Major Mobiles Promise to Keep Costs Down on LTE Technology - What About WiMax?
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LTE technology may be making big news, but WiMax is still in the hunt as the next big thing in wireless technology. Sprint Nextel, the third-largest mobile company in the U.S., is already testing WiMax in Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and has announced plans to offer a nationwide WiMax service sometime in 2008. The company has agreed to spend $5 billion (USD) on the project. Wireless manufacturer Motorola is working toward unveiling a new broadband modem and PC card using WiMax technology. The card will allow wireless laptop users to roam globally. WiMax technology is also said to be further along in the standards process than LTE. But as far as the cost of implementing WiMax technology goes, it’s still anybody’s game.
Fourth-Generation Wireless
The rise of fourth-generation wireless technology (LTE, WiMax) means the end of third-generation technology. Namely, GSM and CDMA. The transition is not one that will happen right away, but it’s likely one that will happen. GSM and CDMA can’t hope to stay competitive when new, faster technology emerges. What does this mean for the consumer?
That’s right: new phones and laptops. New technology means transition, and in the electronics market, that almost always means buying new products. With so many different wireless technologies floating around, network size will always be a principal concern. In other words, which manufacturers will support which technology, and which will you choose?
“Better” almost always means “buying,” and that’s the way of new technology. The wireless market may seem to change quickly, but luckily, implementing new systems is often a drawn-out affair. Neither LTE nor WiMax are available right this moment, and all third-generation systems will remain in place for quite some time before they are fully replaced with the new technology. In other words, don’t rush right out to buy those new wireless products yet. When it’s widely available, products with the new technology will completely flood the market.
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