Amended from The Seattle Times:
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Seattle Times technology reporter SAN JOSE, Calif. — With more people downloading music and video to
cellphones and devices, a top Sprint Nextel executive foresees the need
for a new wireless broadband technology soon to handle the traffic.
Len Lauer, the company's chief operating officer, told a wireless
broadband conference Thursday that a new technology will be critical in
a couple of years when the number of subscribers using these
applications increases and the company's current network taps out.
It is a "high-class problem," Lauer acknowledged, as wireless
subscribers expand use of high-bandwidth applications on the mobile
phone, such as gaming, watching TV, sending photos or downloading music.
At current usage rates, the networks can handle most of that
traffic; but if the services start to soar in popularity, a new
generation will be needed, he said.
It would take growth in subscriber numbers and use of these
applications to reach three hours a month to overtax the network, Lauer
said.
A likely new technology is WiMax, being showcased at the Wireless
Communications Association International conference, where Lauer
addressed a crowd of industry leaders working to standardize the
technology.
Lauer said Sprint Nextel is considering WiMax among other technologies to solve this problem.
Industry observers consider the company a key front-runner in
rolling out a wireless broadband technology because of the spectrum it
already owns.
Kirkland-based Clearwire owns the second-most spectrum in the U.S.
appropriate for wireless broadband and has rolled out an early version
of WiMax in 25 U.S. markets.
Meanwhile, two WiMax standards are under development — even as
service providers forge ahead with proprietary equipment. One is for
fixed WiMax, which would allow a person to use the service from a
stationary spot. The other is a mobile version, which would allow the
user to roam.
On Thursday, the WiMax Forum, a nonprofit that promotes and certifies
WiMax products, announced the first fixed wireless broadband-network
products to achieve true WiMax certification.
The four companies that received certification for products are
Aperto Networks, Redline Communications, Sequans Communications and
Wavesat.
The timeline for mobile WiMax is not far behind, said Jeff Orr, the forum's director of marketing.
He said interoperability testing could start as soon as August and
products could be certified by the end of the year or the beginning of
2007.
Many product vendors said, however, that certified commercial products might not be ready until 2008.
The two conflicting points of view demonstrate the parallel paths
occurring in the industry — one group waiting for WiMax standards and
another forging ahead with the proprietary equipment.
Lauer said Sprint Nextel plans to begin two WiMax trials this year.
A decision on what technology the company will use is likely by the end
of the year. Implementation won't occur until 2008.
BellSouth, which provides DSL service in the South, said it planned
to send a request to vendors today asking for mobile WiMax products
meeting its requirements as soon as possible. It currently offers fixed
technology in six markets.
Another mobile technology, WiBro, is being installed in a nationwide network in South Korea.
Clearwire, headed by wireless entrepreneur Craig McCaw, has rolled
out service in 25 markets in the U.S. and 16 internationally with
equipment from its subsidiary NextNet Wireless in Minneapolis.
"We are working with the industry to evolve the standard, but in the
meantime we are meeting the needs of the carriers and rolling out as
fast as possible," said Charles Riggle, vice president of business
development at NextNet Wireless, which provides equipment to a number
of carriers.
"We will have several million subscribers by the time the [mobile WiMax] standard is mature enough to deploy."
Orr said the WiMax Forum has to be careful that it is developing a
standard relevant to what is in the market today, which is why it is
working closely with the service and equipment providers in South Korea
and others.
"It is not uncommon to see individual vendors roll out proprietary
technology in advance of the standard. It's better than having a
standard and people not following it," Orr said.
Tricia Duryee: 206-464-3283 or
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