WiMAX, or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is becoming a force in the wireless access arena, at least in parts of the world, reports In-Stat.
In-Stat covers the topic in its report, "WiMAX: The Rebel Broadband."
By 2008, worldwide sales for WiMAX equipment will be billions of dollars, but more than half of it will be for Customer Premise Equipment. WiMAX, a new form of Broadband Wireless Access (BWA), helps shift the economics of broadband to make it cheaper than ever to deploy. However, WiMAX providers will need to bundle wireless broadband services with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), so that consumers will save money every month, even though they are upgrading from dial-up Internet access to broadband.
"Though in the US, the technology has not been considered a serious prospect to enter the mainstream, outside of North America, Western Europe, and parts of Asia, the perception of BWA is very different," says Eric Mantion, In-Stat analyst. "In those areas, BWA is often the only choice for connectivity, and this connectivity isn't just for data services. In many parts of the world the main benefit of BWA comes from providing voice service."
In-Stat has also found that:
* Another area where WiMAX is expected to do well is as a way to provide Point-to-Point (PtP) links. A prime example would be with cellular BTSs that are now using a leased line to provide a backhaul to the network,
* Deploying a WiMAX-based network that reaches 98% of US homes would cost an estimated $3 billion - including equipment, towers, and other ancillary costs,
* Beyond VoIP and broadband, WiMAX promises to eventually provide a solution for the high cost of cellular phone use,
* There are also a myriad of other, smaller applications, such as helping with Homeland Security or traffic safety, that are open to WiMAX on an ancillary basis.
In-Stat is based in Scottsdale, AZ. For more information visit www.instat.com.
