Regulatory plans could bolster WiMAX’s future in Europe

WiMAX technology appears to be gaining a foothold in a handful of European markets with a number of trials already underway, and the ITU agreeing to include OFDM-based technologies in the IMT2000 standard, according to ABI Research.
The report noted that the ITU’s decision will place mobile WiMAX on the same footing as 3G mobile when it comes to using the 3G extension bands, which are currently earmarked for the 2.6 GHz band, and potentially existing 3G bands.
“This is a good sign for technology neutrality becoming the accepted approach for spectrum auctions in the future,” said ABI analyst Ian Cox. “Mobile WiMAX products will start to appear in 2007 and can be used in unpaired spectrum, giving them an opportunity not available to UMTS.”