Airspan Networks announced on Thursday they had completed a WiMAX network optimization program with Yozan of Tokyo, Japan. Airspan began this project back in July and the testing period last month. As of 1 September, Yozan had over 100 WiMAX base stations operating in five major regions and the company is said to be planning to launch corporate targeted web services next month.
HP Japan and BEA Japan have proposed a new architecture for building business RFID applications, dubbed RFID 2.0. According to their definition edge systems that locally and independently use RFID for data input/output at distribution centers, etc. are RFID 1.0 while systems that allow for a company to integrate the data with existing business applications (and share the data with other companies) should be considered as “RFID 2.0.”
Yozan has set up a WiMAX feasibility test in the Hokuriku region in Japan building on their previously announced Tokyo network, valued at $16.7 million, to deliver high-speed IP connectivity capable of a wide array of data service offerings. Hokuriku is typical of Japan’s mountainous regions in which it will be more challenging to implement WiMAX infrastructure.
KDDI has issued a follow-up to their spring announcement regarding the dual-mode CDMA 1x and corporate WLAN network service offering. The corporate mobile business solution service, or so-called “Office Freedom” campaign, will now also use NEC’s Univerge SV7000 for SIP access point hardware, with the E02SA BREW handset from Sanyo. DoCoMo have also been working in this area over the last few years to provide major corporate clients, such as Toyota and JAL, the in-house VoIP ability using NEC’s 900iL handset.
Frequency issues may be a gating factor in Japan, where WiMAX penetration depends on how the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) regulates the usage of the 2.5GHz band. In December 2005, the group offered recommendations for spectrum usage from 800MHz to 81GHz. The MIC study group chose the 2.5GHz band specifically for low-cost broadband mobile wireless services not provided by current mobile-phone networks. An advisory telecommunication council will issue a draft report in September, with a final report due in November.
KDDI and Toyota have announced an update to the existing G-Book telematics service. A limited release of 7,500 new TiMO handsets, Toshiba’s 3G terminal otherwise known as the W44T11, will be available from October this year. WWJ has a video interview from the Tokyo Motor Show in 2003 demonstrating the original service and it would appear at first blush their new offering is at least somwhat improved. Full specs and dedicated site links after the jump.
