WiMAX: which usage cases will be most successful?

The WiMAX industry continues to gather momentum in Asia-Pacific and, as a result, the region has attracted publicity as a focus for WiMAX opportunities and deployment. This is in spite of recent WiMAX setbacks; negative press; clouded investor confidence, especially in the US; and continued delays in certified mobile WiMAX equipment, which are frustrating operators. Across Asia-Pacific we are now seeing licensing activity and deployments commence. This report looks at potential usage cases for WiMAX and examines the technology's potential to change the industry landscape.

• Executive summary
  • In a nutshell
  • Ovum view
  • Key messages
• WiMAX status in Asia-Pacific
  • WiMAX specifications, licensing and certification
  • WiMAX business case differs by market
  • Emerging markets: WiMAX to fulfil latent broadband demand
  • Developed markets: WiMAX for advanced applications
  • Governments promoting WiMAX
  • Few mobile operators embracing mobile WiMAX
• WiMAX potential by application
  • Principle markets for WiMAX
  • Fixed/nomadic broadband access: clear opportunity, especially in niches
  • Mobile broadband: laptop market has potential
  • Consumer electronics: an evolving opportunity into the next decade
  • WiMAX hot zones for extra capacity and speed
  • Machine-to-machine
• Table of figures
  • Table 1 Broad market characteristics of emerging and developed Asia-Pacific markets
  • Figure 1 Population penetration of mobile, fixed and broadband across Asia-Pacific
  • Figure 2 PC penetration in emerging Asia-Pacific markets, end 2006
  • Table 2 GDP at PPP per capita, 2006
  • Table 3 Potential WiMAX use cases in Asia-Pacific
  • Figure 3 Potential WiMAX business strategies
  • Figure 4 Simplified mobile broadband take-up timeline
  • Figure 5 HSDPA devices launched, October 2007
  • Table 4 Japanese domestic consumer electronics equipment sales, 2006
  • Table 5 Consumer electronics devices in use globally, 2006 and 2010 (forcast)
  • Figure 6 Swiss army knife or purpose-specific device
  • Figure 7 Normalised wireless traffic growth