The WiMax Forum has certified the initial group of products which adhere to the IEEE 802.16-2004 standard, allowing the first deployments of WiMax networks. 

Newly certified gear includes hardware from Aperto Networks, Redline Communications and Sequans Communications. An additional 26 devices will soon be entered into the certification process, the Forum said.

The Forum currently has a single certification lab in Spain that opened in July 2005.

WiMax is a fast networking technology operating at speeds of up to 75Mbps at a range of 2km to 10km in urban areas and up to 50km in rural areas.

Analyst firm In-Stat said earlier this week that shipment values of WiMax equipment will reach between $2.1bn and $3.2bn by 2010. Last year vendors shipped an estimated $19m to $42m in uncertified equipment.