Mobile WiMAX: The evolution begins

And the future will not revolve only around whatever Apple Computer thinks of next. The migration to richer hand-held devices capable of voice, data, video and other applications has been in progress for a while now. As Subramanian pointed out, laptop personal computer sales have surged year after year to the point where sales of laptops have now moved ahead of sales of desktop PCs. Most laptop PCs now can be purchased not only with the typical Ethernet high-speed landline connection port, but also with integrated Wi-Fi connections and service activation software. Some laptops even have integrated or card-based 3G services packaged with them. Meanwhile, 3G phones, data devices and storage devices like iPods are all converging in various ways.

“Broadband systems kind of augur each other,” O'Neal said. “You've got all these access methods and devices, and as they are all converging on the market, there will be an amazing proliferation of applications that come. It will be like what originally happened in the PC market — the applications will come from the explosion of devices that are positioned to take advantage of them.”

New types of devices are still emerging as Mobile WiMAX marches toward the personal broadband future. The Ultra-Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC) has been in development at Microsoft since at least 2002, and the software giant unveiled its first UMPC last month at the CeBit trade show in Hanover, Germany. The device, touted by Microsoft as an “anywhere, everywhere” communications and entertainment device, includes software such as Sling Media's store-and-forward content solution and Intel chips with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Samsung is said to be working on a UMPC version that will have WiBro connectivity, based on the standard in South Korea that is based on 802.16e and will be a profile within Mobile WiMAX. Future UMPCs likely will include some form of Mobile WiMAX connectivity.

“Mobile WiMAX eventually will be integrated into laptops and all other kinds of devices,” Navini's Subramanian said. “It starts with a PC card being added to some laptop, and it evolves very fast from there.”

Arno Kolk, vice president of marketing for manufacturing firm Elcoteq, said, “We expect to see wide variety of user devices from fixed outdoor CPEs to handsets. There are many different applications, each best served with a different device. Remote farms or villages are best connected using fixed CPEs with large high-gain antennas while mobile users in downtown business districts would like to use familiar PDAs, laptops or smartphones.”

Chris Knudsen, chief technology officer of Intel Corp's service provider group, added, “You will see a very quick migration away from the typical handset as a cellular voice device. All different kinds of access methods are driving that. With Mobile WiMAX, you will have services with greater spectral efficiency, and devices will come together.

“You will see new devices that are richer on features and new form factors. You will get away from the network being the main thing and to devices that are intelligent and personal and reliable. Then, the market drivers will start to take effect, driving cost out of the devices, which will drive up volume.”