WISP: WiMAX IS UNDER-HYPED

Towerstream, a multi-metro wireless ISP that is participating in a live demonstration of WiMAX-ready gear at this week's Supercomm show, is looking for recent additions to the WiMAX equipment vendor community to be a further market catalyst for service provider deployment of the technology.

Jeff Thompson, CEO of the company that operates broadband wireless networks in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities, also thinks criticism that WiMAX is over-hyped is offbase. “I think WiMAX might be under-hyped,” Thompson said. “We're installing equipment with more and more people every day, and I know it's ‘pre-WiMAX,’ but it's pretty close to what the first phase of what that technology is going to look like.” He added that WiMAX represents a very natural evolution for companies like Towerstream.

Regarding recent activity in the vendor community, Thompson said, “You go to all the trade shows, and you see a lot of the same vendors — Aperto, Alvarion and Redline are always there — but now it looks like more manufacturers are entering the business. This will make it better for us and our customers. We haven't experienced the effect from increasing vendor competition yet, but it will make a difference.”

Towerstream will play a role in the WiMAX technology demonstration being hosted by one of its gear vendors, Redline Communications, and IBM Global Services. Redline officials said their RedMAX product will be operating live in its own booth, as well as IBM's and Intel's, with network feeds from Towerstream's Chicago facilities.