Skip to main content

Multi-Platform Wireless Solutions on the Horizon

LTE will still become the mainstay 4G mobile network technology, although its universal use is still in the future. According to the latest market assessment by ABI Research, some service providers will benefit from a dual-platform or multi-platform strategy that's initially based on both LTE and WiMAX.

According to ABI research director Philip Solis, "Intel and others are pushing the idea of heterogeneous networks. This is not to deny LTE's long-term position as the leading 4G platform, but to recognize that a small part of the ecosystem will still be characterized by diversity for some time."

Who stands to benefit from that multi-platform scenario?

Some operators, such as Sprint and Clearwire, KDDI and UQ Communications, and KT, will use both technologies for some time.

When asked why network operators would prefer to support multiple technologies, Solis said, "By using both standards, they'll have access to more spectrum, which helps with capacity issues."

Multi-standard base stations now being deployed to support several generations of technologies as well as both 4G standards. Alvarion, Huawei, NEC, NSN, Samsung, and ZTE are some vendors supporting both technologies in the same flexible base station.

There will also be multi-mode 4G chipsets in handsets and other mobile devices.

Prior to its acquisition by Broadcom, Beceem was already planning such chipsets. Chipmaker Sequans recently announced a similar product initiative it calls 4Sight, with software allowing for hand-offs between multiple networks if carriers choose to implement it.

According to Solis, these solutions provide the wireless ecosystem with the design flexibility it needs.

Intel already has combination WiMAX and Wi-Fi chip-sets and in the near future it will focus designs on HSPA+ with LTE. Longer term, it will likely combine those into one solution along with short-range wireless technologies.

Multi-mode chip-sets also benefit mobile device manufacturers interested in reducing the number of their SKUs -- and by creating devices compatible with multiple networks, they ensure product longevity and allow mobile network operators to migrate without stranding their subscribers.

Popular posts from this blog

Global Rise of Domestic Payment Ecosystems

Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) – comprising digital wallets, instant payments, and QR payment systems – are experiencing explosive growth that's reshaping the global financial services marketplace. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research , the combined global transaction value for APMs is projected to reach $142 trillion by 2030. What's particularly fascinating is the underlying driver behind this trend: a growing desire for financial sovereignty, with nations developing domestic payment ecosystems rather than remaining dependent on international financial networks. Payment Ecosystem Market Development In 2024, approximately 45 percent of the global population used digital wallets – a remarkable adoption rate for a technology that barely existed a decade ago. China leads this transition, with 95 percent of its population using WeChat's payment functionality. WeChat exemplifies the "super app" phenomenon, where payment capabilities are in...