Vodafone joins WiMAX Forum

Vodafone Group plc has made a somewhat surprising move by joining the WiMAX Forum as a principal member.
“For a company that has historically been perceived as hostile toward the technology, does this mean that their attitude toward WiMAX has now thawed?” IMS Research queried in a report following the announcement.
Vodafone, which has already moved through the GSM to UMTS evolution path in Europe, was, like similar providers, expected to make its next step in LTE, not WiMAX. However, LTE appears to be running behind as standards are not yet fully developed.
“Indeed Vodafone’s announcement to join the WiMAX Forum only a day after announcing it was going to hold on to its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless is surely more than just a coincidence and perhaps a sign that Verizon Wireless may follow the WiMAX strategy of its main CDMA2000 competitor, Sprint Nextel Corp.,” IMS Research added in its analysis.
The WiMAX Forum is the one of the technology’s greatest cheerleaders, and with Vodafone now on board it appears it’s winning over many would-be competitors for a variety of reasons. The organization comprises more than 470 companies, including 141 operators.
Vodafone meanwhile, says it remains technology neutral, particularly in regards to its future network options. By joining the organization, Vodafone says it is merely evaluating the “full capabilities and potential of this technology.”