Dual-mode WiMAX/LTE chipsets by 2009, says analyst

Analyst firm ABI Research reckons next year will see the arrival of dual-mode WiMAX/LTE chipsets. The demand, says ABI, will come from wireless device makers looking for greater economies of scale and to reduce the number of SKUs (stock-keeping units) that comes from creating devices that support both 4G standards.

"Some mobile operators are showing interest in dual-mode chipsets," says ABI Research principal analyst Philip Solis, "and they are backing it with cash. Vodafone, for example, has a foot in both WiMAX and LTE camps. They will use LTE in industrialised regions, and WiMAX in developing nations. In Japan, KDDI may deploy LTE on its own, but as an investor (along with Intel and others) in WiMAX operator UQ Communications, KDDI has an interest in both standards."

Given that most of the early usage of both LTE and WiMAX will be for data transmission, ABI says that USB modems, laptops, netbooks, and MIDs are likely to be the first products to include the dual-mode chips.

"Because WiMAX networks will be deployed sooner than LTE, for competitive reasons these dual-mode chips are generally being created by WiMAX chip vendors, particularly the smaller, more agile ones," Solis adds.

Resource - WiMAX Vision

LTE 4G to gain 32 million subscribers by 2013

Even before its launch in 2010 or later, the fourth-generation (4G) technology Long Term Evolution (LTE) is forecast to become the choice of many network operators. LTE may have more than 32 million subscribers by 2013, according to a study from ABI Research.

ABI senior analyst Nadine Manjaro attributes about 37.5 percent or 12 million of the subscribers to Asia-Pacific countries, while the remaining percentage will be split between Western Europe and North America. Telecom companies that have announced their plans of adopting 4G LTE include China Mobile, Japan’s NTT Docomo and KDDI, Vodafone and Verizon Wireless.

In China, operators are predicted to adopt LTE directly. Manjaro said that although China’s TD-SCDMA 3G technology will be deployed on a small scale during the Beijing Olympics, operators are unlikely to spend billions to implement that or any other 3G technology if they will have to upgrade within a year or two. Moreover, the China government is reluctant to grant 3G spectrum licenses.

The study says that the adoption of LTE will benefit various sectors, among which are test equipment vendors and vendors of the required network infrastructure itself.

Resource - c114.net

Network Infrastructure Spending Positions Carriers for 4G Services

Singapore : 2008 is delivering mixed results for mobile infrastructure vendors such as Nokia Siemens Networks, Ericsson, and Alcatel-Lucent. “Spending on radio access network infrastructure equipment is expected to grow just 3.4% in 2008 to $53.9 billion by the end of the year,” says ABI Research Asia-Pacific vice president Jake Saunders.

“But while a number of mobile operators such as Vodafone and Orange have reported reductions in end-user mobile services spending, the need to upgrade key elements of the network is starting to build and is expected to become even more pressing in 2009.”

ABI Research forecasts the number of base stations to grow from 3.6 million in 2007 to 5.2 million in 2013. In developed markets, mobile operators are looking to cut their underlying operating costs and secure competitive edge through the deployment of 3.5G technologies such as HSDPA and CDMA2000 Rev A. Furthermore the introduction of Mobile Internet Devices such as RIM’s Bold, Nokia’s E71, Samsung’s Omnia, and Apple’s iPhone is boosting web-based traffic and email access. Mid-tier devices are also contributing to congestion as they stimulate the adoption of messaging bundles, games and music downloads. “Music, games and messaging are boosting the amount of network traffic,” notes senior analyst Nadine Manjaro. “Hence the need for network upgrades.”

Carriers are looking further afield too. While such 3.5G technologies are helping carriers to roll out new applications and services, they are well aware that 4G technologies such as LTE and WiMAX will be needed to deliver any fundamental shift in the underlying cost of delivering Mbps.

In its latest survey of the radio access network marketplace, ABI Research pinpoints clear shifts towards LTE among the CDMA carrier community, complementing commitments from the W-CDMA carrier community. However spending on GSM-related infrastructure still remains strong. Carriers are investing in 3G and positioning for 4G but “good ol’ GSM” is not going away any time soon.

Resource - 4g.co.uk