In an effort to bring people faster, lower cost and a truly mobile, data broadband technology, FREEDOM4 and Intel Corporation today announced a collaboration to accelerate mobile WiMAX deployment in the U.K. Intel Capital, Intel Corporation’s global investment organization, also announced that it has signed an agreement to make a substantial investment in U.K. based FREEDOM4 Limited (“FREEDOM4”), formerly known as Pipex Wireless Limited.
Pipex Communications PLC will also join Intel Capital in this investment. This latest investment from Intel Capital and Pipex Communications, a major U.K. based telecommunications provider, follows FREEDOM4’s successful WiMAX trials in the U.K.
FREEDOM4 is a pioneer in WiMAX services with broad spectrum assets, which will enable the deployment of WiMAX across the U.K. WiMAX services provided by FREEDOM4 aim to make personal wireless broadband available to both businesses and consumers at affordable prices. WiMAX represents the future of mobile broadband and Intel Capital, along with tremendous support from a worldwide ecosystem, is a leading global investor in WiMAX technology.
„Intel Capital is a major investor in WiMAX technology and is committed to accelerating the deployment of open-standards mobile broadband around the world,“ said Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel Capital. „FREEDOM4 has built a top-notch management team and this is a strategic investment opportunity through which we can help facilitate the deployment of wireless broadband in the U.K market.“
Mike Read, CEO, FREEDOM4 adds, „Following the success of the commercial launch of our services in Milton Keynes, we are in the next phase of our development: making FREEDOM4 the market leader in ‚personal‘ wireless broadband access. The investment from Intel Capital and Pipex Communications will facilitate the roll out of a WiMAX network in other cities around the U.K., providing a truly flexible service to businesses and consumers.“
Delivering Mobile WiMAX
Intel is a leader in driving the development and deployment of WiMAX, a new wireless broadband technology that delivers „broadband on the go.“ Mobile WiMAX, based on the IEEE 802.16e industry specification, is a mobile broadband wireless technology that provides low-cost, multi-megabit speed and increased throughput for accessing large amounts of data such as movies and multimedia content. Intel’s integrated Wi-Fi/WiMAX module (codenamed „Echo Peak“) will debut in certain next-generation Intel® Centrino® processor-based laptops (codenamed „Montevina“) beginning in the middle of the year. The company’s low-power mobile WiMAX silicon specifically designed for mobile Internet and consumer electronic devices (codenamed „Baxter Peak“) will also be available this year.
For more information from Intel about WiMAX, visit the press kit covering the 2008 Mobile World Congress at www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/mobileworld
About Intel
Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.
Intel, the Intel logo and Centrino are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
