. . . maybe, but it’s not the end of the world. In the last issue of EWT, I reported that recent studies show that a majority of cellular users would gladly give up their mobile cell/data service for WiMAX when its ready. Subscribers want reliable voice (VoIP) and faster data access while on the move--faster than what their cellular service can provide. The perception, and hope, is that the single WiMAX subscription will give them what they want at a more reasonable price than they are getting with their cellular service.

WiMAX also holds the promise of indoor/outdoor country-wide coverage, better than their current cellular services. So are these expectations really going to be fulfilled in WiMAX?

According to In-Stat’s recent report, The WiMAX Chipset Market: Mobile is Where It’s At, the WiMAX chipset manufacturing landscape has suddenly changed from fixed to mobile.

According to the report, fixed WiMAX IC vendors have recently redirected their energies toward Mobile WiMAX, particularly in the second half of 2006 and into 2007. This represents a dramatic change, as the overwhelming majority of 2005 and 2006 WiMAX chipsets were Fixed WiMAX (802.16d)-compliant, with a very small percentage in 2006 representing chipsets used in early WiBro (mobile WiMAX-based) devices, the high-tech market research firm said.

“Fujitsu, Intel, Sequans and Wavesat were the Fixed WiMAX baseband market leaders in 2005 and 2006; all have since shifted focus to Mobile WiMAX,” said Gemma Tedesco, In-Stat analyst. “In addition, Fixed WiMAX radio providers Sierra Monolithics and Analog Devices have announced Mobile WiMAX solutions.”

The In-Stat report reveals the following:

- The global WiMAX chipset market will reach approximately 21 million units in 2011, growing from 300,000 chipset units in 2006.

- Intel has been working for years to build up the WiMAX vendor ecosystem. Consequently, Sprint’s announcement that it would build out a Mobile WiMAX network was a huge boost for the WiMAX movement overall, and has in turn, put much pressure on Mobile WiMAX solution vendors.

- Mobile WiMAX faces competition from many mobile broadband technology alternatives, such as EV-DO, HSPA, UMB, LTE, and even from Wi-Fi, particularly IEEE 802.11n. (The mass movement to the manufacturing of mobile WiMAX chipsets seems to indicate that there is little concern over competing mobile technologies. --editor)

- Baseband vendors Beceem and Runcom are leaders in Mobile WiMAX, and are powering some of the early WiBro devices. Other baseband vendors with sights set specifically on Mobile WiMAX include Altair Semiconductor, Amicus, ApaceWave and Redpine Signals.

- RF IC providers who have jumped straight into the Mobile WiMAX market include NXP Semiconductors, GCT Semiconductor and AsicAhead.

The evidence presented by In-Stat is compelling with what appears to be a race to build out the 4G WiMAX network. Let’s hope that service providers cooperate and put in place seamless migration from network to network for their subscribers so the WiMAX service is truly county-wide, country-wide, continent-wide and world-wide. Maybe that’s hoping for too much as not all service providers will occupy the same spectrum, nor are they willing to enhance the service of competitors by giving ‘alien customers’ a free ride. Even so, the expectation is that WiMAX will deliver on wider coverage, faster data access, and more attractive bundle pricing. We’ll see.

Stay connected!