Skip to main content

WiMAX Leads as LTE Trails in the 4G Race

Mobile WiMAX will outpace LTE based wireless broadband networks over the next few years due to its head start on deployments, according to the latest market study by In-Stat.

Mobile WiMAX already has commercial deployments, while LTE won't be commercially available until late 2009 -- or even later. However In-Stat believes WiMAX and LTE will take very different paths.

"Most of the operators looking to deploy WiMAX come to it from the fixed network space. These operators are looking to use WiMAX as an enhanced DSL service. Enhanced DSL will combine both the fixed broadband service with some form of nomadic coverage," says Daryl Schoolar, In-Stat analyst.

Most of the early operators supporting LTE come from the mobile space. These operators want to use LTE to increase capacity and peak rates on their existing mobile networks.

In-Stat's market study found the following:

- HSPA may turn into 802.16e WiMAX's true competitor, with HSPA Evolved allowing WCDMA operators to delay deploying LTE.

- Verizon is at the forefront with LTE, most operators will not deploy until 2011 or 2012.

- In-Stat expects LTE will have 23.1 million subscriptions in 2013, growing from about 176 thousand in 2010.

- Nearly 82 million mobile PCs with WiMax will ship in 2013.

Popular posts from this blog

How Online Video Exceeded Pay-TV Revenue

The global streaming industry has spent the better part of a decade chasing subscriber counts as the primary metric of success. That era is now formally over. New market data from Omdia confirms that the industry has crossed a decisive threshold; one that shifts the competitive playing field from growth-at-all-costs to monetization discipline. For senior executives navigating media, advertising, and technology strategy, the implications extend well beyond entertainment. A Historic Revenue Crossover Online video revenue increased 13.5 percent to $176 billion in 2025, while pay-TV revenue declined 4 percent to $170 billion; marking the first time in the industry's history that streaming has surpassed legacy pay-TV in revenue terms. This is not a rounding error or a statistical artifact; it represents the culmination of more than a decade of structural disruption to the traditional broadcast and cable TV model. Global subscriptions to online video services reached 2.24 billion by the ...