AT&T proposed to buy T-Mobile USA for $39 billion

NEW YORK: AT&T Inc will buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom AG in a cash-and-stock deal valued at US$39bil that would make it the largest cellphone company in the United States.

The deal would reduce the number of wireless carriers with national coverage from four to three, and is sure to face close regulatory scrutiny.

It also removes a potential partner for Sprint Nextel Corp, the struggling No 3 carrier, which had been in talks to combine with T-Mobile USA, according to Wall Street Journal reports.
AT&T is now the country's second-largest wireless carrier and T-Mobile USA is the fourth largest.

The acquisition would give AT&T 129 million subscribers, vaulting it past Verizon Wireless' 102 million. The combined company would serve about 43% of US cellphones.


For T-Mobile USA's 33.7 million subscribers, the news doesn't immediately change anything. Because of the long regulatory process, AT&T expects the acquisition to take a year to close.
But when and if it closes, T-Mobile USA customers would get access to AT&T's phone line-up, including the iPhone.

The effect of reduced competition in the cellphone industry is harder to fathom. Public interest group Public Knowledge said that eliminating one of the four national phone carriers would be "unthinkable."

"We know the results of arrangements like this - higher prices, fewer choices, less innovation," said Public Knowledge president Gigi Sohn, in a statement.

Stifel Nicolaus analyst Rebecca Arbogast said the deal will face a tough review by the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department.

She expects them to look market-by-market at whether the deal will harm competition. Even if regulators approve the acquisition, she added, they are likely to require AT&T to sell off parts of its business or T-Mobile's business.

To mollify regulators, AT&T has said that it would spend an additional US$8bil to expand ultrafast wireless broadband into rural areas.

Instead of covering about 80% of the US population with its so-called Long Term Evolution, or LTE network, AT&T's new goal would be 95% , it said.

The offer would help the FCC and the Obama administration meet their stated goals of bringing high-speed Internet access to all Americans.

They see wireless networks as critical to meeting that goal - particularly in rural areas where it does not make economic sense to build landline networks. - AP

AT&T proposed to buy T-Mobile USA for $39 billion

NEW YORK: AT&T Inc will buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom AG in a cash-and-stock deal valued at US$39bil that would make it the largest cellphone company in the United States.

The deal would reduce the number of wireless carriers with national coverage from four to three, and is sure to face close regulatory scrutiny.

It also removes a potential partner for Sprint Nextel Corp, the struggling No 3 carrier, which had been in talks to combine with T-Mobile USA, according to Wall Street Journal reports.
AT&T is now the country's second-largest wireless carrier and T-Mobile USA is the fourth largest.

The acquisition would give AT&T 129 million subscribers, vaulting it past Verizon Wireless' 102 million. The combined company would serve about 43% of US cellphones.


For T-Mobile USA's 33.7 million subscribers, the news doesn't immediately change anything. Because of the long regulatory process, AT&T expects the acquisition to take a year to close.
But when and if it closes, T-Mobile USA customers would get access to AT&T's phone line-up, including the iPhone.

The effect of reduced competition in the cellphone industry is harder to fathom. Public interest group Public Knowledge said that eliminating one of the four national phone carriers would be "unthinkable."

"We know the results of arrangements like this - higher prices, fewer choices, less innovation," said Public Knowledge president Gigi Sohn, in a statement.

Stifel Nicolaus analyst Rebecca Arbogast said the deal will face a tough review by the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department.

She expects them to look market-by-market at whether the deal will harm competition. Even if regulators approve the acquisition, she added, they are likely to require AT&T to sell off parts of its business or T-Mobile's business.

To mollify regulators, AT&T has said that it would spend an additional US$8bil to expand ultrafast wireless broadband into rural areas.

Instead of covering about 80% of the US population with its so-called Long Term Evolution, or LTE network, AT&T's new goal would be 95% , it said.

The offer would help the FCC and the Obama administration meet their stated goals of bringing high-speed Internet access to all Americans.

They see wireless networks as critical to meeting that goal - particularly in rural areas where it does not make economic sense to build landline networks. - AP

AT&T proposed to buy T-Mobile USA for $39 billion

NEW YORK: AT&T Inc will buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom AG in a cash-and-stock deal valued at US$39bil that would make it the largest cellphone company in the United States.

The deal would reduce the number of wireless carriers with national coverage from four to three, and is sure to face close regulatory scrutiny.

It also removes a potential partner for Sprint Nextel Corp, the struggling No 3 carrier, which had been in talks to combine with T-Mobile USA, according to Wall Street Journal reports.
AT&T is now the country's second-largest wireless carrier and T-Mobile USA is the fourth largest.

The acquisition would give AT&T 129 million subscribers, vaulting it past Verizon Wireless' 102 million. The combined company would serve about 43% of US cellphones.


For T-Mobile USA's 33.7 million subscribers, the news doesn't immediately change anything. Because of the long regulatory process, AT&T expects the acquisition to take a year to close.
But when and if it closes, T-Mobile USA customers would get access to AT&T's phone line-up, including the iPhone.

The effect of reduced competition in the cellphone industry is harder to fathom. Public interest group Public Knowledge said that eliminating one of the four national phone carriers would be "unthinkable."

"We know the results of arrangements like this - higher prices, fewer choices, less innovation," said Public Knowledge president Gigi Sohn, in a statement.

Stifel Nicolaus analyst Rebecca Arbogast said the deal will face a tough review by the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department.

She expects them to look market-by-market at whether the deal will harm competition. Even if regulators approve the acquisition, she added, they are likely to require AT&T to sell off parts of its business or T-Mobile's business.

To mollify regulators, AT&T has said that it would spend an additional US$8bil to expand ultrafast wireless broadband into rural areas.

Instead of covering about 80% of the US population with its so-called Long Term Evolution, or LTE network, AT&T's new goal would be 95% , it said.

The offer would help the FCC and the Obama administration meet their stated goals of bringing high-speed Internet access to all Americans.

They see wireless networks as critical to meeting that goal - particularly in rural areas where it does not make economic sense to build landline networks. - AP

Final Ratification for LTE-Advanced

4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today applauded the final ratification of LTE-Advanced as an offical 4G standard by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.

In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.

Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.

“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”

Read more »

Final Ratification for LTE-Advanced

4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today applauded the final ratification of LTE-Advanced as an offical 4G standard by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.

In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.

Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.

“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”

Read more »

Final Ratification for LTE-Advanced

4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today applauded the final ratification of LTE-Advanced as an offical 4G standard by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.

In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.

Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.

“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”

Read more »

Alcatel Lucent forecasts more opportunity after deals in U.S. and China

BERLIN — Alcatel Lucent, which has struggled in the wake of its 2006 merger, said last Thursday that it had reached a “turning point” after clinching $5.7 billion in deals to build high-speed wireless networks and supply other gear for the biggest mobile operators in the United States and China.

The company, based in Paris, announced the contracts at the same time it reported its first profitable quarter of the year, posting €25 million, or $35.3 million, in earnings compared to a €182 million loss in the third quarter a year earlier. Sales rose 10.5 percent to €4.1 billion. The results missed forecasts of analysts surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg News and shares were down more than 3 percent in Paris at midday, however.



Ben Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, described the agreements with Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile operator, and the three biggest mobile carriers in China as “massive” for the company, which had struggled to reorganize and streamline in a weak global market following the merger of the French company Alcatel with Lucent Technologies, which was formerly part of AT&T, the U.S. phone giant.

Although the quarterly profit was attributed primarily to tax benefits associated with ongoing adjustments from the merger, Mr. Verwaayen said he did not think it would be “a one-time event.” Mr. Verwaayen mentioned that he think this is a significant turning point in the transformation of the company. They are experiencing good demand for their products.

Without one-time items, the company reported an operating loss of €11 million for the quarter, compared with a €76 million loss a year earlier. But Jouni Forsman, an analyst at Gartner in Nice, France, said that Alcatel Lucent had repositioned itself to become more competitive in the fastest-growing segments of the wireless equipment industry, where demand for network software upgrades, services and applications is strong among mobile operators.

According to Mr. Forsman, the company is executing on the turnaround story. They are in a much better position than they were a couple of years ago. They are controlling costs and executing in a difficult market.

The agreement with Verizon Wireless will generate $4 billion in sales over four years, Alcatel Lucent said. Under the pact, Alcatel Lucent will upgrade the operator’s third-generation wireless network and build a faster network based on a technology called Long Term Evolution. LTE networks, which can download wireless data at speeds much more rapidly than existing systems, are helping operators meet the surge in data traffic from streaming video and social networking services.

Alcatel Lucent said it planned on Friday to sign agreements worth a total €1.18 billion with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom during a visit to France by the Chinese president, Hu Jintao.
Mr. Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, said “a large chunk” of the sales to the Chinese carriers was new business, with the rest being a reaffirmation of existing sales arrangements. The Verizon sales, Mr. Verwaayen said, was all new business for his company.

Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone, the British global mobile operator, is upgrading its 3G networks to LTE through 2013 as it sells more data-intensive smartphones and other devices. Some analysts expect Verizon later this year to announce that it will become the second U.S. operator to sell the iPhone, which has only been sold by AT&T.

Alcatel Lucent forecasts more opportunity after deals in U.S. and China

BERLIN — Alcatel Lucent, which has struggled in the wake of its 2006 merger, said last Thursday that it had reached a “turning point” after clinching $5.7 billion in deals to build high-speed wireless networks and supply other gear for the biggest mobile operators in the United States and China.

The company, based in Paris, announced the contracts at the same time it reported its first profitable quarter of the year, posting €25 million, or $35.3 million, in earnings compared to a €182 million loss in the third quarter a year earlier. Sales rose 10.5 percent to €4.1 billion. The results missed forecasts of analysts surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg News and shares were down more than 3 percent in Paris at midday, however.



Ben Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, described the agreements with Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile operator, and the three biggest mobile carriers in China as “massive” for the company, which had struggled to reorganize and streamline in a weak global market following the merger of the French company Alcatel with Lucent Technologies, which was formerly part of AT&T, the U.S. phone giant.

Although the quarterly profit was attributed primarily to tax benefits associated with ongoing adjustments from the merger, Mr. Verwaayen said he did not think it would be “a one-time event.” Mr. Verwaayen mentioned that he think this is a significant turning point in the transformation of the company. They are experiencing good demand for their products.

Without one-time items, the company reported an operating loss of €11 million for the quarter, compared with a €76 million loss a year earlier. But Jouni Forsman, an analyst at Gartner in Nice, France, said that Alcatel Lucent had repositioned itself to become more competitive in the fastest-growing segments of the wireless equipment industry, where demand for network software upgrades, services and applications is strong among mobile operators.

According to Mr. Forsman, the company is executing on the turnaround story. They are in a much better position than they were a couple of years ago. They are controlling costs and executing in a difficult market.

The agreement with Verizon Wireless will generate $4 billion in sales over four years, Alcatel Lucent said. Under the pact, Alcatel Lucent will upgrade the operator’s third-generation wireless network and build a faster network based on a technology called Long Term Evolution. LTE networks, which can download wireless data at speeds much more rapidly than existing systems, are helping operators meet the surge in data traffic from streaming video and social networking services.

Alcatel Lucent said it planned on Friday to sign agreements worth a total €1.18 billion with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom during a visit to France by the Chinese president, Hu Jintao.
Mr. Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, said “a large chunk” of the sales to the Chinese carriers was new business, with the rest being a reaffirmation of existing sales arrangements. The Verizon sales, Mr. Verwaayen said, was all new business for his company.

Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone, the British global mobile operator, is upgrading its 3G networks to LTE through 2013 as it sells more data-intensive smartphones and other devices. Some analysts expect Verizon later this year to announce that it will become the second U.S. operator to sell the iPhone, which has only been sold by AT&T.

Alcatel Lucent forecasts more opportunity after deals in U.S. and China

BERLIN — Alcatel Lucent, which has struggled in the wake of its 2006 merger, said last Thursday that it had reached a “turning point” after clinching $5.7 billion in deals to build high-speed wireless networks and supply other gear for the biggest mobile operators in the United States and China.

The company, based in Paris, announced the contracts at the same time it reported its first profitable quarter of the year, posting €25 million, or $35.3 million, in earnings compared to a €182 million loss in the third quarter a year earlier. Sales rose 10.5 percent to €4.1 billion. The results missed forecasts of analysts surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg News and shares were down more than 3 percent in Paris at midday, however.



Ben Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, described the agreements with Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile operator, and the three biggest mobile carriers in China as “massive” for the company, which had struggled to reorganize and streamline in a weak global market following the merger of the French company Alcatel with Lucent Technologies, which was formerly part of AT&T, the U.S. phone giant.

Although the quarterly profit was attributed primarily to tax benefits associated with ongoing adjustments from the merger, Mr. Verwaayen said he did not think it would be “a one-time event.” Mr. Verwaayen mentioned that he think this is a significant turning point in the transformation of the company. They are experiencing good demand for their products.

Without one-time items, the company reported an operating loss of €11 million for the quarter, compared with a €76 million loss a year earlier. But Jouni Forsman, an analyst at Gartner in Nice, France, said that Alcatel Lucent had repositioned itself to become more competitive in the fastest-growing segments of the wireless equipment industry, where demand for network software upgrades, services and applications is strong among mobile operators.

According to Mr. Forsman, the company is executing on the turnaround story. They are in a much better position than they were a couple of years ago. They are controlling costs and executing in a difficult market.

The agreement with Verizon Wireless will generate $4 billion in sales over four years, Alcatel Lucent said. Under the pact, Alcatel Lucent will upgrade the operator’s third-generation wireless network and build a faster network based on a technology called Long Term Evolution. LTE networks, which can download wireless data at speeds much more rapidly than existing systems, are helping operators meet the surge in data traffic from streaming video and social networking services.

Alcatel Lucent said it planned on Friday to sign agreements worth a total €1.18 billion with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom during a visit to France by the Chinese president, Hu Jintao.
Mr. Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, said “a large chunk” of the sales to the Chinese carriers was new business, with the rest being a reaffirmation of existing sales arrangements. The Verizon sales, Mr. Verwaayen said, was all new business for his company.

Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone, the British global mobile operator, is upgrading its 3G networks to LTE through 2013 as it sells more data-intensive smartphones and other devices. Some analysts expect Verizon later this year to announce that it will become the second U.S. operator to sell the iPhone, which has only been sold by AT&T.

Purdue University Deploying 4G Network as Part of Wireless Rollout

Purdue University will be one of the early recipients of Verizon Wireless' rollout of a 4G network starting this year. This fourth generation data network, which is using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology, is expected to provide four to 10 times the transmission speeds currently available in 3G networks.

The institution was chosen to participate in the deployment based on its track record with using mobile technology to enhance learning, according to Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. Recent technologies developed at Purdue include Mixable, an academic integration with Facebook; a student discussion tool, HotSeat, which allows students to interact with classmates and faculty with Twitter and text messages; and eStadium, to deliver athletic game services to spectators.


The university also contracted with Verizon Business to implement a campuswide 802.11n wireless network, which will encompass 6,000 access points in 256 buildings. That project is expected to be completed in the 2010-2011 academic year.

Verizon said the broader rollout of 4G will include 38 metropolitan areas and 60 commercial airports, including Indianapolis International Airport, located within 90 minutes of the West Lafayette-based university. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States.

According to Mr. McAdam, the partnership with Purdue will explore the next phase of how 4G technology can improve education across our nation. Verizon Wireless said it expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps on the downlink and 2 Mbps to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments.

"At Purdue, the advancement of mobile technology is critically important--both to students and faculty. The addition of Verizon's 4G network will contribute in a noticeable way to their success," said Gerry McCartney, Purdue's CIO and vice president for IT.

Purdue University Deploying 4G Network as Part of Wireless Rollout

Purdue University will be one of the early recipients of Verizon Wireless' rollout of a 4G network starting this year. This fourth generation data network, which is using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology, is expected to provide four to 10 times the transmission speeds currently available in 3G networks.

The institution was chosen to participate in the deployment based on its track record with using mobile technology to enhance learning, according to Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. Recent technologies developed at Purdue include Mixable, an academic integration with Facebook; a student discussion tool, HotSeat, which allows students to interact with classmates and faculty with Twitter and text messages; and eStadium, to deliver athletic game services to spectators.


The university also contracted with Verizon Business to implement a campuswide 802.11n wireless network, which will encompass 6,000 access points in 256 buildings. That project is expected to be completed in the 2010-2011 academic year.

Verizon said the broader rollout of 4G will include 38 metropolitan areas and 60 commercial airports, including Indianapolis International Airport, located within 90 minutes of the West Lafayette-based university. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States.

According to Mr. McAdam, the partnership with Purdue will explore the next phase of how 4G technology can improve education across our nation. Verizon Wireless said it expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps on the downlink and 2 Mbps to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments.

"At Purdue, the advancement of mobile technology is critically important--both to students and faculty. The addition of Verizon's 4G network will contribute in a noticeable way to their success," said Gerry McCartney, Purdue's CIO and vice president for IT.

Purdue University Deploying 4G Network as Part of Wireless Rollout

Purdue University will be one of the early recipients of Verizon Wireless' rollout of a 4G network starting this year. This fourth generation data network, which is using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology, is expected to provide four to 10 times the transmission speeds currently available in 3G networks.

The institution was chosen to participate in the deployment based on its track record with using mobile technology to enhance learning, according to Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. Recent technologies developed at Purdue include Mixable, an academic integration with Facebook; a student discussion tool, HotSeat, which allows students to interact with classmates and faculty with Twitter and text messages; and eStadium, to deliver athletic game services to spectators.


The university also contracted with Verizon Business to implement a campuswide 802.11n wireless network, which will encompass 6,000 access points in 256 buildings. That project is expected to be completed in the 2010-2011 academic year.

Verizon said the broader rollout of 4G will include 38 metropolitan areas and 60 commercial airports, including Indianapolis International Airport, located within 90 minutes of the West Lafayette-based university. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States.

According to Mr. McAdam, the partnership with Purdue will explore the next phase of how 4G technology can improve education across our nation. Verizon Wireless said it expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps on the downlink and 2 Mbps to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments.

"At Purdue, the advancement of mobile technology is critically important--both to students and faculty. The addition of Verizon's 4G network will contribute in a noticeable way to their success," said Gerry McCartney, Purdue's CIO and vice president for IT.

LTE-Advanced & IEEE 802.16m WiMAX both officially selected as 4G standard by ITU

The Korea Communications Commission said Wednesday that two key mobile communication technologies -- Long Term Evolution-Advanced and WiBro Evolution -- were recently chosen as fourth generation (4G) global standards.

In a meeting in Vietnam held June 9-16, the International Telecommunication Union passed the global standardization tests for the two technologies, which are intended to be used as 4G mobile communication systems.

ITU is an international organization which specializes in deciding standards on radio and telecommunications.

The organization will complete developing the specific standardization framework for the new technologies by March 2011 and grant final approval in February 2012, according to KCC officials.

“With Korea playing a key role in the international standardization effort, the nation will be able to lead the way in designing core technologies for the next generation,” said Kim Jeong-sam, director of the radio spectrum policy division at the KCC.

The two new technologies, which are already adopted by many European and Asian countries, will enable mobile phone users to get faster access to the mobile Internet at comparable speeds to Web surfing on a personal computer.

Better known as WiMAX Evolution in other countries, the WiBro Evolution’s research has been led by Samsung Electronics and the state-funded Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute.

WiBro Evolution is deemed to be 10 times faster the high-speed downlink packet access technology adopted by the current 3G mobile phones.

The initiative for technology standardization was taken forward by the Telecommunications Technology Association in Korea, which worked in cooperation with groups based in other nations such as Japan and the U.S.


Source: Korea Herald

LTE-Advanced & IEEE 802.16m WiMAX both officially selected as 4G standard by ITU

The Korea Communications Commission said Wednesday that two key mobile communication technologies -- Long Term Evolution-Advanced and WiBro Evolution -- were recently chosen as fourth generation (4G) global standards.

In a meeting in Vietnam held June 9-16, the International Telecommunication Union passed the global standardization tests for the two technologies, which are intended to be used as 4G mobile communication systems.

ITU is an international organization which specializes in deciding standards on radio and telecommunications.

The organization will complete developing the specific standardization framework for the new technologies by March 2011 and grant final approval in February 2012, according to KCC officials.

“With Korea playing a key role in the international standardization effort, the nation will be able to lead the way in designing core technologies for the next generation,” said Kim Jeong-sam, director of the radio spectrum policy division at the KCC.

The two new technologies, which are already adopted by many European and Asian countries, will enable mobile phone users to get faster access to the mobile Internet at comparable speeds to Web surfing on a personal computer.

Better known as WiMAX Evolution in other countries, the WiBro Evolution’s research has been led by Samsung Electronics and the state-funded Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute.

WiBro Evolution is deemed to be 10 times faster the high-speed downlink packet access technology adopted by the current 3G mobile phones.

The initiative for technology standardization was taken forward by the Telecommunications Technology Association in Korea, which worked in cooperation with groups based in other nations such as Japan and the U.S.


Source: Korea Herald

LTE-Advanced & IEEE 802.16m WiMAX both officially selected as 4G standard by ITU

The Korea Communications Commission said Wednesday that two key mobile communication technologies -- Long Term Evolution-Advanced and WiBro Evolution -- were recently chosen as fourth generation (4G) global standards.

In a meeting in Vietnam held June 9-16, the International Telecommunication Union passed the global standardization tests for the two technologies, which are intended to be used as 4G mobile communication systems.

ITU is an international organization which specializes in deciding standards on radio and telecommunications.

The organization will complete developing the specific standardization framework for the new technologies by March 2011 and grant final approval in February 2012, according to KCC officials.

“With Korea playing a key role in the international standardization effort, the nation will be able to lead the way in designing core technologies for the next generation,” said Kim Jeong-sam, director of the radio spectrum policy division at the KCC.

The two new technologies, which are already adopted by many European and Asian countries, will enable mobile phone users to get faster access to the mobile Internet at comparable speeds to Web surfing on a personal computer.

Better known as WiMAX Evolution in other countries, the WiBro Evolution’s research has been led by Samsung Electronics and the state-funded Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute.

WiBro Evolution is deemed to be 10 times faster the high-speed downlink packet access technology adopted by the current 3G mobile phones.

The initiative for technology standardization was taken forward by the Telecommunications Technology Association in Korea, which worked in cooperation with groups based in other nations such as Japan and the U.S.


Source: Korea Herald

Is WiMAX or LTE the better 4G choice in Malaysia?

WiMAX or LTE (long-term evolution) – which is superior? It, of course, depends on who you talk to. The vendors have their own stories, and the operators theirs. For the consumers, it is not about technology. It is about speed and seamless connectivity, and not having to buy different devices to operate on different platforms.

From the technical viewpoint, both are next-generation technologies for the wireless world. The choice between WiMAX and LTE hinges on the needs of the operator and the market demands, but the fact is, there seemingly is an insatiable appetite for data on the go.

WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) is a fourth-generation (4G) telecommunications technology primarily for fast broadband.

Also a 4G mobile technology, LTE allows a peak download speed of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) on mobile phones, compared with 20Mbps for 3G and 40Mbps for WiMAX.

“For operators, the choice of technology depends on a number of things including available spectrum, legacy inter-working, timing and business focus,” says Nokia Siemens Networks head of sub region, Asia South, Lars Biese.

To deploy either technology, operators will have to commit tens of billions of dollars in network upgrades for the new mobility landscape, which now includes social, video, location-based and entertainment applications and experiences.

In many countries, the current generation of mobile telecoms networks is 3G. Those in Malaysia are deployed by the four mobile players – Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi.Com Bhd, Maxis Communications Bhd and U Mobile Sdn Bhd.

Biese reckons LTE is the next step for mobile networks like GSM, WCDMA/HSPA and CDMA in the move to future networks and services.

The common belief is that the natural migration path is from 2G to GPRS, from GPRS to 3G, and from 3G to LTE. But IDC Asia/Pacific’s telecom research director Bill Rojas has a differing view. To him, LTE is a totally new set-up.

“GSM and GPRS were part of a migration. In Asia, the players may put LTE on top of 3G, but this will not cover the entire population. The concentration will be on urban centres. For full coverage, the operator needs to build more than 30% new cell sites,” Rojas says.

It has been reported that LTE’s main advantage over WiMAX, in addition to speed, is that it is part of the popular GSM technology and can allow backward compatibility with both 2G and 3G networks.

LTE is relatively new compared with WiMAX. The world’s first public LTE service was made available only at the end of last year by TeliaSonera in Stockholm and Oslo.

Some people may said that LTE means "Late To Evolve"... However, LTE is fast catching up with WiMAX even though the WiMAX Forum, an industry organisation, stresses that its platform is at least two years ahead in terms of equipment availability and testing.

The Global Suppliers Association (GSA) says there are more than 59 LTE network commitments in 28 countries. In comparison, according to the WiMAX Forum, there are 559 WiMAX networks worldwide.

“To date, all existing GSM and WCDMA (3GPP) operators and CDMA (3GPP2) operators have committed to LTE as the technology of choice for their mobile network evolution, and by 2013, it is expected that there will be 20.4 million connections activated on LTE in the Asia Pacific,” says Biese.

On the other hand, YTL Communications Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Wing K Lee claims that mobile WiMAX is the only commercially proven technology that has been deployed on a large scale.

Nevertheless, market dynamics will determine the outcome of the race.

There are four WiMAX spectrum holders in Malaysia, namely, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd, REDtone International Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications, which is the only one that has yet to roll out services commercially.

Rojas of IDC says both technologies can co-exist, but to him, WiMAX is still the purest 4G network. Naturally, the promoters of LTE have the opposite view.

That aside, Lee of YTL Communications points out that LTE and WiMAX serve the wireless broadband market and both technologies fundamentally share the same technological foundation. Therefore, they have more similarities than differences.

Should they then be merged, as suggested by US-based Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow, given the overlap in the technologies?

While the debate rages on, the mobile operators in Malaysia still have a little bit of time to decide on which route to take to add capacity. This is because they have not fully exhausted their 3G spectrum. Even the WiMAX players have not fully exploited their 2.3G spectrum.

At some point, Rojas believes, the Malaysian Government will have to decide on spectrum allocation for LTE. Until then, do not expect the operators to fast-track their network expansion, even though some may face bottlenecks soon.

Furthermore, the Government needs to be certain that LTE is what the market needs. “Without (additional) spectrum after 3G, operators will have to move to LTE using the 3G spectrum,’’ Rojas says.

Whatever is on the minds of the players and industry regulators, one thing is clear – the need for speed is growing by the day, and the planning for spectrum allocation should start before we hit bottlenecks.

Some industry players have also called for the Government to refarm spectrum so that there is a coordinated approach to spectrum allocation and assignment. Not that there isn’t, but given that spectrum is becoming a rare commodity, the Government should make sure that the spectrum awarded is put to good use.

Rojas expects major commercial roll-outs of LTE and WiMAX in Asia this year and next, but devices remain an issue in the world of 4G. At the same time, experts say it is about time that the industry focuses on a single device that works on all platforms.

Is WiMAX or LTE the better 4G choice in Malaysia?

WiMAX or LTE (long-term evolution) – which is superior? It, of course, depends on who you talk to. The vendors have their own stories, and the operators theirs. For the consumers, it is not about technology. It is about speed and seamless connectivity, and not having to buy different devices to operate on different platforms.

From the technical viewpoint, both are next-generation technologies for the wireless world. The choice between WiMAX and LTE hinges on the needs of the operator and the market demands, but the fact is, there seemingly is an insatiable appetite for data on the go.

WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) is a fourth-generation (4G) telecommunications technology primarily for fast broadband.

Also a 4G mobile technology, LTE allows a peak download speed of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) on mobile phones, compared with 20Mbps for 3G and 40Mbps for WiMAX.

“For operators, the choice of technology depends on a number of things including available spectrum, legacy inter-working, timing and business focus,” says Nokia Siemens Networks head of sub region, Asia South, Lars Biese.

To deploy either technology, operators will have to commit tens of billions of dollars in network upgrades for the new mobility landscape, which now includes social, video, location-based and entertainment applications and experiences.

In many countries, the current generation of mobile telecoms networks is 3G. Those in Malaysia are deployed by the four mobile players – Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi.Com Bhd, Maxis Communications Bhd and U Mobile Sdn Bhd.

Biese reckons LTE is the next step for mobile networks like GSM, WCDMA/HSPA and CDMA in the move to future networks and services.

The common belief is that the natural migration path is from 2G to GPRS, from GPRS to 3G, and from 3G to LTE. But IDC Asia/Pacific’s telecom research director Bill Rojas has a differing view. To him, LTE is a totally new set-up.

“GSM and GPRS were part of a migration. In Asia, the players may put LTE on top of 3G, but this will not cover the entire population. The concentration will be on urban centres. For full coverage, the operator needs to build more than 30% new cell sites,” Rojas says.

It has been reported that LTE’s main advantage over WiMAX, in addition to speed, is that it is part of the popular GSM technology and can allow backward compatibility with both 2G and 3G networks.

LTE is relatively new compared with WiMAX. The world’s first public LTE service was made available only at the end of last year by TeliaSonera in Stockholm and Oslo.

Some people may said that LTE means "Late To Evolve"... However, LTE is fast catching up with WiMAX even though the WiMAX Forum, an industry organisation, stresses that its platform is at least two years ahead in terms of equipment availability and testing.

The Global Suppliers Association (GSA) says there are more than 59 LTE network commitments in 28 countries. In comparison, according to the WiMAX Forum, there are 559 WiMAX networks worldwide.

“To date, all existing GSM and WCDMA (3GPP) operators and CDMA (3GPP2) operators have committed to LTE as the technology of choice for their mobile network evolution, and by 2013, it is expected that there will be 20.4 million connections activated on LTE in the Asia Pacific,” says Biese.

On the other hand, YTL Communications Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Wing K Lee claims that mobile WiMAX is the only commercially proven technology that has been deployed on a large scale.

Nevertheless, market dynamics will determine the outcome of the race.

There are four WiMAX spectrum holders in Malaysia, namely, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd, REDtone International Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications, which is the only one that has yet to roll out services commercially.

Rojas of IDC says both technologies can co-exist, but to him, WiMAX is still the purest 4G network. Naturally, the promoters of LTE have the opposite view.

That aside, Lee of YTL Communications points out that LTE and WiMAX serve the wireless broadband market and both technologies fundamentally share the same technological foundation. Therefore, they have more similarities than differences.

Should they then be merged, as suggested by US-based Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow, given the overlap in the technologies?

While the debate rages on, the mobile operators in Malaysia still have a little bit of time to decide on which route to take to add capacity. This is because they have not fully exhausted their 3G spectrum. Even the WiMAX players have not fully exploited their 2.3G spectrum.

At some point, Rojas believes, the Malaysian Government will have to decide on spectrum allocation for LTE. Until then, do not expect the operators to fast-track their network expansion, even though some may face bottlenecks soon.

Furthermore, the Government needs to be certain that LTE is what the market needs. “Without (additional) spectrum after 3G, operators will have to move to LTE using the 3G spectrum,’’ Rojas says.

Whatever is on the minds of the players and industry regulators, one thing is clear – the need for speed is growing by the day, and the planning for spectrum allocation should start before we hit bottlenecks.

Some industry players have also called for the Government to refarm spectrum so that there is a coordinated approach to spectrum allocation and assignment. Not that there isn’t, but given that spectrum is becoming a rare commodity, the Government should make sure that the spectrum awarded is put to good use.

Rojas expects major commercial roll-outs of LTE and WiMAX in Asia this year and next, but devices remain an issue in the world of 4G. At the same time, experts say it is about time that the industry focuses on a single device that works on all platforms.

Is WiMAX or LTE the better 4G choice in Malaysia?

WiMAX or LTE (long-term evolution) – which is superior? It, of course, depends on who you talk to. The vendors have their own stories, and the operators theirs. For the consumers, it is not about technology. It is about speed and seamless connectivity, and not having to buy different devices to operate on different platforms.

From the technical viewpoint, both are next-generation technologies for the wireless world. The choice between WiMAX and LTE hinges on the needs of the operator and the market demands, but the fact is, there seemingly is an insatiable appetite for data on the go.

WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) is a fourth-generation (4G) telecommunications technology primarily for fast broadband.

Also a 4G mobile technology, LTE allows a peak download speed of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) on mobile phones, compared with 20Mbps for 3G and 40Mbps for WiMAX.

“For operators, the choice of technology depends on a number of things including available spectrum, legacy inter-working, timing and business focus,” says Nokia Siemens Networks head of sub region, Asia South, Lars Biese.

To deploy either technology, operators will have to commit tens of billions of dollars in network upgrades for the new mobility landscape, which now includes social, video, location-based and entertainment applications and experiences.

In many countries, the current generation of mobile telecoms networks is 3G. Those in Malaysia are deployed by the four mobile players – Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi.Com Bhd, Maxis Communications Bhd and U Mobile Sdn Bhd.

Biese reckons LTE is the next step for mobile networks like GSM, WCDMA/HSPA and CDMA in the move to future networks and services.

The common belief is that the natural migration path is from 2G to GPRS, from GPRS to 3G, and from 3G to LTE. But IDC Asia/Pacific’s telecom research director Bill Rojas has a differing view. To him, LTE is a totally new set-up.

“GSM and GPRS were part of a migration. In Asia, the players may put LTE on top of 3G, but this will not cover the entire population. The concentration will be on urban centres. For full coverage, the operator needs to build more than 30% new cell sites,” Rojas says.

It has been reported that LTE’s main advantage over WiMAX, in addition to speed, is that it is part of the popular GSM technology and can allow backward compatibility with both 2G and 3G networks.

LTE is relatively new compared with WiMAX. The world’s first public LTE service was made available only at the end of last year by TeliaSonera in Stockholm and Oslo.

Some people may said that LTE means "Late To Evolve"... However, LTE is fast catching up with WiMAX even though the WiMAX Forum, an industry organisation, stresses that its platform is at least two years ahead in terms of equipment availability and testing.

The Global Suppliers Association (GSA) says there are more than 59 LTE network commitments in 28 countries. In comparison, according to the WiMAX Forum, there are 559 WiMAX networks worldwide.

“To date, all existing GSM and WCDMA (3GPP) operators and CDMA (3GPP2) operators have committed to LTE as the technology of choice for their mobile network evolution, and by 2013, it is expected that there will be 20.4 million connections activated on LTE in the Asia Pacific,” says Biese.

On the other hand, YTL Communications Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Wing K Lee claims that mobile WiMAX is the only commercially proven technology that has been deployed on a large scale.

Nevertheless, market dynamics will determine the outcome of the race.

There are four WiMAX spectrum holders in Malaysia, namely, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd, REDtone International Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications, which is the only one that has yet to roll out services commercially.

Rojas of IDC says both technologies can co-exist, but to him, WiMAX is still the purest 4G network. Naturally, the promoters of LTE have the opposite view.

That aside, Lee of YTL Communications points out that LTE and WiMAX serve the wireless broadband market and both technologies fundamentally share the same technological foundation. Therefore, they have more similarities than differences.

Should they then be merged, as suggested by US-based Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow, given the overlap in the technologies?

While the debate rages on, the mobile operators in Malaysia still have a little bit of time to decide on which route to take to add capacity. This is because they have not fully exhausted their 3G spectrum. Even the WiMAX players have not fully exploited their 2.3G spectrum.

At some point, Rojas believes, the Malaysian Government will have to decide on spectrum allocation for LTE. Until then, do not expect the operators to fast-track their network expansion, even though some may face bottlenecks soon.

Furthermore, the Government needs to be certain that LTE is what the market needs. “Without (additional) spectrum after 3G, operators will have to move to LTE using the 3G spectrum,’’ Rojas says.

Whatever is on the minds of the players and industry regulators, one thing is clear – the need for speed is growing by the day, and the planning for spectrum allocation should start before we hit bottlenecks.

Some industry players have also called for the Government to refarm spectrum so that there is a coordinated approach to spectrum allocation and assignment. Not that there isn’t, but given that spectrum is becoming a rare commodity, the Government should make sure that the spectrum awarded is put to good use.

Rojas expects major commercial roll-outs of LTE and WiMAX in Asia this year and next, but devices remain an issue in the world of 4G. At the same time, experts say it is about time that the industry focuses on a single device that works on all platforms.

WiMax vs. LTE: Which Will 'Win' in a Fast Deployment Cycle?

One of the biggest stories during the next year or so will be the rollout and subsequent marketing of 4G wireless networks.

It will be an interesting process as the two approaches – Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMax – vie for supremacy. The die already seems to be cast, however: WiMax, through Clearwire and its Clear service, is first out of the gate. LTE, however, through its use by Verizon and AT&T, seems positioned to be the dominant player when the dust settles.

WiMax suffered a bit of a blow earlier this month when Cisco decided not to build radios for the platform:

Technology is not an either/or game.The Cisco move clearly is not good news for WiMax, both in terms of image and because the vendor brings a lot to any table at which it chooses to sit. It’s also clear that WiMax will not be as big as LTE. All that said, however, it is apparent that WiMax remains a significant wireless networking force.

It is important to remember that the platform that comes in second in such a massive market will still be very successful. There are, for instance, secondary and specialty niches:

…WiMax is making strides with at least one significant niche category: smart grid networking. Earth2Tech reports that startup Arcadian Networks has released the AE20r gateway, a WiMax-focused device. The story says that Arcadian, which owns spectrum in the middle of the country, sells smart grid services to utilities. The story notes other vendors in the smart grid/WiMax arena, including Grid Net, General Electric, Alvarion and National Grid.

To be sure, Clearwire is not backing down:

Clearwire seems to be at the center of cable’s move to mobilize voice and advanced mobilized applications. FierceWireless, in a general report about Clearwire’s progress, said that the company plans to introduce a WiMax-enabled smartphone during 2010. The aim, according to CEO Bill Morrow, is to have the device in the field during the second half of the year. The story says that Sprint is planning 3G/4G phones, also by the end of 2010.

On the other side of town -- or of the R&D lab hallway -- is LTE. While WiMax was first out of the gate, the LTE sector is making up for lost time:

The LTE trial and test phase is white hot.

Driven by the increase in demand caused by fixed-rate data plans, coupled with the popularity of the iPhone and other advanced devices, the pace of testing of one of the two flavors of 4G technology, Long Term Evolution (LTE), is accelerating.

LTE is particularly active on the international front. ABI Research says that as of the end of September, 100 mobile networks were holding trials or were set to start. More than 40 of the trials are ongoing in the Asia-Pacific region – led by Japan and South Korea, with 33 contracts awarded. ABI Research says that though the first networks won’t start commercial operation until the end of next year, a robust 32.6 million subscribers will be served by LTE by 2013. The pressure is so great that many operators are taking the interim step of upgrading 3G networks to High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) status.

The stage was set once AT&T and, especially, Verizon made their choices:

Details are emerging on Verizon Wireless’s LTE rollout. Softpedia reports that the carrier, in one configuration, will offer per-user data speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps). The system will support video sharing, surveillance, conferencing and streaming. The story runs through the other advantages that Verizon Wireless is touting, and some of the challenges to older technologies that it supposedly alleviates.

The interesting thing is that LTE and WiMax are fairly close from the technical point of view. That means that it is theoretically possible for differences to be overcome and competition to become a thing of the past. While possible, it is thought unlikely:

On one hand, the battle for the future of 4G between LTE and WiMax will be fully joined. However, both are IP-based and use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and, experts say, are relatively close on the telecommunications family tree. Indeed, the biggest difference may concern the other IP: intellectual property. Despite the maneuvering today, it is possible that in a few years the two will blend together.

The next year or so will be a good deal of fun for folks who like mano-a-mano competition, price pressure, glitzy ads -- and high-speed wireless networks. At the end of the day, it almost certainly is destined to end up as expected:

LTE will be the top dog, with WiMax a strong supporting player.

WiMax vs. LTE: Which Will 'Win' in a Fast Deployment Cycle?

One of the biggest stories during the next year or so will be the rollout and subsequent marketing of 4G wireless networks.

It will be an interesting process as the two approaches – Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMax – vie for supremacy. The die already seems to be cast, however: WiMax, through Clearwire and its Clear service, is first out of the gate. LTE, however, through its use by Verizon and AT&T, seems positioned to be the dominant player when the dust settles.

WiMax suffered a bit of a blow earlier this month when Cisco decided not to build radios for the platform:

Technology is not an either/or game.The Cisco move clearly is not good news for WiMax, both in terms of image and because the vendor brings a lot to any table at which it chooses to sit. It’s also clear that WiMax will not be as big as LTE. All that said, however, it is apparent that WiMax remains a significant wireless networking force.

It is important to remember that the platform that comes in second in such a massive market will still be very successful. There are, for instance, secondary and specialty niches:

…WiMax is making strides with at least one significant niche category: smart grid networking. Earth2Tech reports that startup Arcadian Networks has released the AE20r gateway, a WiMax-focused device. The story says that Arcadian, which owns spectrum in the middle of the country, sells smart grid services to utilities. The story notes other vendors in the smart grid/WiMax arena, including Grid Net, General Electric, Alvarion and National Grid.

To be sure, Clearwire is not backing down:

Clearwire seems to be at the center of cable’s move to mobilize voice and advanced mobilized applications. FierceWireless, in a general report about Clearwire’s progress, said that the company plans to introduce a WiMax-enabled smartphone during 2010. The aim, according to CEO Bill Morrow, is to have the device in the field during the second half of the year. The story says that Sprint is planning 3G/4G phones, also by the end of 2010.

On the other side of town -- or of the R&D lab hallway -- is LTE. While WiMax was first out of the gate, the LTE sector is making up for lost time:

The LTE trial and test phase is white hot.

Driven by the increase in demand caused by fixed-rate data plans, coupled with the popularity of the iPhone and other advanced devices, the pace of testing of one of the two flavors of 4G technology, Long Term Evolution (LTE), is accelerating.

LTE is particularly active on the international front. ABI Research says that as of the end of September, 100 mobile networks were holding trials or were set to start. More than 40 of the trials are ongoing in the Asia-Pacific region – led by Japan and South Korea, with 33 contracts awarded. ABI Research says that though the first networks won’t start commercial operation until the end of next year, a robust 32.6 million subscribers will be served by LTE by 2013. The pressure is so great that many operators are taking the interim step of upgrading 3G networks to High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) status.

The stage was set once AT&T and, especially, Verizon made their choices:

Details are emerging on Verizon Wireless’s LTE rollout. Softpedia reports that the carrier, in one configuration, will offer per-user data speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps). The system will support video sharing, surveillance, conferencing and streaming. The story runs through the other advantages that Verizon Wireless is touting, and some of the challenges to older technologies that it supposedly alleviates.

The interesting thing is that LTE and WiMax are fairly close from the technical point of view. That means that it is theoretically possible for differences to be overcome and competition to become a thing of the past. While possible, it is thought unlikely:

On one hand, the battle for the future of 4G between LTE and WiMax will be fully joined. However, both are IP-based and use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and, experts say, are relatively close on the telecommunications family tree. Indeed, the biggest difference may concern the other IP: intellectual property. Despite the maneuvering today, it is possible that in a few years the two will blend together.

The next year or so will be a good deal of fun for folks who like mano-a-mano competition, price pressure, glitzy ads -- and high-speed wireless networks. At the end of the day, it almost certainly is destined to end up as expected:

LTE will be the top dog, with WiMax a strong supporting player.