Intel is furthering its investment in UQ Communications, a Japanese-based WiMAX service provider, with a $43 million cash injection. The money from the company's investment arm, Intel Capital , will help to fund UQ's goal of covering 90 percent of the country by 2012 with the wireless broadband technology; and comes just ahead of the official commercial launch next month. The service offers download speeds up to 40Mbps and uploads up to 10Mbps.
Intel has been one of the world's largest promoters of WiMAX, making a series of investments worldwide to push the technology forward. The company is also working with other computer and communications makers to embed WiMAX-enabled chipsets in devices, though last Friday it abruptly halted production of its 'Rosedale 2' WiMAX chipset due to dropping demand in economic slowdown.