Ericsson’s HSDPA solution is now in operation in 15 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America. This was announced today by Carl-Henric Svanberg, President and CEO of Ericsson, at Stora Aktiedagen, a major retail shareholder event in Stockholm.

Martín Varsavsky has confirmed in SIMO this week that Fon’s objective in the short run is to offer Internet access via WiMax. He said that ‘the definitive launch will happen when the new WiMax network is working. Then we will award its members with a WiMAx router.’ This way, they will be able to offer mobile telephone services through WiMax. Varsavsky has never denied that he wants to compete with mobile phone operators.

Some accuse WiMax of being a media fashion very similar to the one that, in 2000, affected the UMTS, a technology that promised a revolution in mobile phones, despite the fact that the terminals were not ready yet. Right now WiMax is surrounded by a doubt that will only dispel when the certified terminals start working. The company which will validate the hardware, Cetecom, has its head office in Málaga, Spain.

La Giettaz winter resort, in the French Alps, will soon enjoy a WiMax connection that will allow access to the Internet all along its 36 km. of slope. The new infrastructure will also include little Wi-Fi nets through aerials located in the chair lift’s machinery.

The Government of Taiwan wants to create the world’s biggest WiMax net, for which it has formed an alliance with Intel and has contributed 209 million dollars. It aims at turning Taiwan, where the use of WiMax is very widespread, into one of the main centres of development of products based on this new technology.

Intel has counted the number of operator in the world which already use WiMax. According to the figures, 24 companies have already installed broadband nets based on this wireless technology, and another 11 will do it by the end of this year. Most of the infrastructures have been set in areas which didn’t have access to the broadband technology.

Italy was one the few European countries where allowance from the Government was needed to create a Wi-Fi net. Fortunately, things changed the 4th of October and now any access supplier can offer wireless Internet connections. The Government wants these services to reach the rural areas, which are being left aside from the broadband.