Fixed WiMax is dead, says Motorola

SA needs to roll-out the 802.16E WiMax standard, and is, to some extent, in a more favourable position to do so than many developed markets, as it has less legacy technology to migrate from.

Andy McKinnon, Motorola's WiMax principal for the EMEA region, said yesterday it is a "no-brainer" that any greenfield project in SA would adopt the new-generation WiMax standard, which offers full mobility.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 3GSM World Congress, in Barcelona, Spain, McKinnon explained that Motorola never brought out the 802.16D standard.

"We never believed in it. It was an important milestone, but in the end it was a trial technology to test the market."

McKinnon pointed out that the broadband market in 16D is "very difficult", as it is fixed. This, he said, means WiMax network operators would have to take on fixed-line incumbents.

"Let's look at the South African situation. How do you take on Telkom within a fixed-only environment?"

Mobile broadband, he stated, is important and can compete significantly with fixed technology. In addition, McKinnon believes 16E is capable of outperforming 16D in a fixed environment, as the actual radio technology is better.

"The South African market is prolific in mobile broadband. HSDPA was a huge success - it's proven mobile broadband. The next phase of mobile broadband for SA is probably increased capacity and greater download speeds."

This can be delivered in a cost-effective way through highly spectral-efficient technology - and that is what WiMax is, but only in 16E, McKinnon noted. This is the only way to deliver something comparable to HSDPA, he explained.

"That's why we've spent all our R&D bucks on 16E. Why wireless as opposed to fixed? Infrastructure. More and more, any greenfield site, any country that doesn't have broadband, isn't considering digging up roads anymore."

McKinnon refused to be drawn on details about which potential South African clients Motorola is currently bidding for to supply next-generation WiMax networks, but conceded there is more than one.

However, he stressed that one of the underlying messages of the 3GSM World Congress is that WiMax has arrived as a technology, on a global scale.

"It's no longer considered a potential. It's no longer hype; it's real. And when you think about some of the investments that have been made... and some of the public commitments... it's real, and we're rolling it out.

"This is not just a technology play; it's got to make sense. And this is where we really feel WiMax is a technology that cannot only address a developing market, but also a developed market. We have trials and commercial roll-outs in countries in both camps - it offers synergies in both, and opportunities in both."