Vividwireless to begin testing Perth WiMAX in two weeks

By Ry Crozier on Dec 3, 2009 5:25 PM
Filed under Telco/ISP

Reveals NOC supplier.

Vividwireless has revealed it will have an operational WiMAX network in Perth that is ready for testing in the next fortnight.

The network builder's chief Martin Mercer told iTnews the firm would be commissioning "a few of our cell sites very soon" with a view to begin testing shortly.

"We've been going [with the build] for a little over three months. We'll have an operational network in the next week or two," Mercer said.

He said the test network represented "a subset of the total number of sites" to be covered by the WiMAX network.

Mercer also revealed that Vividwireless had inked a deal with Kordia to act as the network operations centre (NOC) for the Perth network.

Mercer said Vividwireless had also fitted out its space in the Perth iX data centre.

The $50 million network was expected to offer peak speeds "in excess of 20 Mbps" and average speeds of at least 4 Mbps. Services are due to start in March 2010.

Vividwireless to begin testing Perth WiMAX in two weeks

5 comments in this discussion

"Rolling out only in the CBD? The metro area is more on the money.. Even extending to Rotto! Surely you'd like more coverage than the CBD for $50M!"

By Inuse

Tags

vividwireless, unwired, 4g, network, perth, nationwide, excess, charges, contract

Vividwireless builds $50m 4G network in Perth

Vodafone prepares 4G switch-on

WA Labor promises Perth train wi-fi network

Optus brings 4G to 100 Queensland cell sites

Breaking Stories

Alacer Gold turns ERP refit project to Australia

NSW Govt bids for self-service analytics

NSW Police take aim at 3D-printable guns

Google faces new federal antitrust probe

US ISP to rip out Huawei equipment

Comments: 5

Ewok Dec 4, 2009 12:58 PM	All well and good, but who is going to fork out the money for WiMax wireless devices or enabled laptops etc, on an untried and untested wireless network in Australia? Wireless a/b/g/n mesh networks any day for me thanks.
Hmmm - OK Dec 4, 2009 2:32 PM	I will for one! I'm locked in a Telstra (not so) "smart" community in the northern suburbs, and I counting on this for my way out! If you take a look at some of the other threads you'll see they are using Huwai kit and with a bit of googling getting hols of a WiMax device is not hard or expensive. And I believe the article notes that they are starting the testing now for operation in March - whats untested? (and WiMax has been tried and tested all over the planet - its not like Vivid are using groundbreaking technology here!) Sure there may be a few new system glitches - but Microsoft has been correcting glitches in its "stable" systems for years and we all accept that - and as for Telstra's "stable" system!! I'm perfectly happy to fork out and try this "untested" system - roll on march!
Ewok Dec 4, 2009 3:00 PM	Oh, I don't know .... perhaps the fact that they've been trying to push wimax for a few years now, they entered into a deal with Intel to release their wimax cards in laptops, and then had to pay a huge advance back because they failed to deliver, plus interest. The fact that there has been very little interest in wimax technology as a whole BECAUSE of their several failed promises. I don't know what you are hoping to achieve by getting wifi in the northern suburbs, they are only planning on rolling out in CBD areas at the moment. Which means you, will be waiting for quite some time. But you can only hope, can't you...
Hmmm - OK Dec 4, 2009 3:43 PM	I can understand where you are comming from, and most emerging technologies stumble in the first few years and usually disapear. But I am hoping, and willing to bet that WiMax (and its projenitors) have the interest, benefits and potential to make it. Many people are not willing to give up on it - 7/Vivid in Perth are a good testiment to that. (Though I can see a future VHS/Betamax Blu Ray/HD-DVD type fight coming - if wireless networks make it at all. Assuming they do, my money is still with WiMax) The coverage area is a little confusing depending on which article you read but CNET (sorry ITNews) quoted the following: http://www.cnet.com.au/seven-to-build-50m-perth-wimax-network-339298277.htm "The Seven Network has committed some $50m to fund the Perth rollout which will cover the entire metropolitan area /snip/ ...Huawei has been chosen as Vivid’s network equipment supplier..." I might live north but I'm still counted as metro, and yes I can only hope for my way out of Telstra. (I'm praying its not a false hope too!)
Inuse Jan 26, 2010 11:15 PM	Rolling out only in the CBD? The metro area is more on the money.. Even extending to Rotto! Surely you'd like more coverage than the CBD for $50M!