HEIDELBERG (WiMAX Day). German WiMAX operator Deutsche Breitband Dienste
GmbH (DBD) has confirmed this week that it is among the six companies that will participate in the December auction for 3.4 ~ 3.6 GHz sprectrum. DBD already has regional licenses for WiMAX in Germany, and operates pre-WiMAX services in Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig and Wuppertal under the brand names DSLonair and MAXXonair. In a press release issued by the company yesterday, DBD managing director Fabio Zoffi stated that “with the acquisition of additional frequencies we want to expand our operation to all of Germany… and establish the largest WiMAX network in Europe.” DBD has significantly increased its capital structure in the last year in anticipation of this network expansion, and now includes Merrill Lynch and MM Warburg amongst its investors, which already included Intel Capital. DBD plans that its WiMAX service will compete with UMTS services and DSL broadband products offered in Germany.