In-Stat: WiMAX Market Strong, Yet Some Vendors Shrink from Opportunity

According to industry researcher In-Stat, "Broadband communications have become a crucial communications tool, so demand for mobile WiMAX technology remains strong."

 

But some vendors, especially those slow to migrate to the latest standards, might not be willing to wait around for that demand to translate into tangible sales.

 

"While the market for 802.16e will continue to grow, it does not mean happy days are here for every vendor," says Daryl Schoolar, In-Stat analyst. "In-Stat expects to see more infrastructure vendors pull back or leave the WiMAX market entirely. This is especially true for vendors that have been slow moving from 802.16d to the 802.16e standard."

 

According to the In-Stat research:

·         WiMAX base station revenues grew by 137.9% in 2008.

·         Global WiMAX subscriptions will be over 85 million by the end of 2013.

·         Deployments of 802.16e are contributing to the decline of sales in the fixed WiMAX standard, 802.16d.

 

Seems to me that this market opportunity is real and continues to evolve. With some vendors pulling out before the market matures, it appears that there will be more to go around for the remaining players that do hang in there.