TeleCIS Wireless joins the WiMAX rush with multi-protocol chip development

LONDON — WiFi chip supplier TeleCIS Wireless, Inc. has thrown down the gauntlet to Intel and others with plans for a combined WiMAX fixed/WiMAX mobile silicon on chip implementation by the second half of 2006, one of the most aggressive timescales for such a part. The Santa Clara, California based company is readying its first SoC, targeted at fixed WiMAX networking equipment, for the second half of 2005.

A multi-protocol 'converged' chipset for WLAN/WiMAX applications is scheduled for sampling by 2007.

The company also announced that David Sumi, Secretary of the WiMAX Forum with a seat on the Forum's Board of Directors, joins the company as vice president of Marketing.

TeleCIS Wireless' first WiMAX SoC, dubbed the TCW1620, will support both PHY and MAC layers all the way to Ethernet to enable low cost devices for the broadband wireless market.

The company says that when combined with RFICs on its reference design boards, network equipment vendors will have a simple, complete package with everything necessary to build an entire Subscriber Station from RF in to Ethernet out.

Reference designs are also under development using the part, which will be based on all three frequency bands for WiMAX: 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz and 5.8GHz.

Sumi said the market opportunity for wireless broadband lies in a multi-protocol approach "that will help consumers automatically connect to the strongest signal available and switch between networks as needed.

"We see applications and end user devices for these chips ranging from traditional residential and business access supporting both voice and data, to laptops, PDAs and even cell phones with true broadband connections."