­Airspan Networks has been selected by Cooperativa de Telecomunicaciones Sucre (COTES) for a multi-phase Bolivian WiMAX deployment. The first phase of the WiMAX network is to be completed in the first quarter of 2010, commencing with the city of Sucre. Further expansion to additional cities is expected later in the year.

Operating in the 3.6 GHz frequency band, COTES will incorporate a variety of CPEs (customer premises equipment) to meet connectivity requirements, including desktop self-install units as well as outdoor units for increased range.

“Airspan’s feature-rich and mobile/fixed platform HiperMAX solution is an ideal match for our business model,” commented Jorge E. Rodriguez, Technical Manager COTES. “We are very much looking forward to offering sorely needed broadband services to this region as well as to our continued partnership with Airspan Networks.”

“COTES has years of telecommunications experience as a long-standing telephone operator and we expect their WiMAX business to be equally successful,” commented Amit Ancikovsky, President of Sales and Products for Airspan. “Countries such as Bolivia, with growing economies and poor telephone and Internet adoption rates, are perfect markets for WiMAX technology. With solutions such as Airspan’s HiperMAX, operators can deploy a dual fixed and mobile system that enables them to build a customer base with fixed services and work up to a fully mobile network. This gives them a lot of flexibility and the ability to enter the market at a low cost.”