'We did not vow to use WiMax', says Russia's Yota

MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Russian wireless telecoms firm Yota, one of the largest WiMAX operators globally, said it might eventually switch to using rival LTE technology, making it the second WiMAX operator in a week to signal a readiness to switch.

Also Read: WiMAX: The wireless Broadband

The head of US peer Clearwire Corp said last week his firm could use LTE technology in the future.

Globally, WiMax has a smaller following among network carriers than LTE, which most telecoms operators are embracing as the next major wireless technology.

"We did not vow to use (only) mobile WiMax. It was chosen as an instrument, and if we see that LTE is much more advantageous, we will make a decision to switch to it," Igor Torgov, sales director at Yota, said in emailed comments.

"But if that happens, it will not be soon. As of today, we are continuing to develop WiMAX," he said.

Yota, founded in 2007, has some 350,000 mobile Internet clients in Moscow, St Petersburg and three other Russian cities. It is also active in Belarus, Peru and Nicaragua.