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Infonetics Research (http://twitter.com/infonetics) released its first quarter (1Q10) WiMAX Equipment, Devices, and Subscribers market share and forecast report.

"Whilst worldwide WiMAX equipment and device revenue saw a moderate decline in the first quarter of 2010, down 2% to $303 million, this decline is attributed to a seasonally slower first quarter, and does not alter our expectations for generally healthy growth through the rest of 2010. The recent defection from WiMAX to LTE by Russian operator Yota is undoubtedly a blow, but this is currently just one WiMAX operator out of nearly six hundred, so it is not yet certain whether this is the thin end of a wedge for WiMAX," notes Richard Webb, Infonetics Research's directing analyst for WiMAX.

"The WiMAX Forum's Open Retail Initiative, and the announcements made regarding the acceleration of the WiMAX 2.0 standard (802.16m), should help ensure that there is a technology roadmap and device ecosystem to support the WiMAX market in the long-term. Of course, the WiMAX community needs to see these initiatives bear fruit if it is to continue to be a credible broadband solution," Webb adds.

MARKET HIGHLIGHTS

- The US, EMEA, and Asia Pacific are the hotbeds of WiMAX activity, and Russia, the Middle East, Africa, Japan, Pakistan, and India are the engines of growth in their respective regions

- Motorola increased its revenue share lead in the combined worldwide WiMAX equipment and device market in 1Q10

- Major mobile operators with WiMAX likely will still migrate to LTE as their 4G solution, even though having an "offload" network based on either WiMAX or WiFi is becoming an increasingly valuable auxiliary component of long-term mobile broadband offerings

- The "WiMAX 2" 802.16m standard currently underway would support data rates of more than 300Mbps and backward compatibility with previous versions of WiMAX

REPORT SYNOPSIS

Infonetics' quarterly WiMAX report provides market size, market share, forecasts, and analysis for 802.16d, 802.16e, and 802.16m network equipment, devices, and subscribers, including macro, micro, and pico base stations; CPE; ASN gateways; home agents; phones; netbooks; external broadband cards; and WiMAX and WiMAX VoIP subscribers.

Companies tracked include Accton WB, Airspan, Alcatel-Lucent, Alvarion, Aviat, Cisco, GreenPacket, HTC, Huawei, Motorola, NEC, POSDATA, Proxim, Redline, RuggedCom, Samsung, Tellabs, Vecima, ZTE, ZyXEL, and others.

The report features a Service Provider WiMAX Deployment tracker following more than 300 service providers with live WiMAX services, network rollouts in progress, and trials underway, tracked by region, country, network, subscribers, and announced vendors.

RELATED RESEARCH

- Brutal first quarter for the mobile infrastructure market (http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2010/1Q10-2G-3G-Mobile-Infrastructure-Market-Highlights.asp)

- LTE market accelerating, forecast to top $11 billion by 2014 (http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2010/2H09-LTE-Infrastructure-Market-Highlights.asp)

- Mobile broadband card sales grew 55% in 2009, driven by HSPA (http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2010/4Q09-2G-3G-LTE-Mobile-Broadband-Device-Market-Highlights.asp)

- WiMAX carriers rate Alvarion, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola top, with Cisco, Huawei close behind (http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2010/CRS-Mobile-WiMAX-Vendor-Rating-Survey-Highlights.asp)

- 2G/3G Mobile, LTE, and WiFi Phones and Subscribers (http://www.infonetics.com/cgp/login.asp?sid=86)

UPCOMING MOBILE AND WIRELESS RESEARCH

See MOBILE AND WIRELESS on Infonetics' portal (http://www.infonetics.com/login):

- Mobile Services and Subscribers: Voice, SMS/MMS, and Broadband

- 2G/3G and LTE Mobile Broadband Devices and Subscribers

- WiMAX Equipment and Subscribers in Key Markets

- WiMAX Services Strategies: Service Provider Survey

- Residential Voice, Video, and Data Services: North America

- Mobile Infrastructure Product Features/Vendor Ratings: Service Provider Survey

- LTE Deployment Strategies: Service Provider Survey