The WiMAX Forum announced the first, US-based certification test lab will open later this year during the opening address at the WiMAX Forum Member Conference in Madrid. 

Operated by the WiMAX Forum’s lead certification testing partner, AT4 wireless, the lab, which will open this October, is one of five test labs for WiMAX Forum Certified products worldwide.

"Establishing a WiMAX Forum designated test facility in North America is very important strategically because the WiMAX Forum and key Telecommunications Industry Forums are located in the US," said Luis Fernando Martinez, General Director of AT4 wireless.

“We plan to quickly open a lab in the United States to support global certification testing for both Fixed and Mobile WiMAX devices,” said Martinez.

The lab will conduct WiMAX Forum certification testing and radiated performance testing (RPT).  WiMAX Forum members in the Americas may submit devices for certification at the Virginia facility in October.

“A US-based lab is important to help meet the needs of member companies as the demand for mobile certification testing increases in the US market,” said Ron Resnick, president of the WiMAX Forum. 

In the future, the North America lab may provide capabilities to support the convergence of emerging wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi with WiMAX™ and Bluetooth with WiMAX.

The WiMAX Forum plans to have five certification test labs located in the U.S., Europe, China, Korea and Taiwan by end of 2007.