Samsung’s mobile WiMAX to run commercial service in Japan from 2009

Samsung Electronics announced selection as a mobile WiMAX equipment provider to UQ Communications, a mobile WiMAX operator in Japan.

UQ Communications is a consortium that is jointly owned by KDDI Corp., Intel, East Japan Railway Company, Kyocera Corp., Daiwa Securities Group Inc. and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.

Samsung said the deal with Japan’s UQ Communications calls for the setting-up of infrastructure that will allow commercial WiBro services to begin in Japan starting next year.

UQ Communications plans to run a trial service of WiBro in February 2009 in Tokyo and Yokohama, and launch commercial service there the following summer.

In August 2006, Samsung signed a deal with Sprint Nextel and Intel to cooperate in developing and commercializing WiBro in the U.S. Commercial service in the U.S. is expected to begin in the first half of this year.