Waikoloa, HI, USA – March 21^st, 2012 – The WiMAX Forum today announced the addition of five new members to its Board of Directors: Tom Mueller, General Manager, Digital Energy – Communications, General Electric; Shoichi Hanatani, General Manager, Hitachi; Scott Morrison, Executive Vice President and President, Telecom Infrastructure Business Unit, NewNet Communication Technologies; Naeem Zamindar, CEO, Wateen Telecom; Ali Tabassi, COO, YTL Communications. All five companies are worldwide leaders in the development and deployment of next generation wireless technology.

"The WiMAX Forum would like to welcome the newest members of its esteemed Board of Directors,” said Mohammad Shakouri, Chairperson of the WiMAX Forum Board of Directors. “Each of my new colleagues brings a wealth of experience to their roles, and the WiMAX Forum is fortunate to now have access to their guidance and leadership.”

“GE is honored to be elected to the WiMAX Forum Board of Directors to help set the direction for how standards will be used and changed over time, “said Tom Mueller, General Manager, Industrial Communications for GE’s Digital Energy business.  “WiMAX technology benefits GE customers around the globe by fulfilling their increasing need for bandwidth and application support. GE feels there is an opportunity for this technology to help advance industrial markets including utilities, mining and oil & gas.”

"It is my honor to be elected to serve on the WiMAX Forum Board of Directors," said Mr. Shoichi Hanatani, General Manager, Hitachi. "Hitachi is a global communications technology leader, and the organization is committed to developing further advanced capabilities and applications for WiMAX technology. I look forward to helping shape the direction of the organization and its technology roadmap, promoting worldwide WiMAX deployment and aiding the growth of the WiMAX industry."

“Communications and connectivity are bringing the world closer and driving new innovative applications,” said Scott Morrison, Executive Vice President and President, Telecom Infrastructure Business Unit, NewNet Communication Technologies. “The global demand for broadband continues at an extraordinary pace. Service providers are meeting this challenge by delivering high performance and high quality broadband, often in very difficult environments.  WiMAX is a mature, field proven technology with a broad installed base that continues to be a very attractive option for service providers because of its rapid installation and quick time to market. NewNet recognizes that opportunities for the continued success and growth of  WiMAX 4G technology is  tied in large measure to having a strong industry body like the WiMAX Forum to facilitate the development of standards, identify emerging service requirements, find common ground with customers and regulatory bodies and provide an avenue for strong ecosystem interaction. We are excited to join with the WiMAX Forum and collaborate with members to introduce and advance the benefits of WiMAX to new applications and markets.”

“WiMAX provides a cost effective and scalable solution to the opportunity presented by a developing country like Pakistan where broadband penetration is less than 7% of households and demand is growing exponentially,” said Nameen Zamindar, CEO of Wateen Telecom. “Our focus is on developing a complete business model focused on providing affordable plug and play fixed broadband access and WiFi enabled hotspots to meet this growing demand. We are pleased to bring our experience and drive for success to help lead the WiMAX industry.”

“I am excited to re-join the WiMAX Forum’s board of directors in my new capacity as the YTL Communications' COO.” said Ali Tabassi, COO of YTL Communications.  “I look forward to sharing my experiences and contributing to the future direction of the Forum.”

Other members of the WiMAX Forum Board of Directors include: Airspan Networks, Alvarion, Clearwire Corporation, Huawei Technologies, Information and Communications Research Laboratories at Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Intel Corporation, KDDI, KT, Packet One Networks, Samsung, Sprint, and UQ Communications.

The WiMAX Forum is also pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has confirmed the election of Dr. Mohammad Shakouri as Chairperson of the Board of Directors. The WiMAX Forum would like to congratulate Mr. Shakouri, and thank him for taking on this role for the benefit of our industry.

For more information please visit www.WiMAXForum.org or to become a member of the WiMAX Forum, please contact Mike Wolleben at mike.wolleben@wimaxforum.org - 512-722-6138.

About the WiMAX Forum®

The WiMAX Forum® is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization that certifies and promotes the compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless products based upon IEEE Standard 802.16. The WiMAX Forum’s primary goal is to accelerate the adoption, deployment and expansion of WiMAX technologies across the globe while facilitating roaming agreements, sharing best practices within our membership and certifying products. WiMAX Forum Certified® products are interoperable and support broadband fixed, nomadic, portable and mobile services. The WiMAX Forum works closely with service providers and regulators to ensure that WiMAX Forum Certified systems meet customer and government requirements. For more information, visit www.WiMAXForum.org.