Enabling WiMAX Coverage Access Expected

Enabling WiMAX Coverage Access Expected to be the Biggest Challenge for the Emergence of Mobile WiMAX in Consumer Electronics until 2009

Over Fifty WiMAX-enabled consumer electronics products already announced

According to a new report from market research and industry analyst firm Maravedis Inc. (www.maravedis-bwa.com), the nascent mobile broadband market is primed for the emergence of WiMAX-enabled consumer electronics (CE) devices. “Opportunities and Risks for Embedding WiMAX in Consumer Electronics” is the first report covering the intersection of WiMAX and CE. The report details the status of WiMAX technologies, services critical to WiMAX success, CE products geared to WiMAX delivery, and manufacturer plans.

Popular consumer electronics devices make media portable and more enjoyable. However, devices like MP3 players and digital cameras require a personal computer to synchronize or transfer media files to and from the Internet. Consumers without an Internet connection and those averse to using a PC have not been able to take advantage of new services. Broadband wireless technologies, such as WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e-2005), are now available so CE devices can interface directly to the Internet without requiring a PC.

“Consumers represent the largest audience for mobile Internet products. They want their home broadband experience without restriction of location. WiMAX is the first wireless WAN protocol built from the ground up for IP networking and is now moving to portable and mobile applications. “The opportunity is now for consumer electronics manufacturers to create their strategy for connecting an assortment of devices to the Internet for anytime, anywhere and high speed access,” reports Jeff Orr, Maravedis senior analyst and author of the report.

Key Highlights:

• Six of the ten largest semiconductor manufacturers have announced their WiMAX strategies.
• The biggest challenge for the success of WiMAX in consumer electronics is deploying a significant service footprint. Coverage across regions and nationwide access is necessary for some consumer services, such as vehicle information systems, to be viable.
• The current generation of mobile WiMAX chipsets does not meet general power consumption and heat dissipation requirements for integration into battery-powered handset devices. 2nd and 3rd generation chipsets are being developed now that bring consumption under a quarter watt.
• KT’s WiBro network plans in Korea and an interview with U.S. carrier Sprint Nextel provide the operator perspective.
• Maravedis expects 25 million CE WiMAX units to be shipped in 2012 representing 67% of all Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)
  “Over fifty mobile WiMAX consumer devices have already been announced, including PDAs, ultra-mobile PCs, and in-dash vehicle information systems,” continued Orr. “This early portfolio has to be tempered with the reality that regional WiMAX coverage will not be in place before 2008. Build-out of mobile WiMAX networks must happen at a rapid pace to keep consumers from buying devices that lack places to connect.”

“This report is a natural extension of Maravedis WiMAX/BWA knowledge and is complemented by the author’s extensive experience in retail and consumer products.” said Adlane Fellah, president and CEO of Maravedis Inc. “This combination of expertise provides the audience with an unequalled perspective.”

To buy this report, visit http://www.maravedis-bwa.com/how-to-order.html. You can also contact info@maravedis-bwa.com or call +1 514.961.0231.