December 19, 2007	Wednesday	Zilhaj 8, 1428

LAHORE, Dec 18: The days of disappointing and unreliable broadband internet connections may soon be over following the launch on Tuesday of Wateen Telecom’s WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) service across the country on Tuesday.

What’s more, according to Wateen, Pakistan will now have the largest WiMAX network “ever installed” – surpassing counterparts in Europe, Asia and North America.

Wateen Telecom CEO Tariq Malik said: “We are proud to be the largest and the first in the world to roll out a WiMAX 802.16e network nationwide in 22 cities.”

He added: “We are providing Pakistani consumers with complete communication solutions. Services, such as high-speed broadband internet and voice telephony, will have a direct impact on the number of broadband users online.”

The technology, which is aimed at providing wireless data over long distances, including metropolitan areas, will provide users with an alternative to cable-access and DSL high speed internet, which have thus far generally provided below-par performance in Pakistan owing to shortcomings in infrastructure.

Unlike many WiMAX deployments around the world, which target rural or small markets with few broadband resources, Wateen is focusing on major metropolitan areas, such as the capital Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar.

Test users in Lahore had previously reported download speeds of up to 6Mbps – roughly 10 times the speed currently on offer by DSL and cable providers.