Category: WiMAX

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WiMAX Operator ID Public listing

An observation on IEEE 802.16 Operator ID public listing. Mobile WiMAX (802.16e) requires a registration before actual deployment. Cost of registration is $1200.

The list currently has 36 entries, of which 30 are unique operators; sounds like a very small number regarding the WiMAX hype we have seen in the last two years.

Here is the list, but refer the online IEEE listing as it may change:

  1. Nextwave – not a real operator
  2. Clearwire corporation
  3. Société du Haut Débit (SHD) – Joint venture – SFR + Neuf Cegetel
  4. Sprint Nextel – Xohm brand is merging into Clearwire
  5. HDRR
  6. Moline Dispatch Publishing Company ????
  7. Pine Telephone Company Inc.
  8. UK Broadband
  9. Solectek
  10. WiMax Telecom AG
  11. Wi-Tribe Limited
  12. Axtel S.A.B. de C.V.
  13. MIRS Communications Ltd.
  14. Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd
  15. Menatelecom
  16. UQ Communications Inc.
  17. SCARTEL Ltd.
  18. Monzoon Networks AG
  19. WorldMax Operations B.V.
  20. Etihad Atheeb Telecommunications
  21. VTR Banda Ancha (Chile) S.A.
  22. Globe Telecom
  23. “MMDS-Ukraine” LLC
  24. DBD Deutsche Breitband Dienste GmbH
  25. Freedom4 Ltd
  26. Linkem Spa
  27. Grid Net
  28. Mandarin WiMax Sicilia SpA
  29. Asiaspace WiMAX Sdn. Bhd.
  30. CTY Co., Ltd.

It does seem like many names are missing for this list, the question in why?

Later this week I will try to analyze the deployments of the above operators.

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Alcatel will cut WiMAX investment

As I have previously speculated here and only two hours ago, Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) will cut WiMAX investment.

As I could easily guess, the WiMAX market has shrunk enough for ALU to get out of the business, thus focusing in their core business and future LTE.

Alcatel-Lucent will reduce spending on WiMAX by “partnering, co-sourcing and participating in the consolidation of the industry,” it said. Other areas that will meet the same fate include customer premise equipment, some legacy applications, and the company’s portfolio of fixed-line telecommunications products not based on the IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) core.

To me it is clear that ALU will partnet with Alvarion for Mobile WiMAX, as they have done in the past with the “Fixed” WiMAX. These are great news for Alvarion as another big player is getting out of the Market; Nortel has announced the same a few months ago and partnered with Alvarion, though I don’t think we have seen the result in Alvarion’s balance sheet.

What Next?

Other two big players are Motorola and Samsung:

  • Samsung – I don’t expect Samsung giving up on WiMAX, as it is their beachhead into the Mobile World outside Korea
  • Motorola – More difficult to predict, but if I have to, my guess is MOTO will also get out of the WiMAX business.
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Alvarion overtakes ALU, MOTO in Mobile WiMAX

From infonetics Research: Alvarion overtakes ALU, MOTO.

The report is pessimistic on the prospects of Mobile WiMAX for next 12 month:

With less cash available for network rollout — and possibly less spectrum being auctioned until the current financial crisis passes — WiMAX deployment will be inhibited for the next 12 months. Infonetics expects revenue growth to return to the overall WiMAX market in 2010, with growth being driven by mobile WiMAX, as a growing number of WiMAX networks are being rolled out based on 802.16e, even if initial services will be fixed CPE-based broadband. Market leader Alvarion’s migration of its customer base from fixed to mobile WiMAX is a prime example of the preference service providers are showing for mobile WiMAX,” said Richard Webb, wireless analyst for Infonetics Research.

I still believe ALU will announce today they are going out of the Mobile WiMAX Business, as I also believe many Tier 1 will wait for LTE.

These are also good news for Alvarion, as in the long run they will benefit from this slow down, as the Big players will go out of the market, leaving the Emerging Markets to Alvarion, Airspan, Redline,…

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Pros of Wireless Backhaul

It is reported (in Hebrew) that a tractor tore several optical fibers, causing communication problems in Jerusalem.

ALL Cellular services as well as Internet access are still affected.

These kind of “accidents” have a higher probability in Israel than US or Europe, but still make me think that wireless backhaul is a MUST, at least for redundancy purposes.

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Intel to develop WiMAX in Kenya

This is an example of why I believe in WiMAX, and would like to promote it: Internet connectivity for emerging and 3rd world markets.

Intel and Safaricom will join hands in this effort.

A few excerpts:

“The program’s launch in Kenya is the result of an agreement that Intel signed earlier with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Cisco, Microsoft and Kenya’s Ministry of Education (MoE).”

The Kenya ICT Board will deploy the content in more than 300 Pasha Centres throughout Kenya.  The Pasha centres provide a suite of services to the public via computers connected to the internet. 

““Localized content in terms of maths and geography that makes sense to the Kenyan youth is also crucial in fully tapping in the IT explosion that will hit this country once the fibre optic cable is in place,” Mr Barrett said.”

Good Luck Intel!

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Alcatel-Lucent CEO: We will remain in wireless, will have LTE products

A report in RCR Wireless, speculates on the plans of Alcatel Lucent. According to the report Alcatel-Lucent will announce a new plan next week that will “turn around the fortunes” of Alcatel-Lucent.

ALU CEO claims they plan to stay in the mobile telecom business, and will continue to invest in R&D.

I fully support the following excerpt:

“Not doing innovation is like shooting yourself in the head,” he said. “We are not going to cut our lifeline to the future.” Verwaayen refused to be drawn on the outlook for the fourth quarter or 2009 saying “that is for Dec. 12.””

My speculation is “Bye Bye to Mobile WiMAX”, although ALU has many deployments around the world, the Mobile WiMAX market has shrunk significantly and I am not sure there is a room for so many “Vendors”: Samsung, Motorola, ALU and the smaller ones.

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KDDI LTE

A press release from this morning details KDDI plan to use Nortel and Hitachi’s joint collaboration for their LTE deployment.

Very interesting news as:
1) KDDI plans to roll-out LTE
2) Nortel and Hitachi join hands in this effort

As you may well know UQ Communications, a KDDI company, will deploy Mobile WiMAX in 2009 using a 2.5GHz spectrum. This report from Unstrung addresses the biggest problem, lack of Spectrum:

“Spectrum holds back Japan’s LTE
But Japanese operators do not yet have the spectrum they need to deploy LTE.

The KDDI spokesman explains that the operator cannot use its existing 3G spectrum in the 2 GHz frequency band for LTE because there is not enough of it. There is spectrum available for LTE at 1.5 GHz, but KDDI, along with DoCoMo and Softbank, is waiting for the Japanese regulator to decide who can use how much of this spectrum, according to the spokesman.

Another LTE spectrum option in the country will be in the 800 MHz band, which will be made available by 2010 as cable operators switch from analog to digital TV transmission.”