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India's broadband wireless spectrum auction could kick off in about two weeks' time, once the 3G sale ends, and the WiMAX community is battling hard to keep all three of the 2.3GHz licenses on offer for its technology. In the face of a possible TD-LTE deployment, should a Qualcomm-led group win a license, the WiMAX Forum has been stressing that its platform is at least two years ahead in terms of equipment availability and testing. It has also promised to maintain the headstart by fast tracking enhancements to its current standard, and progress towards the upcoming WiMAX2 or 802.16m. Now it has followed up on those pledges by forming an official initiative to keep the heat under WiMAX2.

The WiMAX2 Collaboration Initiative has been formed by 10 big names in 802.16, including its greatest cheerleaders and IPR holders, Intel and Samsung. The other big equipment vendors - Alvarion, Motorola and ZTE - are also signed up, though not Huawei at this stage. Other members are chip vendors Beceem, GCT and Sequans, plus XRONet and Taiwanese research organization ITRI.

The group said it will work closely with the Forum on technology and performance benchmarking, as well as joint testing of applications and early network level interoperability testing. All this is designed to demonstrate a clear and convincing roadmap towards the next generation of WiMAX, which should leapfrog LTE's first iteration.

The Forum knows well that promises of fast data rates and technology enhancements, such as 4x4 MIMO, are one thing, but bringing these to market at mass market prices is another. Early programs to test equipment and ensure interoperability should help avoid delays, and - perhaps just as importantly as LTE becomes commercially real at last - instil confidence that WiMAX will stay a step ahead and not become a dead end for its operators.

Last week, the Forum said WiMAX2 is expected to be completed in the second half of this year, with device certification coming in late 2011. Meanwhile, it will publish detailed milestones and delivery schedules soon, and will also fast track enhancements to WiMAX1, which could appear in products before year end. These improvements are designed to double peak data rates and increase average and cell edge end user performance by 50%, even before WiMAX2.

Although India is the topical focus, these activities are focused well beyond the subcontinent. After all, if Qualcomm does win a license, no WiMAX enhancements will persuade it away from TD-LTE, while the other two Indian operators will almost certainly both use WiMAX (state-owned BSNL is already deploying). The new initiative will also be seeking to keep the loyalty of existing carriers like Clearwire and Yota, which are seeing massive data consumption on their networks, and to attract new ones.

"WiMAX operators are providing an unprecedented amount of data, with some networks delivering over 10Gb per month to the average user," the Forum said in a statement. "The WiMAX Forum has recognized operator needs for more advanced technologies to future-proof their networks in the face of these inexorable trends."

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