Is Municipal Wi-Fi dead? How will the Sprint-Clearwire divorce affect the future of WiMAX in the United States? Will Sprint spin off its WiMAX holdings? How “Open” is “Open Source?” Is Google really serious about buying 700 MHz spectrum and building its own nationwide wireless network? Will Android finally break down the cellular “walled garden?”

Advances in cellular technology have created a whole new subset, the smart phone. Currently 24% of all cell phones are smart phones and many more millions of phones are Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) accessing the Internet.  Much has happened in the Broadband Wireless space over the past year, and as 2007 comes to an end, one can only imagine how the effects will be felt in 2008 and beyond. 

Society’s twofold demand for mobility and greater broadband speeds will spur the industry to create new devices and improve upon existing technology. Case in point:  as you are reading this, Sprint Nextel is testing WiMAX in Chicago and other cities. Devices that are compatible with the latest iteration of Wi-Fi, 802.11n, will offer consumers double the speed and range. 3G technologies are evolving and the cellular carriers are announcing their choice of 4G technologies.
   
The future of broadband wireless will see a convergence of technologies and protocols. Vendors will introduce dual mode phones utilizing both 3G and Wi-Fi or 3G and WiMAX. Mesh networks will combine both Wi-Fi and WiMAX to extend its reach.

With a plethora of opportunities in front of them, broadband wireless carriers and vendors will see significant market growth as more people adopt these new and exciting technologies.

For more insights into where the Broadband Wireless Service Providers are now and where they are heading, please call us now at (312) 980-7823 or send us an email at info@nprg.com.  Our new Continuous Information Services offers client-customized portals which give clients accurate, current, and actionable information and analysis, including the ability to request specific research needed to stay competitive.