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Intel Corporation has developed a new baseband card that helps speed the creation of WiMAX base stations. The Intel NetStructure® WiMAX Baseband Card is Intel’s first integrated hardware and software platform for transport, control and baseband processing in a standards-based AdvancedMC form factor. The Intel card enables equipment manufacturers to accelerate time to market and reduce development and lifecycle management costs when building WiMAX base stations.

Ideal for wireless broadband solutions for both business and residential access, the new card is the first standards-based WiMAX baseband module built to the AdvancedMC specification that includes Open Base Station Architecture Initiative (OBSAI) interfaces and a full Media Access Controller (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) solution. It also features the Intel® IXP2350 network processor, scheduling and control software and is fully upgradeable from fixed to mobile WiMAX applications.

“With the new Intel NetStructure® WiMAX Baseband Card, Intel continues to advance WiMAX technology and help equipment manufacturers improve the flexibility, development time and cost of wireless broadband solutions,” said Keate Despain, director of marketing of Intel’s Modular Communications Platform Division. “This standards-based, off-the-shelf building block is the solution of choice for manufacturers looking to create WiMAX solutions that can be deployed, operated and upgraded cost effectively.”

The Intel NetStructure WiMAX Baseband Card, designed to meet the most demanding requirements of large service providers, allows manufacturers to create base stations with a small footprint and have the flexibility to expand the solution as requirements grow. Its compact form factor is well suited for space-constrained environments and the low-power profile enables equipment cooling costs savings. The typical power consumption for a three sector base station based on the product with a 2 km coverage radius is 400 W, while traditional cellular technology would draw nearly 3000 W to provide the same coverage. The low power profile of the Intel NetStructure WiMAX Baseband Card makes it possible to create a base station that runs on alternate energy sources such as solar power.

The product delivers production hardware, production software and is interoperable with WiMAX client devices, including the Intel® PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface. For every other part of the base station, users are able to choose from a large and growing ecosystem of equipment suppliers. The company is working with many companies, including Alliance Systems, Celestica and Motorola to ensure all the building blocks needed for a WiMAX base station are available in the marketplace.

The Intel NetStructure WiMAX Baseband Card is planned to be available in December 2006.

Intel Corporation