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WiMAX mobile "will work, but beware spectrum problems" - Horsebridge

David O'Connor has warned that, according to his latest report on the "global business opportunity" of WiMAX wireless, the situation isn't a clear-cut one - and unlicensed spectrum is not the way to go.

Horsebridge Network Systems has released a report, "which pins the global business opportunity of WiMAX at a projected $53 billion in mobile revenue by 2011," according to TelecomView.

Horsebridge managing director David O'Connor warns that while WiMAX clearly presents a huge business opportunity, "its success will be predicated by the ability of service providers to deliver high quality of service to their customers."

And in the UK, people are pretending to have WiMAX - but don't, he says. "The current situation is such that only two providers own the licences to operate WiMAX. Despite rampant misunderstandings that other firms are serving WiMAX networks, the firms with exclusive rights to WiMAX have not yet launched their networks in the UK," he said yesterday.

The difference is important, O'Connor says: "In the UK today some firms are claiming to have WiMAX, but they're not operating under the only spectrum which has been ratified for WiMAX - the 3.5GHz spectrum."

And the reason that's important: wireless congestion. "It's possible to utilise WiMAX-style technology over other unlicensed spectrums, including bands typified by WiFi or radio such as 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz. However, a true WiMAX network can only be run over the 3.5GHz spectrum and this has not yet been done in the UK."

Quality of service over a public frequency band "can quickly become an issue, as interference can either reduce throughput or quality of service, or both," said O'Connor. Faced with this situation some providers would focus on maintaining quality of service but then the speeds of transmission dip so low that users experience a serious network slowdown.

<1/>"When using the network for business critical communications, it could have severe implications on business continuity. Therefore our viewpoint is that the business opportunity presented by WiMAX is exclusive to the spectrums that have already been ratified."

O'Connor concludes: "The five mobile operators that own 3G licences in the UK also have a sideband which may eventually be ratified for WiMAX. If that does occur, the operators still may not be motivated to sell off the sideband licences when they're already struggling to increase their return on their 3G investments."