NXTCOMM: Wireless Is a Hot Topic at NxtComm

Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers gave a wide-ranging address focusing on how an increase in collaborative applications through the Internet, as well as a steady surge in video traffic, will drive 300-500% in network growth per year. Chambers, who noted that video traffic is currently pushing sales of large Cisco routers, predicts that the broadband traffic from just 20 U.S. homes in 2010 will be more than the traffic of the entire Internet backbone in 1995.

Samsung Unveils Newly-Developed Mobile WiMAX Systems

Korea NewsWire

Ofcom considers allowing UK Broadband to offer mobile WiMax across the UK :: PublicTechnology.net :: e-Government & public sector IT news + job vacanc

UK Broadband’s current licence permits the company to operate broadband fixed wireless access in the 3.5 GHz band. The company has asked Ofcom to vary its licence to make it technology and service neutral, giving it greater flexibility over how it can use the radio spectrum. It has also sought an increase in its permitted power levels.

Sprint Explores Options for WiMax

Sprint Nextel Corp. is exploring new options for financing its ambitious plan to build a wireless broadband network known as WiMax, including forming a partnership or joint venture with cellphone pioneer Craig McCaw and seeking an infusion of cash from cable providers, people familiar with the matter say.

The steps are partly an effort to soothe investor concerns about the cost of the WiMax plan. Sprint has committed to spending about $3 billion through next year to build a network that will offer high-speed wireless Internet access to 100 million people.

Mobile WiMAX Maven Clearwire Cuts Satellite Deals

Clearwire, which is betting its life on the success of 'mobile WiMAX,' this morning said that it has signed marketing pacts with both U.S. direct-to-home (DTH) satellite video vendors, DirecTV and Dish owner EchoStar Communications.

AT&T to Run with LTE

AT&T's Chris Hill, vice president of Government Solutions for Mobility, commented during an interview at the Wireless Communications Association (WCA) conference that, "LTE provides similar throughputs, so we're taking a wait-and-see approach to WiMAX. We just don't see the value proposition for mobile WiMAX."

Femtocells to Dominate Fixed-Mobile Convergence Market

Mobile operators are now making key and far-ranging decisions about the future of their consumer fixed-mobile convergence services. While enterprise FMC services are clearly following the route of VCC- and SIP-enabled solutions, consumer FMC services will take one of two major paths, based on each mobile operator's view of the market, and the nature of its existing network assets.

According to ABI Research principal analyst Philip Solis, "Today, consumer FMC services that are based on Wi-Fi use UMA to manage the connection choice and handover between Wi-Fi and cellular networks. These services are ramping up quickly in Europe, due to intense competition between Orange, BT, and other mobile operators. In North America, T-Mobile USA is about to go nationwide with its UMA-based FMC service as well."

"However," adds research director Stuart Carlaw, "mobile operators such as Vodafone, SFR, Softbank, and Sprint are at the leading edge among carriers exploring femtocell technologies. With their ability to work with any handset, and their potential for encouraging high data use, femtocells are very attractive when compared to VCC and UMA-based Wi-Fi services."