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 Originally Posted by deesugar
They are both separate technologies and what spectrum they run on is a matter of what licenses the operators own and what the optimal frequency the system works best on. Both these technologies are a huge migration for the carriers and I don't think one is much easier then the other.
Looking at the spectrum can give you valuable clues as to the role of the technology using them. For example the 8xxmhz and 1900mhz PCS spectrum are gold. That is the most valuable and useful spectrum the carriers own and they base their current networks off it. No surprise, that is where LTE is going. Sprint(now Clear) used a much higher frequency for WIMAX. Higher frequency = smaller area covered by each cell site. That is great for a dense network that need to provide a lot of bandwidth to a lot of users simultaneously. That is perfect for what WIMAX will be used for, replacing a fixed internet connection in dense urban areas. But it would be awful to build a nationwide network with. Trying to get equivalent coverage to a 8xx or 1900 network with 2500 would be unbelievably expensive once you get out of the cities.
The 700mhz spectrum Verizon bought is actually the most interesting. It gives tremendous range and will be great for rural, lower bandwidth coverage where a lot of users can share one tower that covers a ton of area. And that is Verizons goal. They have stated they will use it to provide ISP type services in rural areas using LTE as a network technology. This surprised me as WIMAX would probably be a better technology to use in that role. I imagine they decided based on economies of scale and the cost savings of using the same technology on both their networks. It goes to show just how pervasive LTE will be when it displaces WIMAX in WIMAX's own niche.
I don't think that is correct. LTE just like WiMAX is an all IP mobile network, if they are using voice over LTE then they have to be using a VoIP solution which I believe is the same goal for WiMAX.
It is correct. I dont know any other way to put it more plainly. It might be a future possibility with WIMAX but it is the way LTE will be from day one. There are a lot of things that are possible with WIMAX, the point is if no one uses it who cares? It is VHS and Beta all over again. The market picked LTE. Look how many carriers worldwide are moving towards it. Look how many are moving to WIMAX... being first isnt always the best move. Sprint jumped in the wrong direction IMHO.
Look I personally think Sprint should have gone with LTE so I'm not trying to argue on that point but it's hard to call anyone a "winner" when the network isn't even deployed. I'm just stating the facts and the fact is Sprint is first and already running a 4G network.
Oh they will. If they want to have any roaming ability at all past the 2015 timeframe they will.  VZW will keep CDMA around as long as they are contractually obligated by their roaming agreements and that is all. After that Sprint will need to follow the markets choice of network technology or face a serious drop in the area their customers can use their phones due to loss of roaming ability.
One thing to keep in mind is WiMAX was built from the ground up to be a full broadband internet access service. WiMAX targets everything from cameras to anything that today has WiFi embedded in it, not just mobile phones. WiMAX is a more open standard then LTE.
Yeah. And it might survive in that capacity. Though I am a bit doubtful. Clear spent most of their money (A few $B from Intel, google, and big cable) getting 5 cities up over what? 2 years? They cant even begin to make a profit until they have a network and installed base of WIMAX devices significantly larger then that and I question that they have the finances for such an undertaking. Sprint and the rest of their investors have their own cash flow and credit availability issues to deal with at the moment so I dont think they will be able to keep shoveling money into Clear at the rate they were. Look into their financials some time, it doesnt give you much confidence in their ability to roll out a real nationwide network.
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