Several broadband wireless access companies and wireless LAN firms have joined the World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) Forum, a group which is working to promote the emerging 802.16a wireless metropolitan area network standard.

The group’s new members include BWA firms Alvarion, Aperto Networks and AirSpan Networks, along with 802.11 WLAN companies such as Intel, Proxim, Fujitsu Microelectronics and Wi-LAN. The WiMax Forum was founded last April by Nokia, Harris Corp, Ensemble and Crosspan. The OFDM Forum also participates in WiMax.

Margaret LaBrecque, an Intel employee and president of the WiMax Forum, said the new membership will help WiMax better promote 802.16a, the IEEE standard which has been developed to govern non-line of sight linear wireless transmission of up to 31 miles at frequencies ranging from 2 Ghz to 11 Ghz. This makes it ripe for wider area application than BWA or Wi-Fi, though it could help extend the viability of both access network technologies.

The standard will help carriers construct wireless MANs capable of shared data rates up to 70 Mb/s. La Brecque said these MANs could be used to provide T-1-like bandwidth to multiple businesses in a metropolitan corridor, as well as supply an efficient wireless backhaul method for WLANs and BWA customer deployments. The standard also could be applied to how wireless technology could be used as an extension to DSL or cable modems for last-mile broadband access.

The WiMax Forum, much like the Wi-Fi Alliance working to promote 802.11 interoperability, is planning devise a testing and certification program for different kinds of equipment with the hope of giving gravity to a “WiMax Certified” branding campaign. Several BWA companies attending this week’s Broadband Wireless World Forum in San Jose, Calif., were planning on promoting 801.16a and the WiMax Forum in their presentations.

On joining the group, Alan Menezes, vice president of marketing at Aperto, said, “Forums like WiMax are key to the rapid implementation and interoperability of industry standards.”

Rudy Leser, vice president of marketing at Alvarion, added, “The standardization of the wireless access industry will greatly benefit not only operators, but also system vendors and consumers of broadband access.”