Yota has announced that it will extend its operations to Belarus, Nicaragua and
Peru.  I talked to Yegor Ivanov, Director of Business Development, about
how Yota plans to manage this expansion.

Just as they did in Russia, Yota does not feel constrained to follow established
industry rules.  I think I found out why.  Most people at Yota do not
come from the telecoms industry and this seems to be working to their advantage. 
They believe they can change the way the game is played, and have tried to do so
in Russia already with remarkable success. 

In the new markets, Yota is not partnering with a local operator, the most
commonly followed path for international expansion.  Yota has a controlling
stake in the local greenfield operators, established partnerships with
non-operator players, and are trying to duplicate the Russian model where it
makes sense.  In Belarus they have complete ownership of the operator. 
In Nicaragua, Yota’s retains 75% of the ownership, in Peru 88%. 

Yota believes that it is easier to work with a local partner that is not an
operator (i.e., less potential for conflict) and with strengths that Yota can
more effectively leverage.  In Nicaragua, Yota is working with a
distribution player that has a good understanding of the specific domestic
market.  In Peru, Yota has worked with a partner to get the desired
spectrum allocation. 

Yota will use the same RAN vendor, Samsung, in all the new markets to keep a
tight time-to-market schedule.  Yota got the spectrum in Nicaragua in
September and they plan to be live in Managua by the end of the year.  They
have a few Russian engineers on the ground to ensure that all they learned in
the Russian deployment will be used in the new environment.  In both
Belarus and Nicaragua, Yota has access to 60 MHz of spectrum in the 2.5 GHz
band, the same band they use in Russia.  For the backhaul, they mostly rely
on fiber, with wireless backhaul were fiber is not available.  In Managua,
they believe fiber is available to connect the planned 20 base stations. 

At the same time, the competitive environment may different, so Yota’s marketing
approach is not necessarily the same as that used in Russia.  In Belarus,
Yota will mostly duplicate the Russian approach, leverage the same media content
partnerships, and offer comparable plans. 

In Nicaragua, however, a different approach is needed.  There, as it is the
case in many Latin American countries, voice may be just as important as data in
getting market share.  Voice calls, especially international ones, are
typically very expensive.  An operator that offers low cost call is well
placed to attract customers.  So Yota will be shifting the focus from media
content, which has a key role in their Russian service proposition, to VoIP. 
VoIP will be offered from service launch, while it is still not part of the
service plan in Russia (the WiMAX connection can be used for VoIP of course, but
Yota does not yet offer its own VoIP service, as far as I know). 

It will be interesting to see how this approach works in different markets. 
Life can be difficult for greenfield operators without an established local
presence in the industry, but this may also make it easier to introduce
innovation and competition as they do not have legacy ties. 

Monica Paolini is the founder and president of Senza Fili Consulting and can
be contacted at
monica.paolini@senzafiliconsulting.com.    Senza Fili Consulting (
www.senzafiliconsulting.com)
provides advisory support on wireless data technologies and services financial
modeling, market research, business plan support, business development, RFPs,
due diligence, and white paper preparation.    Independent advice, a strong
quantitative approach, and an international perspective are the hallmarks of our
work.

While this technology works well for fixed access, it’s often been a real
challenge to use these frequencies for mobility due to its propagation
characteristics and to Doppler shifts (or more precisely the Doppler Effect),
which is more pronounced at higher frequencies above 3GHz.  From a
technology perspective, these shifts in frequency and wavelength result from a
source moving with respect to the medium, a receiver moving with respect to the
medium, or even a moving medium.  As modulated symbols are transmitted,
they interfere with one another, creating a phenomenon known as Inter Symbol
Interference (ISI).  ISI complicates symbol detection at the receiver,
often producing an unacceptably high bit error rate.

Consequently, there has been a perception that 3.5GHz spectrum should not be
used for mobility.  That thinking is now changing with the roll outs of
several 3.5GHz mobile WiMAX networks in Europe.  And if 3.5GHz can be
effectively used to deploy IEEE 802.16e mobile WiMAX networks, then operators
could provide both fixed/nomadic as well as mobile broadband access to
subscribers at a lower cost than at 2.5 GHz and lower frequencies. 

Indeed, there have been several deployments and recent announcements of
operators using 3.5GHz for IEEE 802.16e based WiMAX networks in Europe:

- Worldmax based in Amsterdam is using Beceem’s silicon and Motorola equipment
to deploy a nationwide mobile WiMAX network in the Netherlands at 3.5GHz . 
The operators’s service is currently deployed as a city-wide hot zone in
Amsterdam and early results have been quite encouraging. 

- Imagine Communication Group is deploying a nationwide mobile WiMAX network in
Ireland at 3.5GHz.  The network will use Motorola’s end-to-end WiMAX
solution to deliver voice and high speed data services to residential and small
to medium-sized enterprise customers as well as offering mobility in city
centers, using USB dongles.  More on Imagine’s WiMAX roll out later in this
article.

- Clearwire announced that it would deploy 3.5GHz mobile WiMAX in Malaga and
Seville, Spain next year, using RAN equipment from Alvarion and ZTE.  "We
intend to prove that WiMAX can work not only at 2.5GHz, but also at 3.5GHz,
which is the spectrum we have in Spain," Barry West, president of Clearwire
International, said during a press conference at the ITU Telecom World 2009 show
in Geneva.

- UK telecom regulator Ofcom has changed Freedom4′s spectrum license conditions,
allowing the operator to offer mobile WiMAX services across the U.K.  using
the spectrum it already owns.  (Note: Freedom4 is a joint venture between
Daisy Group and Intel Capital.) Freedom4 owns a broadband wireless spectrum
license consisting of two blocks of 84 MHz in the frequency band 3.6-4.2GHz. 
Ofcom’s move will enable Freedom4 to launch mobile WiMAX services, rather than
just fixed wireless access.  As a result, the company will be able to
directly compete with the UK’s five mobile network operators.  However,
Freedom4 has not disclosed any deployment time frames or other details of its
planned mobile WiMAX network. 

Imagine Communication’s WiMAX Network

According to a fact sheet provided by Imagine Communications Group, Ireland’s
broadband infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the demands of its modern
economy.  For broadband quality, Ireland ranks in 37th place out of 66
countries and behind countries such as Estonia, Greece, Poland, and Turkey. 
On the major cities ranking list, Dublin is ranked in 94rth place behind
locations such as Krakow, Ankara, Naples, Nanjing, and Istanbul.  One out
of three fixed lines in Ireland cannot get broadband and four out of 10 lines
can get a maximum of only 1Mbps.

In an attempt to greatly improve Ireland’s broadband infrastructure, Imagine
recently announced it will invest €100 million in upgrading to mobile WiMAX
technology, a move that could result in the creation of up to 200 new jobs. 
The Imagine WiMAX service is already in operation, with phase one of the rollout
covering 250,000 homes in Dublin, Wexford, Sligo, Tralee and Athlone to be
completed by mid-November 2009.  Imagine’s new network will not be
restricted to high-population areas, but will also be rolled out to smaller
towns and rural communities at a rate of 15 new WiMAX areas per month. 
Imagine’s CEO and founder Sean Bolger stated that Imagine plans to cover 90% of
the country by 2012 with WiMAX services. 

"Customers across Ireland will soon experience a leap forward in terms of
broadband access and speeds.  Motorola’s globally renowned WiMAX solutions
are quick to deploy, flexible and scalable and allow us to meet increasing
demand for next-generation voice and broadband data services at home, at work
and on the move," according to Bolger.

Sean Bolger, Imagine Communications

Bolger further stated that Imagine’s WiMAX service will debut at 8Mbps, but is
capable today of reaching 17Mbps and higher speeds.  According to
the companies website, the pricing for
consumers and businesses will be unveiled shortly, but Bolger promises it will
come at a lower price than current fixed line broadband services.  Bolger
told the

Irish Times it will be 50 percent cheaper than comparable Eircom products. 

He pointed out that Ireland has the highest fixed telephone costs in the world
and at €25.47 line rental is 70% higher in Ireland than the European average. 
Imagine also intends to allow other operators to wholesale its WiMAX service,
although he said it had not begun negotiations with anyone.

"4G broadband is not about speed but being more competitive." He went on to say
that Ireland has plenty of fiber, "now the problem is connecting to that fiber."
Bolger says WiMAX could solve that access problem. 

And Imagine owns lots of spectrum.  The company holds 88MHz of 3.5GHz
licensed spectrum in Dublin, Cork, and Waterford, 123MHz in Limerick and 60MHz
in the rest of the country.  In those cities, this is more than double the
35MHz held by each of the 3G mobile operators.

Motorola has agreed to provide a portion of the €100 million that Imagine needs
to replace its existing wireless nationwide infrastructure with WiMAX. 
Motorola will provide the RAN equipment as well as deployment, integration and
support services to Imagine.  Motorola’s Head of Sales commented, "Today’s
announcement is very significant for Motorola as we see Ireland as a key
strategic market for (mobile) WiMAX due to the digital divide and broadband
deficits which causes lower broadband speeds and higher prices than the rest of
Europe," he said. 

Intel is partnering with Imagine to supply technology for 3.5GHz mobile WiMAX
enabled notebook and netbook PCs.  Mr Jim O’Hara, General Manager of Intel
Ireland, said that WiMAX is a game-changing technology.  "Many people in
the country are operating on a 1Mbps speed at the moment, even if they think
they are paying for higher.  WiMAX is easily achieving 8Mbps, and this will
be increased.  Intel is going to provide WiMAX embedded laptops and PCs
from early 2010," Mr O’Hara concluded. 

These 3.5GHz mobile WiMAX deployments are great news for the WiMAX industry. 
As early indications suggest, these networks should be price competitive with 3G
networks while offering better performance and availability.  For true
mobility, the key question is when the mobile WiMAX embedded netbooks,
notebooks, and hand held devices are available that work at 3.5GHz.  We
hope it’s early next year.

References:

The WiMAX camp is pushing to have an FDD version of WiMAX as an IMT-2000 and as
an IMT-Advanced technology (WiMAX TDD is already an IMT-2000 technology).
Support for FDD is included in the IEEE standard-so nothing new from a standards
perspective. Is there a market for FDD WiMAX though? Not much to date and this
is mostly because TDD is almost universally accepted by WiMAX operators as the
best option for the inherently asymmetric data traffic they have to transport.

Besides, there is currently no beamforming solution available for FDD wireless
interfaces (either WiMAX or LTE-and this constitutes an advantage for WiMAX,
although one that is seldom acknowledged). So the only reason to use FDD WiMAX
is linked to regulatory requirements. Some WiMAX operators may have to use FDD
in their allocated spectrum, but to date it does not seem that there are enough
of them to justify FDD WiMAX 16e product development.

On the LTE side, there is a growing interest for a TDD version of LTE, mostly
driven by China Mobile, but relevant to other mobile operators too, which often
have TDD spectrum and do not know what to do with it. TD-LTE is currently being
trialed in China by multiple vendors. Chipsets are being developed by Qualcomm,
Ericsson, Huawei, Sequans, Altair. TD-LTE will support MIMO, but beamforming as
well and will, like FDD LTE, use channel sizes up to 20 MHz.

A femtocell prototype from Nokia was also on display in Geneva in the China
Mobile’s booth. Combined (TDD and FDD) chipsets in subscriber devices will make
it easier to roam across TDD and FDD networks. With China Mobile’s commitment,
TD-LTE has gained the needed momentum, but it still uncertain where and how TD-LTE
will be deployed in other countries.

At this stage, TD-LTE appears to have better prospects than FDD WiMAX, but it is
interesting to see that while it is not possible at this stage for WiMAX and LTE
to converge into a single standard, they seem to increasingly cross paths and
move in the same direction.

Monica Paolini is the founder and president of Senza Fili Consulting and can
be contacted at
monica.paolini@senzafiliconsulting.com.   Senza Fili Consulting (
www.senzafiliconsulting.com)
provides advisory support on wireless data technologies and services financial
modeling, market research, business plan support, business development, RFPs,
due diligence, and white paper preparation.   Independent advice, a strong
quantitative approach, and an international perspective are the hallmarks of our
work.

If we look at the amount of attention that is paid to the two different
deployment types – mobile and fixed – in the media, it would indicate that
people are far more excited about mobile WiMAX than they are about fixed
wireless. 

Now that Clearwire has launched WiMAX service in 14 markets and people have
actually been able to experience the service, enthusiasm for WiMAX has spiked
yet again after waning in previous years.  I’ve written about the

hype cycle for WiMAX before, and while I do think that the market’s latest
wave of enthusiasm for WiMAX is justified (since it is based on positive
experience with deployed networks, instead of just the promise of these
networks), there is a distinction that needs to be made when it comes to the
future of WiMAX.  That distinction is the difference in opportunities for
mobile WiMAX as compared to fixed WiMAX and other point-to-multi point wireless
technologies.

Don’t get me wrong – I think that both mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) and fixed
WiMAX (802.16d) both have a large addressable market and ample market
opportunities.  This is not an article about which is more important. 
However, considering the fact that a vast majority of the attention given to
WiMAX is given to the mobile variants of WiMAX, it’s worth taking a look at the
market opportunity for fixed wireless systems as well.

The Dark Horse is Already Out of the Shadows

While mobile WiMAX may be the more popular, sexy sibling of the WiMAX family,
fixed WiMAX actually has a larger share of the market today.  According to
Gartner, the total fixed WiMAX deployments were more than double that of mobile
WiMAX deployments in 2008 – and their projections are similar throughout 2011. 
Though mobile WiMAX continues to gain steam with Clearwire’s U.S.  rollouts
(and now their planned
Spanish
deployment next year), fixed WiMAX continues to be a larger market by a
factor of nearly 2x. 

The reason for this is largely due to the significant role that fixed wireless
plays in the deployment of broadband to rural areas.  In Gartner’s reports,
it classifies the "fixed" applications of WiMAX as "DSL Reach Extension",
"Developing Region Broadband" and "Backhaul for Mesh and Cellular" –
illustrating that extending the reach of broadband services via wireless (and
therefore eliminating the high cost of fiber) is a primary application for fixed
WiMAX. 

And that brings us to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which
has earmarked $7.2 billion for the specific purpose of extending broadband to
rural areas – what we all refer to as the "Broadband Stimulus".  Though
technologies like fixed WiMAX and other fixed point-to-multi point (PtMP)
wireless technologies were already gaining significant ground and represent
nearly double the market opportunity of mobile WiMAX today, the broadband
stimulus is expected to provide an even greater spike in the demand for fixed
wireless. 

One of the major reasons for this is because of the significant cost benefits of
wireless over wired technologies.  Craig Mathias, principal analyst at the
Farpoint Group, recently explored this in a report titled "Wireline vs. 
Wireless: Exploring Total Cost of Ownership in Outdoor Applications." You can
download a copy of the report for free

here.  In this report, Mathias notes:

"CapEx [of wired deployments] can obviously be so enormous as to be completely
cost-prohibitive – running broadband cables outdoors, especially if they are to
be buried underground, is ferociously expensive.  While the wire itself is
not expensive, the planning, legal work, and physical installation are. 
For this reason, wired broadband service is usually desirable only when
appropriate cable already exists, or when a carrier or utility is planning to
install broadly-deployed service.  Moreover, changes and additions to the
installation can similarly be very expensive indeed.  Break even and
payback analysis requires a long timeframe often stretching into decades."

To illustrate the cost benefits of wireless, the report goes on to highlight two
deployments that recognized huge cost savings by utilizing wireless instead of
wired technology.  The second deployment that he highlights is a classic
example of fixed wireless’ utility for rural broadband.  The deployment
took place in one of England’s most rural communities,
Alston Moor,
where the 2,500 residents had not had any access to broadband services until
2002.  They deployed an unlicensed fixed WiMAX network, which now provides
high-speed broadband to the entire town’s population.  The report then
compares the cost of what it would take to extend broadband to the remote town
via wired technologies, and concluded that fixed wireless saved them over
$700,000 in up front capital expenses alone! That doesn’t even take into
consideration the amount that would be saved by avoiding monthly leased line
costs, too.

Where Broadband Extension and Fiscal Responsibility Meet

So, what does all this cost savings talk have to do with the expansion of the
fixed wireless/WiMAX market moving forward? Down economy aside, when issuing
RFPs, most organizations are going to highly favor any technology that can offer
the desired level of service at the lowest cost.  With all the advances in
the performance of WiMAX and PtMP technologies over the years, fixed wireless
systems have proven time and again that they can deliver true, carrier-grade
high-speed broadband to hard-to-reach areas at a fraction of the cost of wired
technologies, which has greatly aided the sales of fixed wireless systems
throughout the world.

And now with $7.2 billion in stimulus money to be distributed for the expansion
of rural broadband throughout the U.S., that cost savings of fixed wireless over
wired becomes even more of a competitive differentiator.  Due to the
scrutiny that these broadband stimulus applications are put under to ensure that
the billions of dollars in government funding is spent wisely, fixed wireless’
balance of high-performance broadband and fiscal responsibility positions it
well to be a significant winner in the broadband stimulus deployments. 

So, while a majority of the press and market enthusiasm tends to put mobile
WiMAX in the spotlight, we should remember to peak behind the curtain from time
to time and keep tabs on the continuing success and growth of the fixed wireless
market.  And especially as the U.S., U.K., China and other areas of the
world continue to emphasize the importance of rolling out broadband to rural
areas – which could mean billions of dollars for whichever technology can most
cost-effectively extend broadband to the under-served – fixed wireless may soon
toss that curtain aside and steal the spotlight all on its own. 

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-multi point broadband wireless access (BWA) solutions. 
 

The crux of the argument centers on "Mbps"; with partisans for all three
contenders trotting out their peak data rates to savage opponents.  In the
HSPA+ camp, pundits fire out theoretical peak data rates of 42Mbps DL and 23
Mbps UL.  The WiMAX forces respond with theoretical peak data rates of
75Mbps DL and 30Mbps UL.  LTE joins the fray by unleashing its theoretical
peak data rates of 300Mbps DL and 75 Mbps UL.  All hell breaks loose, or so
it would appear.  Were it not for the inclusion of the word "theoretical",
we could all go home to sleep soundly and wake refreshed, safe in the knowledge
that might is right.  The reality is very different. 

Sprint has stated that it intends to deliver services at between 2 and 4 Mbps to
its customers with Mobile WiMAX.  In the real world, HSPA+ and LTE are
likely to give their users single digit Mbps download speeds. 

So in the one metric that really matters – end user experience – all three
technologies will be much of a muchness.  Data rates will offer a
noticeable improvement on what you see via your home Wi-Fi, or whilst surfing
the web on a train, but not quite enough to herald the dawn of a new age in
mobile.  Despite this reality, the campaigns currently targeting end users
have the same annoying ringtone as the campaign that preceded 3G.  Remember
all the hype around video calls? Remember the last time you actually saw someone
making a video call? 3G has certainly transformed the way that people think
about and use their mobile phones, but not in the way we were led to expect. 

The pointless stoking of customer expectations around 3G set our industry back
years, and we cannot afford a repeat performance with mobile broadband. 
Disappointed customers spend less money on handsets and services because the
experience they were promised has not quite materialized.  Disappointment
is shared with friends and family and across the social networks we are trying
so hard to monetize.  All of this dampens uptake and diminishes
expectations. 

Meanwhile, the pundits bang on about their pet technology.  One claims that
HSPA+ might delay the deployment of LTE.  Another posits that WiMAX might
be adopted, predominantly, in the laptop or netbook market.  A third
insists that LTE could replace large swathes of legacy technologies.  These
scenarios might happen …  or not.  The most likely, if less
stirring, outcome is that they are all coming, will be rolled out to hundreds of
millions of subscribers and, within five years, will be widespread. 

Confusion unsettles investors, who move to other markets and starve us of the
R&D funds needed to deliver mobile broadband.  At street level, early
adopters hold off on buying the next wave of technology while they "wait it
out." Who wants to end up with a Betamax if VHS might ultimately ‘win’ ?

What we all want are ecstatic customers who can’t help but show off their
device.  We need to produce a ‘Wow’ factor that generates momentum in the
market.  Where we should focus, urgently, is on the two issues that demand
open discussion and debate: are we taking the delivery of a winning user
experience seriously, and are we ready to cope with the tidal wave of data
traffic that will follow a successful launch?

The first issue concerns delivery to the end user of a seamless application
experience that successfully converts the improved data rates to improvements on
their device.  This can mean anything from getting LAN-like speeds for
faster email downloads through to slick, content-rich and location-aware
applications.  As we launch mobile broadband technologies, we must ensure
that new applications and capabilities are robust and stable.  More effort
must be spent developing and testing applications so that the end user is blown
away by their performance.

The second issue, the tidal wave of data, should force us to be realistic about
the strain placed on core networks by an exponential increase in data traffic. 
We have seen 10x increases in traffic since smartphones began to boom. 
Mobile device makers, network equipment manufacturers and application developers
must accept that there will be capacity shortages in the short term and, in
response, must design, build and test applications rigorously.  We need
applications with realistic data throughput requirements and the ability to
catch data greedy applications before they reach the network.

At Anite, we see the demands placed on test equipment by mobile broadband
technologies first hand.  We are responding to growing demand for new tools
that provide measures of end user experience by test applications and simulate
the effects of anticipated capacity bottlenecks.  Unfortunately, not
everyone is thinking that far ahead.  On the current evidence, applications
that should be "Wow", in theory, may end up producing little more than a murmur
of disappointment in the real world.

So let’s stop this nonsense about how one technology trounces another. 
Conflict may be interesting to journalists, but end users simply do not care. 
As an industry, our energy needs to be focused on delivering services and
applications that exceed the customer expectations regardless of whether they
access the network via WiMAX, LTE or HSPA+.  Rather than fighting, we
should be learning from one another’s experiences.  Do that and our
customers will reward us with growing demand.  If we all get sustained
growth, then don’t we all win?

Dominic Rowles, Business Unit Director, Anite

Dominic joined Anite in 1999 and has occupied positions including Regional Sales
Director, European Sales Manager, VP of US Operations and Head of 3G Strategy. 
Dominic is currently responsible for the WiMAX and Professional Services
Business Units. 
 

The CLEAR developer network is a precursor to commercial service planned for the
San Francisco Bay Area¹ in 2010.  It will cover more than 20
square miles in Santa Clara, Mountain View and parts of downtown Palo Alto,
California.  The current coverage footprint includes the local campuses of
Intel and Google, two founding Innovation Network supporters who have also
commenced their own internal 4G application development programs.  Cisco’s
campus will receive coverage in the coming months as the network expands. 
Clearwire will update the coverage area maps over time.  Download detailed
maps of coverage areas with suggested drive routes and test locations:

- Palo Alto

- Santa Clara

- Mountain
View, Los Altos, Sunnyvale

Clearwire plans an aggressive expansion program for CLEAR in the U.S., with a
combined coverage area that would service up to 120M people by the end of 2010.

Logistics for the Innovation Network

After reviewing terms and conditions, qualified software application developers
that live or work in Silicon Valley can register for free mobile WiMAX service,
as long as they buy or own a Clearwire approved terminal (see list below). 
Bright House, Comcast, Sprint, and Time Warner Cable will join Cisco, Intel and
Google in support of Clearwire’s mobile WiMAX application development
initiative.  All those companies except Cisco are strategic investors in
Clearwire.  The first four plan to resell the CLEAR service, so they have a
lot to gain.  All of the participants will aid in promoting the program and
have deployed their own respective development resources into the network (e.g. 
RAN equipment, IP NGN systems, devices, software, etc). 

Infrastructure providers include: Motorola, Samsung, Huawei (these three vendors
supply RAN equipment), and Cisco (Core IP NGN Network). 

Editor’s Note:  Allen could not confirm that all of these
infrastructure vendors would be involved in the Innovation Network instance.

Components, modules and applications were said to be available from: Intel,
Google, Cisco, and Beceem (chip set).  Netbooks with embedded mobile WiMAX
interfaces are available from Lenovo, Dell, Toshiba, Samsung, and Fujitsu for
use in the program.  The new Samsung Mondi MID handheld is also supported
on the Innovation Network. 

Editors Note:  only the mobile devices listed are eligible for use
on the CLEAR Innovation network.  Home modems and CLEAR VOIP products and
service are not available on the Innovation Network.

To access the network, developers can purchase a Clearwire WiMAX USB modem for
$49.99.  Developer-owned, CLEAR "network-ready" mobile WiMAX devices, such
as the Samsung Mondi and WiMAX-embedded Intel-based PC’s, are also eligible for
the program.  To qualify, developers must register for Clearwire’s
developer program and describe the mobile WiMAX applications/ development ideas
they wish to pursue.  Interested developers can sign-up at

http://developer.clear.com/innovation.

Developers can expect to realize peak download speeds of up to 10 Mbps on this
network, with average download speeds of 3 to 6 Mbps.  In contrast, some of
today’s 3G wireless networks typically deliver download speeds of between 600
kbps – 1.4 Mbps, according to Clearwire.  Unlike Wi-Fi, mobile WiMAX
provides service areas measured in miles, rather than feet.  In addition,
the IEEE 802.16e technology used supports full mobility and enables seamless
handovers from tower to tower, similar to cellular networks. 

Goals and Applications for the Innovation Network

Flanagan stated the goal of the Innovation Network was "to stimulate software
development for Internet applications, broadband media content, Internet and
integration services." Allen identified several target applications: streaming
media, LBS’s, on-line gaming, voice and communications, social media, networking
collaboration, optimization and performance tuning.

Clearwire will support developers by providing: CLEAR Platform API and network
documentation, Location and Connection APIs along with associated guidelines. 
Educational content will be available for mobility, optimization/ tuning,
network setup, operations and coverage maps. 

In a short video, Clearwire CTO John Saw articulated the applications the
company expected to be "enabled" by the Innovation Network.  These
included: mobile video, location awareness, voice, social networking and gaming.

Click here to view
Clearwire’s CTO Dr.  John Saw discussing the Innovation Network

Q&A

In answer to a question, Mr.  Flanagan echoed a 4G World comment from
Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow that both WiMAX Pico cells and femtocells would play
an important role in "4G networks" and be critical to their success.  In a
follow up email exchange, Allen stated: "In my opinion, it will take some time
before they become critical.  Just as it took a lot of years for them to
become deployed on previous generation cellular networks."

This author asked if Clearwire might have trouble motivating garage shops and
small software developers to participate in the Innovation network program,
considering the absence of any smart phones or hand held devices (except the
brand new Samsung Mondi).  Allen said that Clearwire was very aware of that
issue and together with its investors would be able to recruit a critical mass
of developers for the network.

Clearwire will participate as a platinum sponsor of the Sprint Open Developer
Conference scheduled for October 26-28 in Santa Clara, CA (this author is
registered to attend).  Developers can register to attend the conference
at: 

http://developer.sprint.com/devcon2009.

Flanagan suggested that developers interested in working on applications for
mobile WiMAX might want to attend the conference to learn about the Innovation
Network directly from Clearwire executives. 

Editor’s Note:  This author expects important new announcements from
Sprint regarding handsets and perhaps other devices that will operate on CLEAR.

What the Big Boys Have to Say

"We see tremendous potential for true, mobile broadband to act as the catalyst
for new and compelling Internet applications that leverage our 4G bandwidth,
free of the confines associated with wired connections," said John Saw, Chief
Technology Officer of Clearwire.  "Our goal is to harness the concentration
of developer talent in Silicon Valley and accelerate the pace at which these
disruptive services are being developed."

"Our long history of innovation with WiMAX, including our development efforts in
Portland, OR, allowed Intel to be among the first in the U.S.  to have
access to this exciting, next-generation 4G environment," said Sriram
Viswanathan, vice president of Intel Capital and general manager of WiMAX
Program Office at Intel.  "Along with the WiMAX ecosystem, we look forward
to expanding these mobile broadband resources and efforts in an area home to the
one of most technology-savvy groups of individuals in the world."

"Mobile broadband is fundamentally changing the way people use the Internet, and
4G networks like Clearwire’s have incredible potential," said Larry Alder,
mobile product manager at Google.  "We are excited to see how developers
will take advantage of this unique asset as Internet users increasingly expect
connectivity regardless of their device or location."

"Cisco’s Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network infrastructure is playing a
key role in the Silicon Valley Innovation Network," said David Goeckeler,
general manager of Services and Mobility business unit, Cisco.  "An IP
network is the right platform to deliver on the promise of mobility and put 4G
services in the hands of some of the most talented and creative developers in
the world."
"At Bright House, we’re always searching for new and innovative capabilities to
bring to our customers," said Leo Cloutier senior vice president, strategy &
business development, Bright House Networks.  "We’re strongly supportive of
this initiative and its ability to leverage the creative talent of developers in
the region for the creation of new mobile broadband applications."

"Combining the speeds of broadband with the mobility of wireless communications
gives the development community in Silicon Valley a unique opportunity to create
differentiated applications," said Tom Nagel, Comcast’s senior vice president
and general manager for Wireless.  "Comcast is pleased to support this
development program to spur further innovation with 4G capabilities.  The
initiative is consistent with our own commitment and efforts to encourage
developers to leverage open standards such as Tru2way."

"Sprint continues to demonstrate its leadership in the growth and deployment of
4G networks and technology and in the developer community," said Len Barlik,
vice president of wireless and wireline services for Sprint.  "Sprint is
the first carrier to offer an open community that gives developers the platforms
and network to create innovative applications and the ability to introduce new
services to the market.  The availability of 4G in the Silicon Valley is a
great opportunity for developers to immediately begin the development of the
next generation of wireless applications."

"Time Warner Cable looks to provide services that are simple, easy to use and
give customers more control and convenience," said Michael Roudi, group vice
president of wireless services for Time Warner Cable.  "We are proud to
support the efforts of developers in the Silicon Valley to experiment and create
new applications which will take advantage of the mobile broadband network and
enhance our customer’s wireless experience."

Conclusions

The Silicon Valley community is very pleased to have Clearwire’s Innovation
Network up and running.  In particular, IEEE ComSoc SCV members have
expressed a strong interest in mobile broadband applications for netbooks and
notebooks as well as for hand held devices.  We hope to report results of
these application developments in forthcoming articles.  IEEE ComSoc SCV is
also looking forward to hosting a panel session in early 2010 where Innovation
Network participants will describe the tangible take-aways and lessons learned
from this very important endeavor.

_________

Footnotes:

http://www.wimax.com/commentary/blog/blog-2009/april-2009/Commercial-WiMAX-Network-Planned-for-Silicon-Valley-0410

Web References

http://newsroom.clearwire.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=214419&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1331811&highlight=

http://www.wimax360.com/profiles/blogs/silicon-valley-becoming-the-4g

The CLEAR developer network is a precursor to commercial service planned for the
San Francisco Bay Area¹ in 2010.  It will cover more than 20
square miles in Santa Clara, Mountain View and parts of downtown Palo Alto,
California.  The current coverage footprint includes the local campuses of
Intel and Google, two founding Innovation Network supporters who have also
commenced their own internal 4G application development programs.  Cisco’s
campus will receive coverage in the coming months as the network expands. 
Clearwire will update the coverage area maps over time.  Download detailed
maps of coverage areas with suggested drive routes and test locations:

- Palo Alto

- Santa Clara

- Mountain
View, Los Altos, Sunnyvale

Clearwire plans an aggressive expansion program for CLEAR in the U.S., with a
combined coverage area that would service up to 120M people by the end of 2010.

Logistics for the Innovation Network

After reviewing terms and conditions, qualified software application developers
that live or work in Silicon Valley can register for free mobile WiMAX service,
as long as they buy or own a Clearwire approved terminal (see list below). 
Bright House, Comcast, Sprint, and Time Warner Cable will join Cisco, Intel and
Google in support of Clearwire’s mobile WiMAX application development
initiative.  All those companies except Cisco are strategic investors in
Clearwire.  The first four plan to resell the CLEAR service, so they have a
lot to gain.  All of the participants will aid in promoting the program and
have deployed their own respective development resources into the network (e.g. 
RAN equipment, IP NGN systems, devices, software, etc). 

Infrastructure providers include: Motorola, Samsung, Huawei (these three vendors
supply RAN equipment), and Cisco (Core IP NGN Network). 

Editor’s Note:  Allen could not confirm that all of these
infrastructure vendors would be involved in the Innovation Network instance.

Components, modules and applications were said to be available from: Intel,
Google, Cisco, and Beceem (chip set).  Netbooks with embedded mobile WiMAX
interfaces are available from Lenovo, Dell, Toshiba, Samsung, and Fujitsu for
use in the program.  The new Samsung Mondi MID handheld is also supported
on the Innovation Network. 

Editors Note:  only the mobile devices listed are eligible for use
on the CLEAR Innovation network.  Home modems and CLEAR VOIP products and
service are not available on the Innovation Network.

To access the network, developers can purchase a Clearwire WiMAX USB modem for
$49.99.  Developer-owned, CLEAR "network-ready" mobile WiMAX devices, such
as the Samsung Mondi and WiMAX-embedded Intel-based PC’s, are also eligible for
the program.  To qualify, developers must register for Clearwire’s
developer program and describe the mobile WiMAX applications/ development ideas
they wish to pursue.  Interested developers can sign-up at

http://developer.clear.com/innovation.

Developers can expect to realize peak download speeds of up to 10 Mbps on this
network, with average download speeds of 3 to 6 Mbps.  In contrast, some of
today’s 3G wireless networks typically deliver download speeds of between 600
kbps – 1.4 Mbps, according to Clearwire.  Unlike Wi-Fi, mobile WiMAX
provides service areas measured in miles, rather than feet.  In addition,
the IEEE 802.16e technology used supports full mobility and enables seamless
handovers from tower to tower, similar to cellular networks. 

Goals and Applications for the Innovation Network

Flanagan stated the goal of the Innovation Network was "to stimulate software
development for Internet applications, broadband media content, Internet and
integration services." Allen identified several target applications: streaming
media, LBS’s, on-line gaming, voice and communications, social media, networking
collaboration, optimization and performance tuning.

Clearwire will support developers by providing: CLEAR Platform API and network
documentation, Location and Connection APIs along with associated guidelines. 
Educational content will be available for mobility, optimization/ tuning,
network setup, operations and coverage maps. 

In a short video, Clearwire CTO John Saw articulated the applications the
company expected to be "enabled" by the Innovation Network.  These
included: mobile video, location awareness, voice, social networking and gaming.

Click here to view
Clearwire’s CTO Dr.  John Saw discussing the Innovation Network

Q&A

In answer to a question, Mr.  Flanagan echoed a 4G World comment from
Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow that both WiMAX Pico cells and femtocells would play
an important role in "4G networks" and be critical to their success.  In a
follow up email exchange, Allen stated: "In my opinion, it will take some time
before they become critical.  Just as it took a lot of years for them to
become deployed on previous generation cellular networks."

This author asked if Clearwire might have trouble motivating garage shops and
small software developers to participate in the Innovation network program,
considering the absence of any smart phones or hand held devices (except the
brand new Samsung Mondi).  Allen said that Clearwire was very aware of that
issue and together with its investors would be able to recruit a critical mass
of developers for the network.

Clearwire will participate as a platinum sponsor of the Sprint Open Developer
Conference scheduled for October 26-28 in Santa Clara, CA (this author is
registered to attend).  Developers can register to attend the conference
at: 

http://developer.sprint.com/devcon2009.

Flanagan suggested that developers interested in working on applications for
mobile WiMAX might want to attend the conference to learn about the Innovation
Network directly from Clearwire executives. 

Editor’s Note:  This author expects important new announcements from
Sprint regarding handsets and perhaps other devices that will operate on CLEAR.

What the Big Boys Have to Say

"We see tremendous potential for true, mobile broadband to act as the catalyst
for new and compelling Internet applications that leverage our 4G bandwidth,
free of the confines associated with wired connections," said John Saw, Chief
Technology Officer of Clearwire.  "Our goal is to harness the concentration
of developer talent in Silicon Valley and accelerate the pace at which these
disruptive services are being developed."

"Our long history of innovation with WiMAX, including our development efforts in
Portland, OR, allowed Intel to be among the first in the U.S.  to have
access to this exciting, next-generation 4G environment," said Sriram
Viswanathan, vice president of Intel Capital and general manager of WiMAX
Program Office at Intel.  "Along with the WiMAX ecosystem, we look forward
to expanding these mobile broadband resources and efforts in an area home to the
one of most technology-savvy groups of individuals in the world."

"Mobile broadband is fundamentally changing the way people use the Internet, and
4G networks like Clearwire’s have incredible potential," said Larry Alder,
mobile product manager at Google.  "We are excited to see how developers
will take advantage of this unique asset as Internet users increasingly expect
connectivity regardless of their device or location."

"Cisco’s Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network infrastructure is playing a
key role in the Silicon Valley Innovation Network," said David Goeckeler,
general manager of Services and Mobility business unit, Cisco.  "An IP
network is the right platform to deliver on the promise of mobility and put 4G
services in the hands of some of the most talented and creative developers in
the world."
"At Bright House, we’re always searching for new and innovative capabilities to
bring to our customers," said Leo Cloutier senior vice president, strategy &
business development, Bright House Networks.  "We’re strongly supportive of
this initiative and its ability to leverage the creative talent of developers in
the region for the creation of new mobile broadband applications."

"Combining the speeds of broadband with the mobility of wireless communications
gives the development community in Silicon Valley a unique opportunity to create
differentiated applications," said Tom Nagel, Comcast’s senior vice president
and general manager for Wireless.  "Comcast is pleased to support this
development program to spur further innovation with 4G capabilities.  The
initiative is consistent with our own commitment and efforts to encourage
developers to leverage open standards such as Tru2way."

"Sprint continues to demonstrate its leadership in the growth and deployment of
4G networks and technology and in the developer community," said Len Barlik,
vice president of wireless and wireline services for Sprint.  "Sprint is
the first carrier to offer an open community that gives developers the platforms
and network to create innovative applications and the ability to introduce new
services to the market.  The availability of 4G in the Silicon Valley is a
great opportunity for developers to immediately begin the development of the
next generation of wireless applications."

"Time Warner Cable looks to provide services that are simple, easy to use and
give customers more control and convenience," said Michael Roudi, group vice
president of wireless services for Time Warner Cable.  "We are proud to
support the efforts of developers in the Silicon Valley to experiment and create
new applications which will take advantage of the mobile broadband network and
enhance our customer’s wireless experience."

Conclusions

The Silicon Valley community is very pleased to have Clearwire’s Innovation
Network up and running.  In particular, IEEE ComSoc SCV members have
expressed a strong interest in mobile broadband applications for netbooks and
notebooks as well as for hand held devices.  We hope to report results of
these application developments in forthcoming articles.  IEEE ComSoc SCV is
also looking forward to hosting a panel session in early 2010 where Innovation
Network participants will describe the tangible take-aways and lessons learned
from this very important endeavor.

_________

Footnotes:

http://www.wimax.com/commentary/blog/blog-2009/april-2009/Commercial-WiMAX-Network-Planned-for-Silicon-Valley-0410

Web References

http://newsroom.clearwire.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=214419&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1331811&highlight=

http://www.wimax360.com/profiles/blogs/silicon-valley-becoming-the-4g

The antenna is important since it is the only structure in a mobile device that
communicates directly with the network.  How these structures are designed
and where they are placed inside a device can have a big impact on how the
device performs.

But designing MIMO into smaller devices comes with its own unique challenges. 
With multiple antennas, more space is typically needed to ensure that the
multiple antennas operate without interfering with each other.  This
problem can become even more challenging when working with technologies that
operate in close proximity – such as WiMAX at 2.5GHz and Wi-Fi at 2.4GHz.

SkyCross has solved this problem with its iMAT^TM technology (short
for isolated mode antenna technology) which enables a single antenna to function
like multiple antennas, without compromising the performance of each antenna or
the industrial design of the device.  This is accomplished by utilizing a
single radiating structure with multiple feed points. 

The company, founded in 2000, provides a complete host of antenna solutions for
the mobile phone, home entertainment and computing industries.  The company
considers itself more of a solutions company that can apply a wide variety of
technologies depending on the needs of its customers.

"Many of our solutions are specific to each customer device," says Joe
Gifford, Vice President at SkyCross.  "The product we develop is customer
specific with SkyCross technology and techniques used in an ‘artistically’
developed way to solve each customer’s problem."

The company is active in a number of technologies, including 802.11n and the
next generation of IEEE standards.  This year
alone the company will ship 120 million antennas in a variety of different
market segments.

In the WiMAX space, the company works with all the major players and even
includes Intel as one of its investors (the only antenna company that Intel has
an investment in).  Last year, SkyCross technology was included in Airspan’s
MiMAX Quad-Band USB dongle – the first WiMAX Forum certified USB device and
winner of several industry awards.  The device was certified to operate in
the 2.5GHz band, but is also designed to operate in every frequency from 2.3GHz
to 5.9 GHz.

SkyCross technology was included in one of the first WiMAX CPEs on Sprint’s Xohm
network in Baltimore and was selected by WiMAX operator VMAX in Taiwan for use
in their USB dongle.  SkyCross was also recently selected as the antenna
provider for several devices on the UQ Communications network in Japan and the
Clearwire network in the United States.

"We have developed the technology that sits on the reference design of WiMAX
chip companies such as Samsung, Beceem , Sequans, GCT and others," says Gifford. 
"Some of those reference designs are then included in products produced by
Novatel, Sierra Wireless and Huawei."

The company also considers the RF approach that it takes in designing the
electrical-mechanical radiating device as part of its key advantage.  "When
people think of an antenna, they typically think of a radiating metal device
that you put in a device," says Gifford.  "With our approach, we develop
some type of electrical-mechanical radiating property, it could be anything as
inexpensive as possible, and we use that to excite the entire device that it is
going into.  For example, with a USB dongle, we can get the entire device
to radiate."

From a cost/performance perspective, the company claims that its iMAT technology
can cut the cost in half and boost performance and efficiencies 2X when compared
to traditional technologies.  With today’s smaller devices, operating at
higher frequencies and non-line of site environments, these performance gains
can be significant – improving the subscribers experience while on the network
and reducing overall network costs.

Operators such as Clearwire have taken notice and are influencing the design of
handsets by insisting that suppliers consider using SkyCross.  "We have
been working with Clearwire, and they liked what they saw in the performance
metrics," says Gifford.  "We do a great job, especially in small form
factors and can improve the antenna performance significantly compared to other
traditional solutions."

The antenna is important since it is the only structure in a mobile device that
communicates directly with the network.  How these structures are designed
and where they are placed inside a device can have a big impact on how the
device performs.

But designing MIMO into smaller devices comes with its own unique challenges. 
With multiple antennas, more space is typically needed to ensure that the
multiple antennas operate without interfering with each other.  This
problem can become even more challenging when working with technologies that
operate in close proximity – such as WiMAX at 2.5GHz and Wi-Fi at 2.4GHz.

SkyCross has solved this problem with its iMAT^TM technology (short
for isolated mode antenna technology) which enables a single antenna to function
like multiple antennas, without compromising the performance of each antenna or
the industrial design of the device.  This is accomplished by utilizing a
single radiating structure with multiple feed points. 

The company, founded in 2000, provides a complete host of antenna solutions for
the mobile phone, home entertainment and computing industries.  The company
considers itself more of a solutions company that can apply a wide variety of
technologies depending on the needs of its customers.

"Many of our solutions are specific to each customer device," says Joe
Gifford, Vice President at SkyCross.  "The product we develop is customer
specific with SkyCross technology and techniques used in an ‘artistically’
developed way to solve each customer’s problem."

The company is active in a number of technologies, including 802.11n and the
next generation of IEEE standards.  This year
alone the company will ship 120 million antennas in a variety of different
market segments.

In the WiMAX space, the company works with all the major players and even
includes Intel as one of its investors (the only antenna company that Intel has
an investment in).  Last year, SkyCross technology was included in Airspan’s
MiMAX Quad-Band USB dongle – the first WiMAX Forum certified USB device and
winner of several industry awards.  The device was certified to operate in
the 2.5GHz band, but is also designed to operate in every frequency from 2.3GHz
to 5.9 GHz.

SkyCross technology was included in one of the first WiMAX CPEs on Sprint’s Xohm
network in Baltimore and was selected by WiMAX operator VMAX in Taiwan for use
in their USB dongle.  SkyCross was also recently selected as the antenna
provider for several devices on the UQ Communications network in Japan and the
Clearwire network in the United States.

"We have developed the technology that sits on the reference design of WiMAX
chip companies such as Samsung, Beceem , Sequans, GCT and others," says Gifford. 
"Some of those reference designs are then included in products produced by
Novatel, Sierra Wireless and Huawei."

The company also considers the RF approach that it takes in designing the
electrical-mechanical radiating device as part of its key advantage.  "When
people think of an antenna, they typically think of a radiating metal device
that you put in a device," says Gifford.  "With our approach, we develop
some type of electrical-mechanical radiating property, it could be anything as
inexpensive as possible, and we use that to excite the entire device that it is
going into.  For example, with a USB dongle, we can get the entire device
to radiate."

From a cost/performance perspective, the company claims that its iMAT technology
can cut the cost in half and boost performance and efficiencies 2X when compared
to traditional technologies.  With today’s smaller devices, operating at
higher frequencies and non-line of site environments, these performance gains
can be significant – improving the subscribers experience while on the network
and reducing overall network costs.

Operators such as Clearwire have taken notice and are influencing the design of
handsets by insisting that suppliers consider using SkyCross.  "We have
been working with Clearwire, and they liked what they saw in the performance
metrics," says Gifford.  "We do a great job, especially in small form
factors and can improve the antenna performance significantly compared to other
traditional solutions."

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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