Samsung to launch WiMAX device as networks gain mass
Published: 31 March, 2009
Most of the device buzz at CTIA Wireless will be around 3G, but Samsung is also moving to fill the void left by the Nokia Internet Tablet in the WiMAX market, as top WiMAX operators start to gain critical mass and look for a wider range of user products.
The Korean giant let slip some information on an upcoming WiMAX tablet/smartphone, which unlike some large handhelds it has created for Korea Telecom's WiBro network, will apparently be targeted mainly at the US and Clearwire. According to Information Week, the SWD-M100 Mondi looks rather like the discontinued Nokia N810 WiMAX tablet, and has a 4.3-inch touchscreen and pull-out Qwerty keyboard. Other features include a 3-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, microSD slot, TV-out and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, making it a highly spec'd device to rival high end 3G smartphones.
Such products will become important to attract new users and applications, as the early WiMAX networks in developed economies start to expand from their natural launchpad of mobile data models based around notebooks.
Handset makers require customers with a certain mass of customers (and in Samsung's case, of course, it provides a large amount of infrastructure too, which shifts the economics). The WiMAX sector is starting to see the expected emergence of a top tier of operators that have the funds, spectrum and business model to gain critical mass and adopt a full mobile broadband service.
According to new figures from research firm Maravedis, these big players now number over 20 operators. The top 22 WiMAX carriers worldwide will account for nearly 2.5m subscribers by the end of 2009 - up from 1.24m today - and close to 4m by the end of 2010. The research found that 46% of the operators interviewed had 50MHz or more of spectrum and 45% had over $100m in cash, both essentials for surviving the recession and expanding to cover a wide range of markets. As well as obvious candidates like Clearwire, Maravedis also picks out some currently small providers that are likely to expand rapidly, and have the requisite spectrum and cash reserves - including Scartel/Yota in Russia, UQ in Japan, Far EasTone in Taiwan, BSNL in India and Telmex International across Latin America.
Senior analyst Cintia Garza said: "Networks have been dominated so far by standalone CPEs as well PC peripherals such as USB dongles and PC cards. Embedded multimode devices are only emerging in the last few months thanks to operators such as Scartel."
However, 47% of WiMAX networks still account collectively for less than 10,000 subscribers although 75% have covered more than 10m pops. ARPU averages $35 for residential services and $93 for business; 52% plan to deploy femtocells within the next two years; and one-third use only wireless backhaul.
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