Embedded systems to drive demand for 4G mobile data

NEW YORK, USA: A major push to include embedded 4G technologies in a wide range of mobile and consumer devices will create a built-in market for anticipated 4G services such as mobile WiMax and LTE, but it also will force some fundamental changes in the mobile industry ecosystem, particularly in the relationships between network operators and device suppliers, according to the latest report from Unstrung Insider, a paid research service from TechWeb's Unstrung and Light Reading.

4G Inside: Embedded Modules for Mobile WiMax & LTE analyzes the evolving 4G market, focusing on the key technical and commercial issues affecting embedded modules based on mobile WiMax and LTE. It evaluates the ecosystems and business models for LTE and mobile WiMax within the framework of decisions that device makers must take regarding which, if any, embedded systems to build into their products.

The report explores the primary issues that will affect the deployment of embedded modules, including spectrum requirements, intellectual property rights, pricing, and chip requirements. The report includes profiles of nine leading suppliers of mobile technologies and explores their strategies for 4G services and embedded devices.

"For 4G data services to succeed, embedded technologies must find their way into a wider range of end-user devices, not just notebooks and handsets, but also consumer electronics, surveillance cameras, automotive communications systems, and more," notes John Blau, research analyst with Unstrung Insider and author of the report. "The ultimate key to success will be the ability of chip makers to develop higher-performance, lower-power, smaller, and cheaper chips."

Technology development is just one part of the challenge facing the mobile industry regarding next-gen data services, Blau says. "The brains to develop these chips are arguably out there, but the economies of scale needed to drive down costs will only come with sufficient demand, which is linked to network coverage, which, in turn, is linked to a complex mix of spectrum, technology, intellectual property rights, and industrial politics," he explains.

Key findings of 4G Inside: Embedded Modules for Mobile WiMax & LTE include:

* New 4G systems could lead to an entirely new way of thinking about system-on-chip architectures in the semiconductor industry.

* Intel expects a range of royalty rates for mobile WiMax essential patents to be announced within the next month.

* A boost for embedded modules could come from MIMO, which Texas Instruments believes will be first introduced in laptops.

* The GSM Association is studying how to make HSPA and later LTE-enabled devices easily recognizable, similar to the successful WiFi branding.