The ITU approved the IEEE Standard 802.16 for the IMT-2000 group of 3G technology standards, which already includes FDMA, TDMA and CDMA.
The approval means that companies worldwide will have a lot more confidence investing in WiMAX technology, which has yet to gain widespread acceptance.
The WiMAX Forum said the decision significantly escalates opportunities for global deployment, especially within the 2.5-2.69 GHz band, to deliver mobile internet to satisfy both rural and urban market demand.
