18 – 19 November, 2009, the international WiMAX Forum Association conference „WiMAX Forum, Regional Perspective: Russia and CIS Countries“, organized by INFORMA Telecoms & Media (UK) took place in the business centre of Marriott Aurora Hotel in Moscow, Russian Federation.

Around 80 participants from 20 countries participated in the conference, representing:

• regulators (Ministry of Connection and Mass Communication of Russian Federation);
• developers and system integrators (Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd, Huawey, ZTE, Alvarion, Motorola, Intel, IskraUralTel, SEQUANS Communication, RWM Aliance, Comsys, Sedicom, Greenpacket (Malaysia), Epivalley (Korea) Intracom (Greece), Sozvezdie);
• Operators (Movilmax (Venezuela), Clearwire (USA), BSNL (Indea), Svyazinvest, Interporject (Freshtel), Enforta, Comstar, Scartel, Prestige, Vympelcom, Flex, Soyuz Telecom etc.);
• investors, consulting and scientific centers (DETECON Consulting (Germany), ICON Private Equity (Russia), Giprosvyez (Russia), J’Son & Partners, regional department of RAEN, Information and Communication Technologies);
• Operator associations (WiMAX Forum, АРОС).

The conference was dedicated to the following issues:

• what markets in Russia and CIS Countries have the most favourable conditions for WiMAX;
• tendencies of regional broadband markets and perspective of subscriber growth
• services defining the 4G revolution;
•  influence of combined usage of new hard- and software on the channel capacity;
•  challenges and chances for WiMAX industry;
•  positioning of WiMAX Services on the regional markets;
•  pricing and packaging strategy influence on the subscriber growth;
•  allocation of WiMAX Spectrum and band for Russia;
•  nalysis of restrictions to be made in 2,5/3,5 GHz Band and what impact these restriction might have on WiMAX development.

The conference was opened by the deputy of the minister of connection and mass communication, Professor N. S. Marder and the director of WiMAX Forum in Russia and CIS, member of RAEN’s department of Information and Telecommunication Technologies S. L. Portnoy. N. S. Marder reported on the main tasks of innovative development of the wireless, broadband technologies and the role of the regulator in stimulating and backing of this development in Russian Federation.

In the course of the conference more than 20 presentations were made (www.informa.com).

Detecon Consulting (Bonn, Germany) held a two-hour workshop on technological and economic issues of WiMAX business development „Key success factors in developing and setting-up a sustainable WiMAX business“. The workshop was held by Dr. Julius Golovatchev (Head of Competence Team Product Lifecycle Management, Detecon and foreign member of RAEN), Dr. Wolfgang Knospe (Head of Radio Access Group, Detecon), Rainer Seelig (Regional Director for Russia and CIS) as well as Andrey Plotnikov (Head of Regional Office in Moscow). The workshop dealt with the key technology and business success factors, which can help the WiMAX-carriers to set-up cost-effective and reliable business and operational model.

Following presentations are available upon request:

1. Chairman ITT RAEN, V. O. Tikhvinsky reported on „WiMAX in the times of economic downturn: influence of global economic crisis on operator’s ambitions and investors expectations in Russia and CIS countries”.

2. Hear of RG 11 ITT RAEN, S. L. Portnoy reported on „Market and innovation overview: influence of WiMAX on dynamic competition in Russia and CIS“

3. Dr. Julius Golovatchev reported on „Key success factors in developing and setting-up a sustainable WiMAX Business”.

Director of WiMAX Forum and Head of RG 11 ITT RAEN, S. L. Portnoy presented together with co-authors V.M. Vishnevsky and I. V. Shahnovich his new book “Encyclopedia WiMAX: a way to 4G”.