The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has selected the Agilent E6474A wireless network test platform from Agilent Technologies for its M-Taiwan WiMAX Applications Lab (MTWAL). The test laboratory is an official WiMAX Forum(R) Applications Lab and will be used to help evaluate the performance of products for emerging mobile WiMAX wireless broadband communications networks. For example, the six operators in Taiwan that won WiMAX operating licenses last year are expected to roll out their networks and provide commercial services in the second half of 2008. ITRI will use Agilent's WiMAX test systems to enable this rollout of networks and services.
According to Dr. Ching-Tarng Hsieh, Engineering Director of the Information and Communications Laboratories at ITRI, and Director of the WiMAX Forum Taiwan Office, "We are excited to include Agilent's E6474A wireless network test platform to ensure that the quality of service information is monitored in our WiMAX system deployment and operations. WiMAX technology and services will play an important role in ensuring that consumers have access to broadband services in this region." I-Lung Shen, General Manager of Agilent's Electronic Measurements Group in Taiwan, added, "ITRI is a research pioneer in Taiwan's communications industry. We are honored to collaborate with ITRI to promote research on the deployment of the Mobile WiMAX network in Taiwan. The Mobile WiMAX network also marks an important milestone for Taiwan in developing the global communications industry."