In a sign that Mobile WiMax is on its way to becoming a reality, Navini Networks reported that it will develop certified Mobile WiMax (802.16e) subscriber modems with Taiwan hardware manufacturer ASUS.

"Certification is coming soon," said Sai Subramanian, Navini's VP, product management and strategic marketing, in an interview Friday. "With certified interoperability, operators will be able to choose not only the best wireless access network but also select from a range of modems from multiple vendors."

Subramanian said he expects the WiMax Forum to certify desktop devices for use with Mobile WiMax by the end of the year with mobile devices like Express Cards and PC Cards to be certified shortly after that.

"As Mobile WiMax becomes a reality, operators will have multiple suppliers for both their networks and their modems," he added. Other WiMax equipment suppliers include Intel, which has spearheaded the development of the technology, and Motorola.

Subramanian expects WiMax modems will increasingly be offered in retail outlets.

The modem announced this week by Navini and ASUS will be marketed under Navini's Ripwave brand, which features signal boosting (beamforming) abilities and MIMO Matrix A, a space-time coding technology.

The first Navini modems are expected to appear on the market late this year; desktop Navini modems scheduled to hit the market in 2008 will feature VoIP technology, Subramanian said.

Wide area WiMax network technology is being deployed sporadically in the United States with the largest deployments planned by Sprint and Clearwire. Sprint has been trailing WiMax in Chicago and Washington, D.C., markets. Clearwire said last week that it offers service in 39 U.S. markets covering nearly 10 million people.

Earlier this week, Horizon Wi-Com, a startup WiMax company, finished installing high-speed broadband networks in nine Northeast U.S. cities: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Richmond, and Cincinnati.