Intel recently demonstrated the completed design of its first mobile WiMAX baseband chip at the keynote address of the 3G World Congress and Mobility Marketplace in Hong Kong. The new chipset is dubbed the Intel WiMAX Connection 2300 and marks another major step in Intel’s efforts to “drive innovation in mobile broadband access”.

The demonstration was preformed with an Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology-based laptop with mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e-2005), Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n), and high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) 3G capabilities.

The demonstration illustrates the capabilities of WiMAX for handling content-rich applications without interference from other wireless technologies residing on the same system. The baseband chip uses the same software for Intel’s WiMAX and Wi-Fi products which will help ensure unified management for connectivity. The low power requirements means increased battery life and less heat to support smaller and thinner designs.

Intel will next focus on validating and testing the chipset, with plans to sample both card and module forms beginning in late 2007 and possible commercial deployment in 2008.