In Brief: Motorola, Softbank try out WiMax in Tokyo

Motorola will be working with Softbank for a trial run of WiMax in Tokyo.

The U.S. mobile group will be supplying access points as well as an access network, in addition to providing mobile handsets.

The trial will allow Softbank to see the effectiveness of WiMax in providing wireless broadband in Japan, having acquired the Japanese unit of mobile operator Vodafone earlier this year. As a result, Softbank currently has more than 26 million fixed-line and mobile customers across Japan.

"The Softbank group has been preparing to provide innovative new services to launch full-scale wireless broadband services and to realize a true ubiquitous society. We are confident that our new cooperation with Motorola, a company capable of providing optimal solution proposals for the demonstration of WiMax, will enable us to further improve communication technologies and to take another big step toward commercialization," said Junichi Miyakawa, executive vice president of Vodafone KK.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International

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