Infonetics report focuses on WiMAX growth

The WiMAX market is expected to grow to $7.7 billion by 2011, predicts research firm Infonetics Research in a new WiMAX and Mesh Network Equipment and Devices report.
Infonetics said the WiMAX market grew 11% during the fourth quarter and 46% for the entire year. The firm said the fixed and mobile WiMAX equipment market nearly reached $800 million in 2007. The technology has been deployed in more than 80 countries.
“Several recent developments are giving a boost to the WiMAX market,” said Richard Webb, wireless analyst for Infonetics Research. “Among the most significant developments: Cisco’s acquisition of mobile WiMAX vendor Navini Networks, the market entrance of specialist ASN gateway vendor WiChorus, the launch of WiMAX phones and Ultra Mobile PCs, and the new Open WiMAX initiative, which promotes disruptive, all-IP open WiMAX architecture, and should lead to best-of-breed solutions with inter-vendor interoperability.”
Infonetics estimates the number of worldwide WiMAX subscribers topped 2.2 million last year, the majority of which were fixed WiMAX subscribers. Alvarion leads the worldwide fixed WiMAX equipment market, followed by Airspan, and Motorola Inc. leads the mobile WiMAX equipment markets, followed by Samsung, said Infonetics.