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CDG White Paper on WiMAX Opportunities and Challenges

http://www.ecnasiamag.com/article.asp?id=2568

The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) and Signals Research Group, LLC announced today the availability of a white paper discussing the realities of WiMAX standards and their potential market applications. The paper entitled, "WiMAX -- Opportunities and Challenges in a Wireless World," is based on an independent analysis of WiMAX that Signals Research Group published earlier this year, which is being made available to the public on the CDG's website.

"There has been a lot of hype around WiMAX, and some are comparing it to 3G-based cellular technologies," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "As this paper demonstrates, the reality is different. 3G will continue to expand and be the dominant platform for the delivery of mobile voice and data services. Assuming that its technical challenges are overcome, WiMAX could become a viable solution for a number of applications that will complement, rather than replace, 3G."

According to the paper's principal author, Michael Thelander, "It is evident that the fixed implementation of WiMAX addresses some of the inherent challenges that have limited the market opportunity of broadband fixed wireless access. However, much work still remains to be done before the mobile implementation of WiMAX is ready for commercialization, while the business case of deploying a carrier-grade WiMAX mobile network that delivers an acceptable quality of voice and data services is far from proven."

The white paper explains WiMAX in simple terms, including the history of the technology, the technical characteristics of fixed and mobile implementations of WiMAX, and why these two implementations are not compatible with each other. The paper then examines the market opportunities and business case for both fixed and portable/mobile services using WiMAX and the relationship between WiMAX and other wireless technologies, including 3G cellular services.

Thelander continues, "Unlike Wi-Fi, the success of WiMAX is predicated on the need for a successful operator-driven business model, and ultimately this will be one of the biggest challenges facing widespread adoption of WiMAX over the next several years."