Motorola announced that it is expanding its WiMAX access point portfolio, introducing the new 802.16e Wave 2-ready WAP 450. According to the company, the WAP 450 AP uses the recently announced 4G common broadband base control unit, promising a smaller common equipment cabinet and a more powerful tower-top RF module improving coverage and capacity. Motorola hopes the WAP 450, with its ultra light infrastructure, integrated design, thin fiber connection and low power consumption, will increase the speed and flexibility of WiMAX installation for operators.

“The WAP 450 also provides performance and cost advantages to operators so they can reduce capital and operating expenditures while extending coverage and enabling more data-rich and bandwidth-intensive applications to satisfy their customers’ demands,” Adolfo Masini, vice president of Home and Networks Mobility at Motorola, said in a statement.

The WAP 450 will be available in the 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz frequency bands used by WiMAX operators worldwide.

Motorola says it currently has 19 WiMAX 802.16e contracts for deployment in 18 countries worldwide.