WiMAX to outpace LTE over next few years

Due to its head start on commercial deployment, mobile WiMAX will outpace LTE over the next few years. So says In-Stat, a market research firm, from findings in its latest report, ‘The Road to 4G: LTE and WiMAX Lead the Way’.

“Most of the operators looking to deploy WiMAX come to it from the fixed network space. These operators are looking to use WiMAX as an enhanced DSL service. Enhanced DSL will combine both the fixed broadband service with some form of nomadic coverage,” says Daryl Schoolar, an In-Stat analyst.

“Most of the early operators supporting LTE come from the mobile space,’ he continues. “These operators want to use LTE to increase capacity and peak rates on their existing mobile networks.”

The research by In-Stat found that HSPA may turn out to be 802.16e WiMAX’s true competitor, with HSPA Evolved allowing WCDMA operators to delay deploying LTE. While Verizon is at the forefront with LTE, most operators will not deploy until 2011 or 2012.

In-Stat expects LTE will have 23.1 million subscriptions in 2013, growing from about 176,000 in 2010. Nearly 82 million mobile PCs with WiMAX will ship in 2013, says In-Stat.