Intel not dumping WiMax despite Taiwan office closure

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A report claiming Intel is closing down its WiMax Program Office in Taiwan has caused a bit of an online storm in a teacup, with some dramatically pointing to the event as a sure sign Intel is distancing itself from WiMax, while the firm laughs off such allegations.
Taiwanese news source Digitimes theatrically announced “Intel backs off WiMAX industry, dismisses WiMAX Program Office,” saying the chip behemoth was shifting employees from that group to other platform and products groups.
Intel spokesman Bill Kircos shrugged off the implications of the article, noting “As usual, these sites rarely name sources. In this case, there is some accurate info, but also some half-truths and assumptions.”

In a blog reacting to the reports, Kircos wrote, “WiMAX continues to expand, and could cover 800M potential users by the end of the year.”
Specifically in Taiwan, Kircos explained that VMAX had launched its commercial WiMAX network back in March, which now covered about three million people. In addition, VMAX and Intel have already “announced an MOU to help enable the end users’ experience in WiMAX technology through the Vee’s WiMAX network.”
Kircos points out that last year Huawei became the number one TEM, with 65 commercial WiMAX deployment contracts across the globe and that in March, Motorola announced it too had doubled the size of its global WiMAX CPE business in less than 6 months.
“All told, about 200 Intel-based laptop models are offered with WiMAX embedded inside from dozens of notebook PC makers,” said Kircos.
Talking about the Taiwan office closure, Kircos explained:
“Intel forms program offices to help create, support and get a technology, standard (and/or new customer) into market as fast as possible. We have a handful of them around the corporation. By definition, these offices are temporary.
“That office was formed some four years ago, and in that time, the standard was complete; testing and full-scale deployments have happened (>500 worldwide); and heck, even a really popular phone among several other devices have hit the market. The standards group has even identified the next generation enhanced 802.16e specification.
“So for us, the mission of getting WiMAX off the ground and in the market is accomplished. The folks working in the program office merely are being housed under our existing Intel business groups,” he added.
Some are more skeptical about Intel’s commitment to the technology in the long term, however. Speaking to RCR Unplugged today, analyst Will Strauss said he felt “Intel continues to back away from WiMAX.”
“Don’t forget, Intel wrote off a half billion dollars of its Clearwire investment last year.  Intel’s interest in WiMAX or Wi-Fi was primarily a way to get people to buy more Pentium-based products,” he said.
For its part, Intel doesn’t deny that it may eventually support LTE or other standards.
“There has never been one single wireless standard out there, and WiMAX, LTE, 3G et al will all co-exist,” says Kircos, adding “and who knows, others will probably pop up, too, in the coming years.”
He explains that Intel has already said it could potentially support both 4G WiMAX and LTE and notes “Should LTE or other wireless technologies flourish, common sense says we’d be foolish to not ensure our ambitious Atom processor growth plans in cars, phones, netbooks, tablets, TVs etc. supported multiple wireless formats.”
None of that, he claims, means Intel is backing off of WiMAX.
Strong words indeed, but only time will tell. We’ll keep you posted.