WiMax or LTE? Your thoughts are welcome!

TechDigest has raised an interesting point on the subject of whether WiMax or LTE will win out as the next “G” (generation) of wireless network technology.

Right now we have up to HSPA (with HSPA+ coming soon) to keep us happy, and this is likely to top out around 28Mbps, assuming peak conditions. But what next? How will we feed out insatiable desire to update facebook even faster?!

Well there WiMax, and then there’s LTE – each with some big players behind them. TechDigest really summarises well:

WiMax is based on Wi-Fi, and doesn’t require a SIM card for usage. Its benefits are that it’s an open standard – anyone can create the gear required to use the technology without paying license fees. That means the tech can be up to half as expensive as the equivalent LTE tech.

LTE, on the other hand, is based on the existing 3G network technology. In fact, LTE stands for “The Long Term Evolution of 3GPP”. Its advantages are that it’s well-understood by carriers, and when a device is out of range of an LTE signal, it can drop back to a 3G or 2G service. LTE’s currently a little faster, too, but that difference should be addressed by the ratification of a new WiMax standard later this year.

In terms of deployements, WiMax was out of the gate first, and the US has seen some testbed rollouts (albeit in real, working, environments) – but from what I remember, the results were disappointingly slow, at least in that iteration. LTE however is following closely behind, with tests also occuring.

It is TechDigest‘s postulation (and a good one too) that Laptops/Netbooks will end up with WiMax, but that LTE will take over (and probably be called 4G) as far as Mobile goes – which could mean a few years down the line your device isn’t WiFi/3G, but WiMax/4G!

So I’d also like to ask the question – which do you think will win out? Do you care, so long as you can update your facebook status? Whatcha think? Tomorrow we’ll consider another set of network technologies…

[Original story via: TechDigest]

About The Author

Ben Robinson

Ben is a 10+ year veteran of the Mobile industry – starting his career when SMS was a still a relatively new concept for most people (!), he has now consulted on everything from bleeding-edge Mobile content, to the next-gen accessories you might view it on. As a result he has a broad and deep knowledge in numerous areas of Mobile – from network operators to device vendors, to infrastructure and middleware vendors (not to mention content delivery) – and has worked for companies in all of these areas! He is based in the UK, a hotbed of activity for mobile, and recently became a father for the second time – as oppose to in his younger years when he was happy spend time tweaking all manner of mobile devices to 'nth' degree, he now looks for services and hardware that provide the most efficient, compact, and reliable improvements to his already manic life! It’s his opinion that Mobile solutions should be there to help to make your life better – if a particular solution (be it service or device) isn’t doing this, he believes you need to ask the very important question of why you continue to use it... His focus at IntoMobile is mainly on Mobile content, services, and infrastructure, particularly as regards the UK market – and with the occasional look at devices. Additionally, using his extensive experience in the industry, he will provide commentary on the industry at large, with regular (and hopefully thought-provoking) articles.

Tanio Amadeus

I Think Wimax will win out. It is first to market, less expensive and very strong backers.
Ali

LTE for sure.
1- LTE devices, it can keep you connected while on the move. Wimax can do the same but it is a little slower when connecting from 1 basestation to another. And in wimax it HAS to be the latest standard (which is 802.16e).
2- LTE will have better power consumption, wmax will be difficult to exceed it.
3- GSM (GPRS,EDGE,HSPA,HSPA+) already exists so it is a very good failsafe in the event that there is no LTE, wimax has nothing.
Steve Leong

There’s no technical reason why a WiMAX device couldn’t be dual mode so that you fall back on 3G/2G service as well. WiMAX and LTE are both based on 4G technology (OFDM, MIMO, IP architecture) and in fact the differences between them seem to be some timing issues and a difference in the uplink. Neither of which would make one more compatible to 3G/2G. So the main differences seem to be political which would explain why there are 2 different standards that are pretty much the same. 1 requires a SIM card and all that jazz, and the other is built in and you use it when you want. All other things being equal, I’ll take the ease of use anyday.
Kieth Daniels

I think they will co-exist with LTE controlling true mobile devices and WiMAX for stationary devices and laptops. AT&T and Verizon are clearly going with LTE. I would bet on a steady migration to LTE as equipment costs drop and the coverage areas being so widespread. Also, devices will become more and more exclusively mobile, iphone-like high-speed internet access tools. This will be a long process and I see a level of co-existance for at least 3-5 years.