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Sprint Nextel/Clearwire
Collaboration Is Good News for Broadband–Enabled Mobile Consumer
Electronics, Says ABI Research
Other topics: WiMAX Network Brazil,
WiMAX 2.5 GHz Chip
BUSINESS WIRE
July 31, 2007
New York, NY -- In the not-too-distant future, many digital cameras, media
players, and portable game devices will access the Internet from
anywhere with mobile broadband coverage. The recent announcement by
Sprint Nextel and Clearwire of a partnership to provide mobile WiMAX
services to most of the US population should be greeted with enthusiasm
by the consumer electronics manufacturers that are looking to introduce
mobile broadband-enabled CE products to the North American market. |
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In an earlier commentary
on this market, ABI Research principal analyst Philip Solis said, "In
the longer-term, WiMAX has more potential than cellular-based
connections for these devices. It's an IP-based network with simpler
architecture and better connection to the Internet. Sprint, with its
commitment to WiMAX, will promote such devices heavily, in the process
helping US markets keep up with Korea and Japan."
That expectation has now been confirmed by the Sprint/Clearwire
announcement. Solis comments: “As a result of the Sprint/Clearwire
partnership, WiMAX coverage will be more extensive in the United States,
so these mobile broadband-enabled devices will be available sooner and
usable in many more cities than would have otherwise been the case. That
opens the door to significant economies of scale for vendors.”
The first of this new class of products, Samsung's VLUU i70 HSDPA-enabled
digital camera, is to be joined by a WiMAX-enabled portable gaming
device from ReignCom, and at least one of the world’s major game device
makers is expected to incorporate WiMAX into the next versions of their
popular models by late 2008. “The vision of consumers enjoying online
multiplayer gaming on one of the top two portable game consoles from
virtually anywhere was, until now, a pipe-dream,” says Solis. “The
Sprint/Clearwire WiMAX rollout brings that vision suddenly much closer
to reality.”
Portable navigation/infotainment devices are also candidates for WiMAX-based
connectivity.
The first market for mobile broadband-enabled CE products will be South
Korea; Japan, and North America will follow, and eventually these
products will find markets in the rest of the industrialized world as
well.
ABI Research study, "Mobile Broadband-Enabled Consumer Electronics"
(http://www.abiresearch.com/products/market_research/Mobile_Broadband-
Enabled_Consumer_Electronics) (Due to its length, this URL may need to
be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the
extra space if one exists.), explores how the market for mobile
broadband-enabled consumer electronics (including 3G) will play out from
2007 to 2012. It examines the strengths and weaknesses of each
air-interface, and indicates which will dominate at the beginning and
end of the period. It forms part of the Mobile Broadband Research
Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Mobile_Broadband_Research
_Service)(Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into
your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one
exists.), which also includes other Research Reports, Research Briefs,
Market Data, ABI Insights, and analyst inquiry support.
Founded in 1990 and headquartered in New York, ABI Research maintains
global operations supporting annual research programs, intelligence
services and market reports in broadband and multimedia, RFID &
contactless, M2M, wireless connectivity, mobile wireless,
transportation, and emerging technologies. |
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