Centrino 2 laptops in Asia to get WiMAX from 2009
It looks like notebook users in Asia will have to wait a little longer before they can get their hands on the new WiMAX-enabled Centrino 2 laptops.
While Centrino 2 machines (from ASUS and Acer) are expected to go on sale tomorrow in selected Asian markets such as Singapore, these laptops will feature the Intel Wi-Fi Link 5000 series chipset with wireless-N support. The WiMAX/Wi-Fi Link 5050 series chipset, which offers WiMAX connectivity, will be launched later this year in Centrino 2 laptops sold only in the US. WiMAX-compatible Centrinos are slated to reach Asian shores in the first half of 2009. A company representative estimates that machines equipped with the WiMAX option will cost an average of 10 to 15 percent more than those with just the regular 802.11a/b/g/n chipset.
Now, if you can't wait till 2009 and plan to get a WiMAX-enabled laptop from the US for use in Asia, there's a catch. Apparently, the frequency spectrum for WiMAX in the US is different from the one we have in Asia. According to Intel, this will mean you won't be able to get on WiMAX networks here in Asia with the WiMAX-enabled notebooks from the US, and vice versa. The company, however, will be launching an updated WiMAX chipset globally with a universal frequency spectrum in the second half of 2009. This WiMAX chipset is expected to be compatible with more WiMAX networks, so travelers can use it wherever they go.
For now, notebook users in countries with WiMAX networks available will have to rely on addon USB dongles to get online. In Singapore, WiMAX provider QMax has also announced plans to introduce an upgraded Mobile system in March 2009, which promises seamless connectivity when users move from one base station to another. The company currently employs the Nomadic system which has to perform a reconnection everytime it detects a new base station.
About the author
A Back to the Future fan, Reuben Lee secretly hopes the flux capacitor works so he can go back in time to tell the younger him to invest in Google shares. This former engineering graduate stumbled from varsity straight into games and tech writing just for the fun at CNET Asia. He found it so much fun, he stayed on for the next 11 years. You can also catch this Senior Editor for chats on all things Japan, the manga One Piece, Star Wars, Liverpool and football, and racing games.
Latest comments
Thanks for the reply reuben ^^ then most likely i will buy a laptop this coming Aug-Sep (cant wait as my School work need it >_<)
From the first half of 2009, all Centrino 2 laptops, including those from Singapore, are expected to get WiMAX, but these are restricted for use in specific regions due to its fixed frequency spectrum. Only from second half of 2009 will the Centrino 2 laptops be equipped with WiMAX that can be used worldwide. At this point in time, Intel has not clarified if it is a patch or new hardware that will be needed to enable the WiMAX features in the second half of 2009. We'll be sure to provide more updates closer to availability.
a... so the laptop which we get here in Singapore is able to use it WiMax after the 2nd half of 2009 patch?? or is a totally new hardware? o.O
Join the conversation
Sign In with Facebook or create an account to post a review.
