Industry news

WiMAX 'set for dramatic growth'

The WiMAX semiconductor market is set for dramatic growth, one industry expert has said.

IDC predicts that as more than 200 infrastructure deployments are underway, the sector's market is in its seminal year and is likely to boom.

Flint Pulskamp, IDC's program manager of wireless semiconductors, said: "The technology has evolved from terrestrial to nomadic to mobile over the last several years and further enhancements to the standard can be expected in the months ahead."

"The next year, however, will tell us a great deal about consumers' interest and acceptance of WiMAX. With competing technologies closing the performance gap, this will be a critical period for WiMAX's future."

IDC believes that sales will rise "steeply" in 2008 because of the infrastructure buildout required to support WiMAX.

The market researcher expects worldwide sales of WiMAX semiconductors to reach $480 million (£240 million).

It maintains that the release of Intel's Montevina mobile PC platform will only further this growth.

Meawhile, a recent report by Juniper Research suggests that WiMAX will replace DSL as the preferred delivery method of broadband in remote areas.

It estimates that 47 million global subscribers will use WiMAX in five years time.