ZDNet reports that Intel, Motorola and Samsung are amongst a group of companies that have launched an effort to push the interoperability of devices and equipment based on the upcoming WiMAX 2 high-speed wireless standard. The WiMAX 2 Collaboration Initiative (WCI) aims to speed up industry adoption of the next WiMAX release, based on the IEEE 802.16m standard and due for finalisation in the second half of this year. WiMAX 2 will maintain backward compatibility with the earlier WiMAX standard, based on IEEE 802.16e, while increasing theoretical peak transmission rates to more than 300 Mb/s.