Intel has started production of a new wireless chipset called "Kilmer Peak" that will bring support for three versions of WiMAX to notebooks -- something many operators and users have been awaiting.

Kilmer Peak will allow users to access 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz, and 3.5GHz versions of WiMAX, whereas the company's current chipsets only support 2.5GHz, which is available in markets like Japan, the US, and Taiwan. Operators in South Korea and Malaysia use WiMAX 2.3GHz, and the 3.5GHz profile is used in Pakistan -- but that will reportedly change with Intel's new product.

Intel expects to launch Kilmer Peak alongside its Capella Arrandale notebook platform in the first quarter of next year, but there are no specific details on when manufacturers may provide laptops with the new WiMAX chip. There is also limited information on when the various profiles will be introduced to new regions.