Intel has teamed up with the wireless access firm Alvarion to produce WiMAX-certified equipment conforming to the IEEE 802.16a broadband wireless metropolitan area network standard that connects hotspots.

Products based on 802.16a can provide wireless broadband connectivity to businesses with guaranteed levels of service required for enterprise applications, and to homes for residential broadband applications.

The IEEE 802.16a standard was approved in January of this year. Since then, more than 25 communications equipment companies have joined the non-profit , to help promote and certify the compatibility and interoperability of 802.16a equipment.

"Intel is committed to enabling computing and communications anytime, anywhere, over any device, and we see WiMAX as a critical technology for making that vision a reality," said Sean Maloney, executive vice president and general manager of the Intel Communications Group.

Zvi Slonimsky, chief executive of Alvarion, added: "We believe that WiMAX will be the catalyst for growth of the broadband wireless access market, similar to the impact Wi-Fi had on the wireless local area network market."