Support for emerging WiMax wireless metro-area broadband technology has received a boost with the announcement that industry heavyweights Lucent Technologies, LG Electronics and Huawei Technologies have signed up to the WiMax Forum.

John Marinho, vice president of strategic marketing at Lucent, said: "Lucent can help service providers integrate WiMax technology in a way that complements their 3G mobile high-speed data and wireline networks to deliver seamless communications services to subscribers."

Dr Jin Sung Choi, vice president at LG Electronics, added: "We believe that WiMax technology will significantly impact the availability of broadband in the Asia Pacific region and throughout the world, not only to homes and businesses but eventually to mobile devices."

The Forum claimed that, combined with existing members Nortel and Cisco, these companies swell its membership to represent virtually every major systems integrator worldwide.

"The nearly unanimous support for WiMax technology among integrators and the continued interest from service providers is testament to the potential for WiMax to deliver on the global challenge of providing broadband on a ubiquitous scale," said Ron Resnick, president of the WiMax Forum.

In addition, the non-profit organisation said that support among service providers continues to strengthen, with the recent additions of America Online, Deutsche Telecom, SBC and Time Warner Telecom to its membership roster.

The WiMax Forum currently has more than 170 members working to bring certified products to market, including equipment manufacturers, silicon and component makers, service providers and application providers.