Intel Corp., the world's largest chip maker, remains committed to the development of WiMAX wireless technology despite a controversial office restructuring plan, the head of the WiMAX Forum Taiwan Office said after a recent visit to the company's U.S. headquarters. 'Senior Intel executives confirmed to me that they fully support WiMAX and the WiMAX Forum when I visited Intel's headquarters in Santa Clara last week, ' Hsieh Ching-tarng told the Central News Agency in a telephone interview Monday. Though declining to identify the executives with whom he met on July 16 while in the U.S. to attend a meeting related to WiMAX standardization, Hsieh said the two executives visit Taiwan regularly and said they would be in Taiwan in the near future. He suggested that they use the upcoming visit to enhance communications with Taiwan's government. Intel's commitment to WiMAX was called into question earlier this month when news emerged that the chip maker had closed its WiMAX Program Office in Taiwan, reportedly in late June. But Hsieh said he also confirmed Intel's ongoing interest in the technology with Ron Resnick, a senior Intel executive who serves as the WiMAX Forum's president and chairman. In an e-mail reply on July 12, Resnick told Hsieh that 'Intel is fully committed to the WiMAX Forum.' Navin Shenoy, vice-president and general manager of Intel's Asia-Pacific operations, met with the Taipei Computer Association (TCA) Chairman J.T. Wang on July 7 to clarify Intel's commitment after the trade group expressed serious concerns over the office closure, the association said. Intel President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini plans to hold a press briefing in Taiwan on the issue in October, according to an association statement. Intel Taiwan declined to comment Tuesday on the possible visit. On July 1, Intel defended its office closing, saying that its WiMAX office was only temporary and had accomplished its mission of 'getting WiMAX off the ground and into the market.' Intel is a partner of leading WiMAX service providers in Taiwan and has promised to invest US$500 million over five years in the sector under a deal with the Ministry of Economic Affairs signed in 2008. Hsieh said that during the meeting, the Intel executives agreed with him that the company should 'demonstrate further concrete results' of the investment program with Taiwan in the near future. The company also backed his idea of having Taiwan host the WiMAX Forum Global Congress for the first time next year, he added. The WiMAX Forum is an international organization comprising operators, component vendors and equipment vendors in the communications ecosystem. 