February 14 th, 2007 - Altech, is a leading South African multi-billion rand high-technology group involved in the design, development, convergence, manufacture, installation and distribution of telecommunications equipment, multimedia systems, IT solutions, electronic components, cellular telephony and industrial electronic products and Samsung Electronics, a leader and innovator of mobile technology, today announces that they will cooperate for trial service of Mobile WiMAX broadband network in South Africa.
Following the successful test license application to ICASA, Altech and Samsung will install the Mobile WiMAX network in Gauteng, South Africa.
According to the contract, Samsung will provide Altech with Mobile WiMAX infrastructure equipment along with various types of devices in 2 nd half of this year. After the success of initial trial service, Altech will decide the mass deployment of Mobile WiMAX service in South Africa
Craig Venter, CEO of Altech said, “ Korea is one of the world's most advanced countries in developing and deploying wireless broadband networks. Samsung in particular has experience without peer in the deployment of these leading edge wireless technologies. We chose them as our partner not only for their expertise, but because we believe that there is no other global technology player who can point to the depth of experience in the delivery of consumer IP services over wireless infrastructure.”
The network service will be focused on the wireless delivery of triple play services, including video streaming, Internet access and Voice over IP. In addition, these services will be delivered to both next generation handsets as well as other devices such as laptop computers.
Says Steven Sidley, Altech's CTO added, “Mobile WiMAX 802.16e, in which cell to cell handover forms part of the core architecture, is now widely expected to emerge as the dominant wireless IP delivery technology for the next 10 years. We will be testing not only access, but handover, throughput, multiple concurrent service delivery and quality of service imperatives. This technology will be a key to telecommunications development in both South Africa and Africa as we leapfrog older, less robust technologies.”
Hyojong Lee, Vice President of Samsung Electronics commented, “As a frontier of Mobile WiMAX technology, we are very thrilled to work with Altech for deployment of Mobile WiMAX service in South Africa . I am pretty confident that Mobile WiMAX will bring the real benefit of the advanced telecommunication technology to South African people.”
“We are very pleased to discover the new business opportunity with Altech, one of the most advanced telecommunication service provider in Africa” he added.
Venter concluded: “We believe that the planets are now lined up – the technology is ready, the market is ready, Altech is ready and the country's new liberalized framework is ready.
The network is expected to be commissioned in July 2007.