Motorola leads as WiMAX sales jump 59pc

LONDON, UK: The worldwide WiMAX equipment market, including fixed and mobile WiMAX equipment, increased 59 percent sequentially to $363 million in 1Q08, according to Infonetics Research.

Infonetics’ report, WiMAX and WiFi Mesh Network Equipment and Devices, indicates that the surge in the market was led by especially strong mobile WiMAX (802.16e) equipment sales, which jumped 141 percent this quarter to overtake revenue from fixed WiMAX (802.16d) equipment for the first time.

Richard Webb, wireless analyst for Infonetics Research, said: "A significant number of new mobile WiMAX networks began rollout in the first quarter, and existing networks continued to scale up, driving sales in 1Q08. We expect healthy growth for the evolving mobile WiMAX market, which is seeing strong adoption not only from Tier 2 and 3 carriers, but from Tier 1 nationwide operators as well, like Sprint-Clearwire in the US, SK Telecom and KT in South Korea, Wateen in Pakistan, BSNL in India, and Vodafone and Orange in new territories."

Other report highlights: 

* Motorola takes the lead in overall WiMAX revenue in 1Q08 after increasing its worldwide mobile revenue share by 10 points, and is the first vendor to exceed $50 million in mobile WiMAX revenue in a single quarter, according to Infonetics’ estimates.

* Alvarion continues to lead in worldwide fixed WiMAX equipment revenue share, but is getting a run for its money by Telsima, which increased its revenue in 1Q08.

* The nascent mobile WiMAX phone and Ultra Mobile PC segments showed early traction, together increasing 171 percent sequentially in 1Q08; these devices have appealing, non-traditional form factors and capabilities and will play a major role in attracting new subscribers to mobile WiMAX networks.

* The number of fixed and mobile WiMAX subscribers topped 2 million worldwide in 2007 and is expected to triple by the end of 2008.