Going WiMAX

The Kansas City Business Journal recently wrote a small but noteworthy article concerning WiMAX-deployment in the Kansas-city area. Kansas-based company CTC (Computers & TeleComm, Inc.) has recently received license for a block of bandwidth from the FCC and plans to use it to deploy WiMAX “well before Sprint’s XOHM project comes to town.”

Why do we care about WiMAX in Kansas City? For one thing, the fact that a much smaller company is taking up the project of offering WiMAX in their area reveals that there is in fact market interest in–and arguably a need for–the technology, not just for large cities like New York or San Francisco but perhaps especially in more rural areas like some parts of Kansas. There is also a lesson in this for Sprint as well: timing. The rather large task of deploying WiMAX nationwide is something that larger companies like Sprint have within their power to accomplish. However, this plan needs to be executed in a timely fashion in order to essentially grab the market while there is still significant demand (or even before competing technologies gain an advantage). Anecdotes like these show that the time is now. As a result there will hopefully be more rapid progress on the WiMAX/Xohm front in the coming months.

CORRECTION (2/6/08): CTC will be deploying primarily in the Kansas City area, not encompassing “rural areas.”

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, Sprint, Xohm, CTC, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications

According to Juniper Research, half of all mobile WiMAX subscribers will be located in Asia by the year 2013. This half will account for roughly 40 million subscribers concentrated mostly in Korea, Pakistan, Taiwan and Australia. The reason? It is believed that WiMAX’s growth will initially be spurred by areas where wired access was not a viable option. WiMAX’s ability to deploy quickly and efficiently in areas that were previously underserved will make it an attractive option for such countries and locales.

Top markets for 2013, according to the research, include the United States, Japan and South Korea. The caveats? Spectrum and devices. In order to reach a potential 80 million subscribers licenses must be acquired in a timely fashion. Furthermore, in order to utilize the WiMAX network, WiMAX-enabled devices will be an obvious necessity. Future projections on the success of WiMAX are hinged on these two elements. Therefore, as more spectrum is allocated and more devices are developed the likelihood of these future projections will continue to increase.

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, mobile WiMAX, Asia, WiMAX-enabled devices, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications

With last week’s announcement of 4,000 job cuts, reductions in its retail footprint and the loss of three top executives, many wonder what all these changes with Sprint will mean for Xohm. To provide more background on the latest news, key executives Paul Saleh (chief financial officer), Tim Kelly (chief marketing officer), and Mark Angelino (president of sales and distribution) are all leaving Sprint in the wake up plummeting profits and subscriber losses for the company. These realities have defied Sprint’s hopeful financial estimates and lead to some criticism–criticism that has been somewhat on the rise since the company’s acquisition of Nextel a few years ago.

Though Xohm has not been specifically mentioned in conjunction with some of the changes that have been happening with Sprint, one can’t help but wonder if it will be affected. While there were hopes that Sprint would open the new year with a big bang on its promise to roll-out nationwide, buzz on their initial three-city soft launch has been on the low end. This has resulted in some doubts, as John Oram of Geek.com expressed, “Often Sprint makes good technology decisions, however their implementations are sorely lacking; e.g., Sprint’s promised WiMAX ’savior solution’ that is going to be, at best, a tough row to hoe.” At the same time, however, there are no indications that Xohm will be coming to a halt being that Sprint has positioned the division alongside several services and agencies that will help make it happen.

Though these key movements among Sprint’s executives and other changes may suggest instability or reason for doubt, developments with Xohm still seem to be in order for 2008. Any announcements from the company suggesting otherwise remain to be seen.

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, Xohm, Nextel, Sprint, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications

WiMAX Day thinks so. Many have cited 2008 as the year for WiMAX. In fact, WiMAX topped several lists as a promising technology for the new year. The buzz about WiMAX may very well inspire more interest and more investments in the technology. WiMAX Day compares WiMAX to where GSM was ten years ago and estimates $30 billion in investments based on deployment of new networks, mergers and acquisitions, acquiring more spectrum, and other facets. According to the article:

“With all the spectrum up for grabs, we think 20 to 30 new WiMAX networks can pop up in the next year,” said an analyst at Deutsche Bank in New York. “There’s no average size for investment, but some of these can enter the hundreds of millions [of dollars] to billions, gauging from recent RFPs issued to vendors.”

These figures do not include what Sprint is putting into WiMAX this year, or the KDDI-Intel venture in Japan. As more capital enters the WiMAX industry, some of the projected growth for this year may very well start to take shape. More details on the specific numbers for 2008 will be released by WiMAX Day later this year.

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, WiMAX investment, 2008, Sprint, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications

TMCnet reports on DiBcom, TeamCast and UDcast; three companies that are devoted to Mobile TV and the DVB-SH standard. All these companies are collaborating in the Moble TV Without Limits Project and are combining their equipment and support to give an added push to Mobile TV both in Europe and eventually in the United States. For those that are less aware, Mobile TV is television service delivered to subscribers via mobile telecommunications networks, such as mobile phone carriers.

Interestingly enough, UDcast is also a proponent of WiMAX technologies, in addition to its work on Mobile TV. As standards related to Mobile TV continue to develop and testing extends to the United States, it will be interesting to see if WiMAX and the advantages it has to offer could eventually merge with this emerging technology.

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, Mobile TV, DVB-SH, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications

In addition to the Montevina platform for notebooks, Intel may also be delivering WiMAX to ultraportables and mobile internet devices through its Menlow platform. InfoWorld reports that Intel is developing WiMAX chips specifically for mobile devices as an optional addition to the platform:

Intel is already developing a WiMax silicon chip codenamed Baxter Peak for mobile devices. Last year, Nokia said it would use Baxter Peak on its WiMax-enabled N-series Internet tablets, expected to ship in 2008... “[The chip] will be an option similar to how Echo Peak is an option for Centrino notebooks based on the Montevina mobile platform,” [according to Kari Aakre, an Intel spokeswoman]

With hopes of WiMAX taking off in 2009, Intel’s move toward including WiMAX chips in both notebooks and mobile devices is an excellent step toward boosting WiMAX adoption rates. Having a big name like Intel behind WiMAX and actively integrating supportive hardware will make providers that much more inclined to invest in WiMAX and customers that much more likely to subscribe to WiMAX services. Intel’s tactic also encourages a form of brand recognition in the sense that it gets the name “WiMAX” out to the public–thus building awareness about the technology and its capabilities.

Intel’s “Baxter Peak” and other WiMAX-enabled devices are scheduled for shipment early this year.

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, Intel, Nokia, Montevina, Menlow platform, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications

With the new year, investors and all breeds of business people are re-evaluating–and maybe even crossing their fingers–for the industries they’ve put their money on. Many are wondering if this will be the big year for WiMAX in particular. Fortune seems to think so. In an article entitled “The Top 10 Wireless Trends for 2008,” WiMAX came in at number five with some buzz about Xohm and Nokia’s WiMAX-enabled Internet tablet.   

Also noteworthy is the fact that nearly all the other listed trends either go hand-in-hand with WiMAX or would benefit from the deployment of a nationwide network. For instance, camera phones with much more advanced functions are listed as one hot trend. With WiMAX, sending and receiving cell phone pictures would be so much faster and easier than it is on traditional cellular networks. Furthermore, WiMAX aficionados even speak of traditional digital cameras becoming WiMAX-enabled, with the ability to quickly and easily upload pictures to blogs, e-mails or other devices without ever touching a USB cord or PC. If camera phones have hit big, how much more so would a WiMAX-enabled camera be likely to hit the trend list? 

For 2008, investors and others with a hand in WiMAX will be happy to see that secular sources are keeping an eye on WiMAX. The public’s technological needs and desires can be matched by what WiMAX has to offer–the key is getting it out there for the taking. 

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, 2008, Tech trends, WiMAX investments, wireless, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications

With news that Sprint is soft launching “in the next few days” in the Baltimore/DC area, one can’t help but think of the company’s recent fallout with Clearwire. Since then, few details have been released concerning what route the company will take. One option that is being considered, however, is the idea of spinning off Xohm/WiMAX as another company. This tactic would apparently be used to attract investors, being that Sprint’s financial performance as of late has not been optimal.  

However, an interesting point is raised by Tim Gray in his TMCnet article: if Sprint indeed spins off Xohm, that would leave the company devoid of a 4G technology. This may very well put Sprint at a developmental disadvantage, particularly since other companies like Verizon and AT&T are adopting LTE as their choice for a 4G technology. By relinquishing Xohm and all that it represents, Sprint could loose its long-term reach on the wireless industry. What remains to be seen is what other options Sprint is looking at for resolving the issue of funding for Xohm–hopefully options that will not jeopardize the company’s prospective relationship with 4G technologies.   

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, 4G, Sprint, Xohm, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications

A couple of days ago Verizon announced that it will now allow virtually any device to gain access to its network. The decision heralds a new and long-awaited era of customer choice; a decision that will only increase demand for new innovations and encourage customers to seek out their ideal device rather than compromise by choosing from only the devices that a particular carrier holds.  BetaNews reports that in 2008 Verizon will be implementing minimal technical requirements for devices that can be carried over to its network. These requirements are as simple as whether or not a device can connect via CDMA or PCS networks. The same article provides an interesting quote from Verizon’s Chief Marketing Officer, John Stratton:  

“[The devices that can connect to Verizon's network are] subject to the imagination of the marketplace. As we think about the unconventional model here, going beyond the traditional feature-phone product, you can certainly see a time where devices that are today sort of stand-alone become networked devices. So things like gaming devices, imaging devices, digital still cameras - all manner of different products.”  

Verizon’s move toward open access may very well set a precedent for other large carriers. If this indeed happens, one of the most interesting prospects is what sorts of innovations “open access” may inspire. This is meaningful for WiMAX as well given the fact that increased innovations in the wireless world go hand in hand with the increased need for faster connections and increased coverage. With fewer limitations imposed by carriers, customer demand and innovation can truly take off and further incite the implementation of 4G technologies.  

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, Verizon, Open Access, 4G, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications

ABI Research has provided an interesting analyses of the potential effects the auction of 700 MHz spectrum could have on the United States’ mobile communications market. To recap: the auction for the 700 MHz band is slated for January 2008, with Europe and Korea following suit in 2010 and 2012, respectively. The spectrum has been freed up as a result of the move toward digital television, and is suitable for mobile television as well as for technologies like WiMAX.

Who are the contenders in the race for 700MHz spectrum? Apple, Google and Yahoo! have all been mentioned and speculated on. However, the possibility of Google’s hand in the spectrum seems to be the most compelling to analysts. According to the article,

[Google has] already stated their willingness to invest $5 billion in the “C” block of spectrum, perhaps in partnership with a network operator, in order to facilitate a more competitive wireless market.

Speculation on Google’s role in the 700 MHz auction is also noteworthy along the backdrop of Android (their new platform for mobile devices), their involvement in the Open Handset Alliance and their recent involvements with Sprint. It will be interesting to see if a combination of all these factors will translate into new developments for WiMAX in the United States.

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, Google, Android, Open Handset Alliance, 700MHz auction, Ari Zoldan

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications