WiMAX Sees 75% Boost in Subscribers in 2009

WiMAX is the 4G technology that already offers services to customers around the world, and it seems that more and more people chose the technology when it comes to receiving wireless services from carriers. According to a recent report from Infonetics Research, the base of WiMAX subscribers went up by 75 percent in 2009, reaching a number of 6.8 million users worldwide, which shows that the technology is here to stay, even if LTE is expected to become the main choice of carriers.

According to the Infonetics Research report, the global revenues from 802.16d and 802.16e WiMAX network equipment and devices reached US$1.08 billion in 2009, marking a decrease of 19 percent when compared to 2008, yet the recession is seen as the main cause for this state of facts. The revenues in WiMAX equipment and device area went up in the fourth quarter by 3 percent when compared to the previous three months, marking the third consecutive quarterly increase.

“The WiMAX market is coming out of the recession period strongly, posting three consecutive quarters of revenue growth for 802.16e equipment and devices. With Clearwire in the US announcing strong quarterly results, Yota in Russia expanding rapidly, and others such as UQ in Japan being aggressive, the WiMAX business model seems to be working. Though we are still in the early days, WiMAX is proving to be a good fit in a range of broadband segments in developed as well as developing markets,” stated Richard Webb, directing analyst for WiMAX at Infonetics Research.

Even if on an upwards direction, quarterly revenue levels still remained lower than the revenues registered before the recession, which topped over US$300 million in early 2008, the report shows. Yet, the WiMAX market is expected to grow steadily in 2010 and after, as major carriers are rolling-out new networks in the USA, Japan, Russia, and India. Not to mention that the first 802.16m WiMAX products are set to become commercially available in 2011-2012.

The report from Infonetics Research also shows that Motorola was placed at the top of the combined WiMAX equipment and device market in 2009, as it accounted for about 17 percent of the total revenues, out pacing Alvarion. At the same time, the research firm notes that Huawei Technologies has registered the biggest growth in WiMAX equipment and device market share during last year.