WiMAX should still be able to make a difference

With different technologies from a number of vendors, and WiMAX certification still out, competition is heating up but being standards-based and using dedicated licensed spectrum are still a major positives for WiMAX.

Recent developments:

• IPMobile will start as a new 3G data provider in Japan in 2006, using IPWireless' UMTS TDD technology.
• Samsung is pushing WiBro. It now has handsets and a deployment planned in Brazil.
• Qualcomm bought Flarion for its Flash-OFDM technology and will probably start pushing it soon.
• Everybody is questioning xG Technologies' xMax invention.
• A number of pre-WiMAX vendors (Aperto a.o.) showed interoperability in Beijing last week.
• XO Communications will focus on BWA after selling its wireline assets + its name to Elk Associates (all are owned by Carl Icahn). Under its new name it could compete with First Avenue (formerly Teligent) and IDT (which includes WinStar), as well as Clearwire, which uses NextNet pre-WiMAX equipment. XO has massive spectrum (1150-1300 MHz in 59 markets, 150 MHz in 15 markets, 400 MHz in 1 market, 100-300 MHz in 10 markets) but still has to pick a vendor.