Hong Kong to issue three WiMAX operation licenses in 4Q08

The administration of Hong Kong is expected to issue three WiMAX operation licenses in the fourth quarter of this year – a move which is likely to attract the world's leading telecom equipment vendors to vie for a piece of WiMAX pie, and also bring some business opportunities for Taiwan-based WiMAX equipment makers, according to market sources.

International players, including Nokia Siemens Networks, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, Nortel Networks, Huawei Technologies and ZTE, are all now paying close attention to the bidding for the planned release of the licenses, the sources noted.

The administration of Hong Kong has decided to issue three licenses to provide WiMAX services but details of the bidding are not yet finalized, said Mike Wang, general manager for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau of Nokia Siemens Networks.

The business opportunities for telecom equipment vendors may start emerging in the first half of 2009 when the operators awarded licenses begin to build up their WiMAX networks, the sources indicated.

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