NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Clearwire may consider 4G alternatives to WiMAX
----- Forwarded message from Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> ----- Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:51:57 -0500 From: Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> Subject: [IP] Clearwire may consider 4G alternatives to WiMAX Reply-To: dave@farber.net To: ip <ip@v2.listbox.com> Begin forwarded message: > From: dewayne@warpspeed.com (Dewayne Hendricks) > Date: January 15, 2010 7:53:12 AM EST > To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <xyzzy@warpspeed.com> > Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Clearwire may consider 4G alternatives to WiMAX > > January 15, 2010 4:00 AM PST > Clearwire may consider 4G alternatives to WiMax > by Marguerite Reardon > <http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-10435559-266.html> > > WiMax may be Clearwire's technology of choice today as it builds out > its nationwide 4G wireless network, but the upstart carrier may > eventually migrate to a competing technology that's expected to be used > by most of the world's major wireless operators. > > Clearwire's willingness to add additional 4G technologies to its > network in the future will likely help it compete more aggressively in > the future with other 4G wireless providers, such as Verizon Wireless. > And ultimately this could mean more choices, better services, and more > competitive pricing for wireless broadband services for consumers. > > In an interview with CNET after the 2010 CES trade show in Las Vegas > where Clearwire was showing off its new network, Mike Sievert, chief > commercial officer for Clearwire, said his company doesn't want to be > identified solely as a WiMax carrier. Instead, he said people should > think of Clearwire as a mobile broadband company that is open to > different types of technology. This is a big change for a company that > has been held up as the poster child for WiMax. > "We take a long term view of the market and we do not have a myopic > view of a particular flavor of technology," he said. "We are building > our network to be future proof. Because after 4G there will be 5G and > 6G." > There are currently two major technologies that are in contention as > the foundation of next generation wireless networks: WiMax and LTE or > Long Term Evolution. These technologies are similar in many technical > respects, but they are different enough at this point in time that > devices and equipment built for one technology cannot be used with the > other. > Clearwire, which has partnered with Sprint, is currently using WiMax to > build its network. And Sievert says there are no immediate plans to > change that. Meanwhile, most of the world's largest mobile operators > including Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Vodafone, and Telefonica are planning > to use a competing technology, LTE. > > Primary reason > The major benefit of LTE is that it allows existing GSM mobile > operators to more easily and cost-effectively migrate to the next > generation of wireless. But WiMax, which is similar to LTE, was > available in the market first. And as a result, its technology is more > mature than LTE's. This is the main reason that Clearwire chose to use > WiMax in the first place. > > [snip]RSS Feed: <http://www.warpspeed.com/wordpress> ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com ----- End forwarded message -----