Why the WiMAX vs. LTE Battle Isn’t a Battle

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about one of the many applications that WiMAX
is being used for today -

wireless video surveillance – that go beyond the traditional application of
4G wireless access that most people expect WiMAX to be used for. I mentioned
that I’d be covering other WiMAX applications (besides 4G access) in the weeks
to come, and I will pick that up again next week – but this week I wanted to
address an ongoing conversation that has been taking place in the industry, as
well as here on the digital pages of WiMAX.com. And that conversation is the "WiMAX
vs. LTE" debate.

This is a topic that I’ve written about before in the
April 2009 WiMAX Guide, but
after seeing the topic resurface in the

WiMAX360º forum it was clear that people still have many differing opinions
on this topic. In fact, if you do a quick Google search on the term "WiMAX vs.
LTE" it returns well over 3 million results, a clear sign that there is no
shortage of opinions on the so-called battle that exists between these two
next-generation (4G) technologies.

You don’t have to look hard to find a breakdown of the carriers and vendors that
have pledged their support to one technology over the other, and analysis on how
these organizations’ support will affect the future of these technologies.
Everyone is pitting the two technologies against each other in what they would
have you believe is an epic battle for the future of wireless networks – but
there’s just one problem.

The WiMAX vs. LTE "battle" isn’t a battle at all.

Neither of these technologies will emerge as victorious over the other, and
neither will be forced to accept a role as the "also-ran" in the annals of tech
history. In fact, both WiMAX and LTE can and likely will play equally important
roles in the future of wireless networks. At one point I hypothesized that those
roles would be "access" and "backhaul" – with LTE providing the access
technology of choice and WiMAX providing an ideal backhaul technology for 4G
networks. But I no longer think that WiMAX and LTE need to be pigeonholed into
those exclusive categories.

Today, it seems as though both technologies will become viable 4G access
technologies, while WiMAX still maintains its position as an ideal backhaul
technology as well. Now, some will claim that either WiMAX or LTE must win from
an access perspective, but more and more, that does not seem to be the case.

Take into consideration that, with the endorsement of North America’s two
largest carriers and the GSM carriers around the world, LTE certainly seems to
be "winning" when it comes to providing the future of wireless access. Many
viewed this as the nail in the coffin for WiMAX as a 4G access technology. But
lo and behold, earlier this month Clearwire rolled out WiMAX services in 10 new
markets (bringing the total

markets served to 14) and then announced that they
would expand service to 10 more markets before the end of 2009.

Suddenly, WiMAX networks were no longer the "long awaited myths" that they once
were, and they became a viable option for millions of people in 14 markets. Not
only that, but the reviews have started pouring out of those 14 markets from
users who love the service, adding even more fuel to the WiMAX fire. The
momentum that WiMAX had lost seems to be gradually building again, and it can
all be chalked up to one thing – availability.

The simple fact of the matter is that the reason WiMAX began losing momentum and
favor is because it had been hyped for so long without any AVAILABLE networks to
speak of. People got tired of hearing about WiMAX, and actually wanted to use
WiMAX. Now that the first 14 networks are available and people are happy with
the service, WiMAX has regained the favor of the public. If these networks
continue to roll out on the schedule Clearwire has announced, then that favor
will likely continue to grow. If they fail to keep up the new market
introductions, do not be surprised to see the market turn its back on WiMAX
again.

Now, the interesting thing is that LTE – thus far – has had a relatively smooth
ride when it comes to public opinion. Due to the early support from some of the
large carriers, LTE was met with great fanfare. But what many people fail to see
is that LTE is doomed to the same exact fate as WiMAX when it comes to public
favor and opinion. LTE is still in the honeymoon phase where the market is still
enamored with the possibilities. But eventually, the market is going to get
tired of talking about LTE, and they are going to want to start connecting via
LTE. Considering the estimates for LTE rollouts are currently pegged at 2012, I
would wager that public favor for LTE will wane – just as it did for WiMAX –
before the networks are even deployed.

And the reason will be exactly the same – availability. People can only be
expected to be enamored with something for so long without experiencing it.
Boatloads of bad press and public complaints will likely ensue for LTE, just as
it did for WiMAX, because the industry and the public will want to get their
hands on what they’ve been promised for the last couple of years. But just as
the ailment of the bad publicity and lack of momentum for LTE in the years to
come will be the same as that faced by WiMAX, so too is the remedy. Once LTE
networks become available and people fall in love with the service, the tides
will change and LTE will become hot again.

So what does this mean for the current "WiMAX vs. LTE" debate? Well, by the time
LTE networks are deployed, WiMAX (if the networks continue to be deployed at the
current rate) will already have a large installed base that will have been using
the service for 1-3 years. Now, that does not meant that WiMAX will have "won",
because WiMAX will still not be available in all markets, whereas LTE (being
deployed by the larger carriers) will likely be available in more markets
overall. Which leads me to my earlier conclusion – NEITHER technology actually
"wins", because the 4G future is not an either/or proposition (either WiMAX or
LTE).

In some locations, people will only have access to WiMAX for 4G access. In
others, they will only have the option of LTE for 4G access. And in some
locations, (in 2012-2013), consumers will be lucky enough to have the option to
chose either WiMAX or LTE networks. In those cases, just as we see with today’s
3G networks, people will make their choices based on which provider they trust
most or which service they’ve received the best recommendations for – but it is
highly unlikely that either will displace each other.

And the fact of the matter is, even if WiMAX does not become the next wireless
access technology of choice, it would still has a very important role to play as
a backhaul technology for both 4G and Wi-Fi networks worldwide. WiMAX was
originally designed as a wireless backhaul technology to begin with, and it is
especially well suited for that task.

Just as neither WiMAX or LTE have displaced or will displace the use of Wi-Fi
(due the widespread adoption and level of consumer comfort with Wi-Fi), the "WiMAX
vs. LTE" comparison is not an either/or proposition. WiMAX is already being used
around the world as an ideal wireless backhaul technology for bandwidth
intensive applications such as wireless video surveillance, traffic
synchronization, and more – and it will continue to be used for that exact
purpose, as well as the backhaul technology for wireless voice and data
networks. So, as LTE networks begin to roll out, it is extremely likely that
WiMAX technologies will also be used as the wireless backhaul for those
networks, while LTE provides the access. And as advances are made in
high-performance outdoor Wi-Fi, again, WiMAX will play a key role as the
backhaul.

As an industry, it’s important to do away with the sensational language that
paints a picture of a one-technology 4G future. Instead, let us focus on how the
existing (and future) wireless technologies will work together, and realize that
there are significant, varied and non-exclusive market opportunities for both
WiMAX and LTE.

Robb Henshaw is the Director of Marketing & Communications at
Proxim Wireless, a manufacturer of end-to-end broadband wireless systems, where he
oversees the company’s global marketing and communications efforts.  For the last
8 years he has been dedicated to helping develop the wireless industry, with
expertise in technologies ranging from enterprise WLANs, to carrier-grade
wireless backhaul, to WiMAX and point-to-multipoint broadband wireless access (BWA)
solutions.

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