14 DAY TRIAL // The total number of WiMAX subscribers is expected to reach 2 million users during 2009, ABI Research says. According to the firm, the growth in WiMAX subscribers base will be determined by larger-scale network deployments all around the world. Moreover, it seems that the vast majority of subscribers will only come from a small number of carriers around the world, including Clearwire in the US, Yota in Russia and PacketOne in Malaysia.
The said operators already signaled a significant growth in their number of WiMAX subscribers, it seems. Clearwire says it already has 173,000 subscribers, Yota accounted for a number of 200,000 in October (up from 100,000 subscribers in August), while PacketOne announced 130,000 subscribers. Another carrier, UQ Communications, was initially expected to reach 300,000 subscribers in 2009, but the target has fallen short due to deployment delays.
“Mobile WiMAX service providers around the world find themselves in very different situations,” comments ABI Research practice director Philip Solis. “Some are mainly focused on fixed services for homes and businesses, while others are jumping feet first into mobile WiMAX, offering a variety of external modems, laptops, netbooks and even handsets tied into HD multimedia services, as with Yota in Russia. Some have little fixed or mobile broadband competition, while others are competing directly against fixed and mobile broadband services.”
On the other hand, the rise of WIMAX networks is expected to see a major competitor in LTE, a technology that will soon start to be deployed by carriers like Verizon Wireless and NTT DoCoMo, with an aim at the same market segment. On the other hand, while LTE is expected to grow far beyon WiMAX' reach, carriers are also expected to start upgrading their networks from 802.16e to 802.16m, something that should happen simultaneously with the picking up of LTE in 2011 and 2012.
“Some, such as Japan's UQ Communications, are behind their buildout schedules and subscriber expectations, while others such are Clearwire are increasing the pace of their deployments because of more-than-adequate funding. Still others such as Yota in Russia are exceeding all expectations. Some are remaining local, while others, such as Clearwire and Yota, are building networks in more than one country,” Philip Solis also stated. More details can be found on ABI Research's website.