WiMAX DRIVES THE LAST MILE. Fixed Wireless Access Sufficient for WiMAX Success

global

Strategy Analytics: Predicts a market of more than 20 million WiMAX subscriber terminals and base stations per year in 2009. 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. 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. Although most of the attention in the media has centered on SoCs (system on chip ICs) and configurable baseband processors. WiMAX should create a significant opportunity for makers of power amplifiers and front end radio modules. The challenge for front end component makers will be to identify the largest regional markets and bands, win design-ins, and then begin to broaden product lines to cover additional segments of the WiMAX market, each of which will require front-end components with somewhat different specifications. WiMAX DRIVES THE LAST MILE Publ 20050523 Wimax?