WiMAX Rollout in Bangladesh

A phased WiMAX deployment by Agni Systems Ltd., will provide wireless broadband access in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and then gradually to other metropolitan cities.

Commercial services are expected to start in January 2007 and the entire deployment is expected to be completed by mid-2008. Phase one of the deployment will be a fixed outdoor solution using Motorola's Access Point (AP) 100 series system. Phase two, expected to start in Q3 2007, will extend Agni's system to an 802.16-2005 mobile WiMAX system using Motorola's WiMAX Access Point (WAP) 400 series system with MIMO techniques.

Agni's managing director, Mohammed Abdus Salam, said that Motorola's AP 100 series system provides a quick, cost-effective way for Agni to roll out wireless broadband services to areas with high subscriber density in order to quickly realize its ROI objectives. He said: "This will allow Agni to justify its future migration to the carrier-class WAP 400 platform that supports fixed, nomadic and mobile subscribers." Salam said he considers the AP 100 series system a first step in enabling Agni to gain experience in preparation for managing a full-fledged WiMAX deployment.

Jay Andersen, vice president of sales for Motorola Networks and Enterprise, South and East Asia, said WiMAX is key to providing high-speed wireless broadband in emerging countries like Bangladesh that have a huge population spread over a small area. "With WiMAX, existing operators like Agni can provide wireless high speed data that will be able to support rich applications using voice and data. It also allows operators to connect under- served and un-served markets that represent the next potential growth area in the broadband market."

The Agni Systems WiMAX deployment will also include Motorola's WiMAX subscriber devices, Motorola's wi4 fixed point to point solutions, as well as a suite of services that span planning, installation, operations and maintenance.

Agni's investment in Motorola's equipment is being funded by World Wide Opportunity Fund (WWOF), a global investment fund managed by Terra Partners Ltd., a New York money manager. Harold Golden, Chairman of Agni Systems and CEO of Terra Partners said that WWOF has formed the world's first Bangladesh country fund with the specific purpose of funding Agni's use of Motorola's WiMAX solution to overcome Dhaka's significant last-mile challenges.