GENEVA (WiMAX Day). The business strategies of companies often change; some joint ventures can thrive whilst others may be perilous or quixotic. Yet the central characteristics of a winning technology are immutable. Such is the case for WiMAX.

Last month, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) admitted the technology that underlies WiMAX into the family of “3G” mobile standards known as IMT. The definition of IMT also was expanded during the World Radio Conference (WRC) this month to include the next generation of mobile technologies, known commonly known as “4G”.

Yesterday, WiMAX won the last of its hard-fought battles to cement its acceptance as a mobile broadband standard. The WRC agreed that radio frequencies used for WiMAX throughout the world – 2.3 ~ 2.4GHz and 3.4 ~ 3.6GHz – will be designated as IMT radio frequency bands.

Expansion of the IMT spectrum band has been one of the most hotly debated topics at the WRC since the conference began at the end of October. Known to the 2,600 delegates as “Agenda item 1.4,” the decision on this matter has ramifications for industry and society throughout the world.

Previous decisions of the WRC on spectrum allocations have had monumental impact on the telecommunications industry. In 1992 spectrum was identified for use with mobile applications, which gave birth to the GSM industry. Later in 2000, IMT was defined and spectrum was allocated for 2G and 3G applications, which had a tremendous impact on the burgeoning mobile data industry.

Indeed, WRC chairman François Rancy wrote last week that “Mobile services are now part of everyday life in all countries and there is a need to ensure that this service can continue to grow in the future to adjust to new requirements…. In the near future, people will want the same type of service on mobile as already provided in their homes by ADSL, fibre optic or cable. The importance of this agenda item is related to the fact that there is a need to earmark spectrum at worldwide level to facilitate this development.”

Thus it was no surprise that in the early hours of Friday morning, conference delegates were still discussing this issue. One bleary-eyed delegate reported “an air of incredible excitement,” amongst conference delegates as they carefully crafted the wording on this major decision.

Other frequencies identified by WRC for IMT include 450 ~ 470 MHz and 698 ~ 862 MHz, otherwise referred to as the VHF and UHF bands. However not all spectrum allocations will be global. According to the PolicyTracker, the lower portion of the UHF band will be recognised in North and South America, while in Europe, Africa, Asia, Russia and Australia, the upper levels of the band from 790 to 862 MHz are allocated.

The 3.4 ~ 3.6 GHz frequencies will be accepted in most regions of the world, except in America, where the frequencies are used for satellites. Thus only the 450 ~ 470 MHz and 2.3 ~ 2.4 GHz appear to have full global acceptance.

Allocation of the UHF frequencies is significant for mobile broadband in America. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is expected to auction a huge swath of spectrum in the 698 ~ 806 MHz frequencies in Q1 2008 that has attracted the interests of companies from Google to AT&T, and many believe the auction could reach up to US$15 billion. Many are quick to note that with IMT defined on both sides, the UHF spectrum most likely will be used to deploy WiMAX services, making WiMAX “la Reine du bal” in Geneva.