Strategy Analytics predicts a market of more than 20 million WiMAX subscriber terminals and base stations per year in 2009, according to their recent study. The need for inexpensive last mile connections between users and high-speed backbone networks already deployed in the developing world will drive this demand. Although much smaller than the market for cellular terminals and base stations in terms of annual unit shipments, WiMAX will represent a significant opportunity for chip makers. According to Chris Taylor, Director of the Strategy Analytics RF & Wireless Component Service (RFWC), "Our analysis of provisioning costs, business models and demand leads us to conclude that WiMAX for fixed wireless broadband services alone will generate a modest but healthy market for chips and equipment by 2009. Major concerns still remain regarding battery life for mobile WiMAX, undefined mobile specifications, and probable competition with 3G and proposed 4G networks. However, these issues will not prevent WiMAX from reaching sustainable volume in fixed applications.
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is quietly becoming one of the most strategic short-range wireless technologies in the market, moving from niche deployments into the mainstream of smartphones, cars, and smart spaces. As the ecosystem matures and next-generation implementations arrive, UWB is shifting from nice-to-have to a foundational capability for secure access, sensing, and high-performance device-to-device connectivity. UWB Technology Market Development Unlike Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, or legacy IEEE 802.15.4 implementations, UWB combines three powerful attributes in a single radio: secure ranging, radar-like sensing, and low-latency, high-throughput short-range data. This allows networking and IT vendors to architect experiences that blend precise location, context awareness, and rich interaction in ways traditional connectivity stacks cannot easily match. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, UWB is expected to be one of the fastest-growing wireless connectivity...