The global WiMAX equipment market is suffering a slowdown this year, but is set to resurge in 2010 as carriers begin to act on postponed orders, Infonetics Research predicts in a new report.
“Having grown at lung-busting speed for a couple of years, a slowdown and pause for breath for the WiMAX equipment market probably would have been inevitable even without the recession,” explains Infonetics’ directing analyst, Richard Webb. “As it is, economic conditions are exacerbating the pause, with worldwide fixed and mobile WiMAX equipment revenue down 16% from the previous quarter, and further declines expected in 2Q09. However, for 802.16e, the decline is temporary: a positive growth curve should start for the mobile WiMAX market toward the end of this year and continue through 2010.”
In recent years, growth in the WiMAX market has been fueled primarily by developing economies, but the next wave of expansion will be helped along by the development of 802.16e-based mobile broadband networks in developed countries, such as Clearwire’s growing network in the U.S.
As of the first quarter of 2009, Alvarion was the world’s leading supplier of WiMAX equipment, followed by Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, Huawei, Cisco, and Samsung.
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