Broadband wireless access vendor Aperto Networks announced a new stackable, single-sector base station. Also, as part of its roadmap to support 802.116 WiMAX technology, the vendor said it will have WiMAX-compliant systems available for interoperability testing in December of this year.

The PacketWave 760 has a modular, pay-as-you-grow form factor designed for use in the 2.5 Ghz, 3.5 Ghz and 5 Ghz licensed and unlicensed frequency bands. It actually has many of the same core functions as the larger PacketWave 1000 unit.

Regarding its WiMAX roadmap, Aperto is planning to participate in the WiMAX Forum’s plugfest for interoperability certification in January 2005, with commercial products expected to be available in the middle of next year, said Alan Menezes, vice president of marketing at Aperto.

The current PacketWave systems will migrate to WiMAX support, and both existing systems and eventual WiMAX Forum-Certified systems will be able to coexist in the same cell and sector, he said. Aperto hasn’t made any plans to change its product names to reflect WiMAX support, but the company does plan to use forum certification prominently in its marketing once it happens.

Though WiMAX has been the subject of much industry hype, Menezes said the hype has actually helped spread awareness about the capabilities of existing broadband wireless equipment. The company will discuss its WiMAX product roadmap and display its latest PacketWave system at the 2004 Wireless Communications Association Conference in Washington, D.C., next week.