Pyramid Research, one of the few analyst groups currently tracking WiMax, believes that four million people will be using the technology by 2008. Revenues from broadband wireless services -- which are mostly based on WiMax -- could top $2.1bn annually by that time.
"We're very confident in the numbers of the industry analysts that say 10 to 20 percent of customers will be served by an alternative access technology such as WiMax," says Zvi Slonimsky, chief executive of the industry's largest WiMax supplier, Alvarion. "This will be a billion dollar market in the very near future."
A billion dollar market?
Alvarion is one of the first companies to bring WiMax technologies to market, with its BreezeMax platform. The platform includes built-in QoS for differentiated voice and data services and a very high spectrum utilisation, making it extremely cost-effective, says Slonimsky. "You get up to 280Mbps per base station -- enough to simultaneously support hundreds of businesses with T1/E1- type connectivity and thousands of homes with DSL-type connectivity," he says.
There are some barriers to WiMax's success. Some observers argue that consumers don't need yet another internet access technology, and that DSL and Wi-Fi are in too strong a position for WiMax to succeed. Currently, DSL accounts for 70 percent of European high-speed internet access, according to Ovum.
One of the technology's limitations is that WiMax isn't designed for mobile use, adds Proxim's Orr. "The price-points and form factors of current WiMax products will not be appropriate for vehicular speed mobility," he says. "In this sense WiMax will extend the coverage area provided by Wi-Fi, as opposed to 3G, which is best suited for high mobility, low data rate applications."
Who needs another wireless technology?
Despite the challenges, Pyramid Research predicts that network operators will spend $5.4bn over the next four years on broadband wireless gear. For consumers and business users, WiMax could deliver increased broadband competition, lower prices, and more freedom. That's a combination worth some consideration.
Talkback
I just want to point out that this article is FACTUALLY INACCURATE and totally misleading.
Read the comment at this link, by the chair of the Technical Working Group for WiMax (who works at wi-lan). There is no certified WiMax equipment available from anyone, so I don't see how Alvarion can be the sales leader:)
http://www.wi-lan.com/news/wirelessworld.htm
Unfortunately ZDNet doesn't seem to have done a proper job of fact checking in this article.
This article runs uder the mis apprehension that wifi or 802.11 can only run on short ranges.
This is patently not the case.
Traditionally, in wireless communication systems, including television, radio, mobile phone etc. the transmission power has been set so that the service will work even if the antennas are relatively ineffectual. Likewise the 802.11 standard similarly assumed a low effectiveness for the antennas.
As a result of the power limitations of 802.11 a number of antenna designers have started to think effectiveness instead of transmitter power.
For instance we at A-Antenna Ltd have an omni-directional antenna designed for base station use which has been operating a link in excess of 10km for over 2 years.
If you would like further details of this antenna and similar client adaptors with seriously enhanced range then please call on 07736 258 580.
This article runs uder the mis apprehension that wifi or 802.11 can only run on short ranges.
This is patently not the case.
Traditionally, in wireless communication systems, including television, radio, mobile phone etc. the transmission power has been set so that the service will work even if the antennas are relatively ineffectual. Likewise the 802.11 standard similarly assumed a low effectiveness for the antennas.
As a result of the power limitations of 802.11 a number of antenna designers have started to think effectiveness instead of transmitter power.
For instance we at A-Antenna Ltd have an omni-directional antenna designed for base station use which has been operating a link in excess of 10km for over 2 years.
If you would like further details of this antenna and similar client adaptors with seriously enhanced range then please call on 07736 258 580.
Do you think WiMax will be a better consumer choice than Wild Blue satellite broadband?
Whitch one will grab the rural market first.