplies WiMAX and LTE chips including a highly integrated WiMAX/LTE dual-mode chip, along with reference designs for user devices, essential multi-radio coexistence and multimode handover technologies, and dual-standby architecture.
"As Southeast Asia's leading 4G operator, first for WiMAX and now for dual-mode WiMAX and LTE, P1 has three years of experience operating an end-to-end 4G network," said Michael Lai, chief executive officer at P1.
"The insight we've gained regarding live 4G user behavior patterns is extremely valuable in LTE development, be it devices, network or applications. We are collaborating with Sequans because of Sequans' operator-proven WiMAX and LTE chipset technology and because of the company's real-world experience in deploying operator-certified 4G technology in high volume around the world," Lai added.
P1 officials said the company is now preparing to transition to LTE due to developing global LTE momentum. It expects to begin a transition to a full LTE network in 2013.
"P1 now has the flexibility to rollout LTE at the rate they choose and have it coexist peacefully with WiMAX, and P1 customers will have devices that work in any part of the network at any time," said Georges Karam (News - Alert), chief executive officer at Sequans.
Back in November 2010, TMC had reported that Southeast Asia is next in line for widespread implementation of WiMAX to help raise the region’s low broadband levels, and Greenpacket is pushing for this movement by the WiMAX Forum (News - Alert) at its Southeast Asia Regional Focus opening conference which was scheduled during the month in Malaysia.
Meenakshi Shankar is a TMCnet contributor. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.