When this news broke in June it was covered by media around the world – after all its not often that Pakistan gets to be the testing ground for a brand-new technology. Sometimes it helps to be a latecomer in the game – you get to try out the latest trends without carrying the baggage from previous technologies which did not make the cut.

I find it ironic that the initiative is mainly controlled by Wateen (UAE) and Motorola ..  any Pakistani company or organization does not seem to be in the picture. Perhaps it is a good thing that the government is not involved in this (anymore than they really have to).

Here’s an excerpt from InformationWeek about this project: (full article)

Wateen Telecom, the major carrier in Pakistan, tapped Motorola to plan, design, and deploy the nationwide wireless broadband network as part of the country’s Broadband Pakistan effort to get Internet access to under-served areas. The company expects to support more than 1 million users, and Motorola’s initial deployment should be completed by year’s end.

The scale of this project sets it apart from prior implementations which are usually city-wide. If the project claims are realized this will provide a much needed relief to the broadband hungry Pakistani public. It is well-known that technology projects rarely go as planned but I’m keeping my fingers crossed …Go Wimax!

Learn more about the Wimax technology & standards here.