Six wireless industry giants have formed an Open Patent Alliance (OPA) to foster the development and deployment of WiMAX worldwide. Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco Systems, Clearwire, Intel, Samsung Electronics, and Sprint Nextel are working on a competitive and open intellectual-property rights model that will help WiMAX ecosystem participants obtain one-stop access to patent licenses at a predictable cost.

The goal is to stimulate innovation through broader choice and lower equipment and service costs, said Barry West, president of Sprint’s Xohm business unit.

“We expect to unleash wireless innovation with that patent alliance,” West said. “The open-licensing program will help immediate pervasive WiMAX technology. that speeds the day when consumers can enjoy the convenience of WiMAX mobile broadband services on new devices in new places, and experience all the open Web has to offer.”

Stimulating Innovation

The OPA will urge the inclusion of fundamental WiMAX patents in a “patent pool.” An independent third party will evaluate the patents submitted

to determine how fundamental they are to the WiMAX standard and WiMAX Forum profiles. The OPA intends to keep royalty rates low, which should translate into lower prices for consumers.

Another principal goal is to stimulate innovation through the establishment of a predictable and simple intellectual-property framework, said Sprint spokesperson John Polivka. “It will create a one-stop shop for WiMAX patents that facilitates the licensing of intellectual property,” he said.

Intel envisions the OPA bringing “the openness of the Net and computing industries to the wireless industry and WiMAX,” said Intel Capital Vice President Sriram Viswanathan. “By facilitating an open IP-rights model, we expect the alliance to in turn create a more competitive, innovative and broader WiMAX industry that ultimately benefits the consumer with more choice for WiMAX technology and services.”

To form that happen, Polivka observed, a large number of devices is key. “This produces a more…

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