LG Electronics plans to next year introduce a range of products that support mobile WiMax technology, a company executive said at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2006 conference and exhibition in Hong Kong.

The first products from LG to support mobile WiMax will be a version of the company's XNote C1 Tablet PC and a PDA (personal digital assistant) based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0 software, said Nam Keehyun, manager at LG Electronics' Digital Media Strategic Planning Department.

Mobile WiMax offers downlink speeds up to 10.2M bps (bits per second), which is expected to increase to 40M bps or so next year. The technology is currently commercially available in South Korea and Japan. The technology is also being tested by operators in other countries and plans are underway to roll out the technology in the U.S., Australia and China.

The XNote C1 with mobile WiMax will also include support for 3G (third generation) networks that have been upgraded with HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology, which allows faster downloads. The new notebook will be available worldwide during the first half of the year, Nam said.

The KC1 PDA will also hit the market early next year, offering support for mobile WiMax and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) 2000-1X EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized), Nam said. EV-DO is the 3G technology most widely used in South Korea and is also used by U.S. operators.

Prices for the mobile WiMax-equipped XNote C1 and the KC1 have not yet been decided, Nam said.

Looking ahead, LG plans to expand the number of products that support mobile WiMax. For example, the company is considering the introduction of an Ultramobile PC with mobile WiMax support, but such a device would not likely be available before 2008, Nam said.

Telecom World runs through Friday.