Markedet for WiMAX-chips boomer
Markedet for WiMAX chipsæts voksede fra 1,3 mio. enheder i 2008 til 5 mio. i 2009. Mange leverandør er aktive på markedet - men hvem bliver vinderne, spørger analysefirmaet Maravedis (in english).
Shipments of mobile WiMAX chipsets reached 5 million in 2009, up from 1.3 million in 2008, according to the first issue of the 4Ggear Quarterly Report from Maravedis. 4Ggear is an ongoing research and analysis service focusing on technology and business trends among the leading equipment vendors for LTE, WiMAX, and selected proprietary systems.
- However despite the surge of mobile WiMAX device and chipset shipments, notably in Q4 09, the total WiMAX equipment market remained flat last year at US$1.36 billion, says Maravedis Research Director Adlane Fellah.
- The overall picture is mixed. Shipments of base stations decreased in 2009 and were impacted more deeply by the economic downturn, whereas device shipments, especially mobile WIMAX devices, grew at a rate of 147% Year-over-Year compared to 2008, correlating to the addition of a 3.5 million WIMAX subscribers during the year, he continues.
- Surprisingly, there are already many players in the LTE base-band chipset landscape. However early LTE chipset suppliers may not be the long term winners in the dual-mode 3G/4G chipset market, says Pascal Deriot, co-author of the report and 4Ggear team leader.
- While LTE incumbent providers focus on sampling dual-mode chipsets, new entrants position themselves as technology drivers, delivering early LTE-only solutions.
Maravedis believes that the development of the LTE modem itself is not the most complex aspect of the global LTE picture.
- Interoperability, seamless hand over, architecture expertise and management of the different bands across the world may be the most challenging obstacles facing LTE chipset suppliers, adds Deriot.
The report confirms that both WiMAX and LTE are converging upon 4G service capabilities. LTE's primary market, incumbent 3G operators, will be unlikely to significantly deploy LTE sooner than early 2012.
