The mainland could be among the countries to initially use WiMAX equipment when the first certified products hit the market later this year.
At last week's WiMAX Forum, held in Spain, mainland executives were among the 300 members in attendance - driving speculation that it was eager to adopt the technology. Telecommunications equipment manufacturer Huawei Technologies sent eight delegates, while rival ZTE Corp sent seven.
To press the case for the wireless broadband technology, a delegation of WiMAX Forum board members will also visit Beijing to meet with senior mainland officials, including those from the Ministry of Information Industry.
The mainland is seen as a fertile market for WiMAX. Broadband penetration rates are low, and remote areas are difficult to reach with fixed-line technology. In addition, it has yet to issue third-generation (3G) mobile-phone licences, and the case for WiMAX grows stronger with each day of delay.
WiMAX Forum president Ron Resnick said it was an attractive market. 'We will first target countries that do not have existing [3G or fixed broadband] infrastructure,' he said.
Beijing is expected to make a decision on allocating spectrum or licences for 3G mobile technology by mid-year. In the meantime, a window of opportunity exists for WiMAX.
