ABI: WiMAX early leader in next-gen deployments

The battle (wink, wink*) between next generation technology standards LTE and WiMAX has started to heat up as the first commercial LTE networks are just now coming on line and the U.S. set to host a rivalry once Verizon Wireless begins to commercially roll out LTE services to challenge Clearwire Corp.’s growing WiMAX presence.
(*This is not really much of a direct battle as most observers and players involved have admitted that the spectrum requirements for both technologies pretty much leaves those with FDD-based, or paired, spectrum moving towards LTE and those with TDD-based spectrum looking at WiMAX. This is an oversimplification of the spectrum issue as both the LTE community and WiMAX community have made moves to allow support for both spectrum types.)
While many analysts have predicted LTE will be the long-term winner of the battle in terms of total number of subscribers, current data shows that the WiMAX camp has the gloating honors.
According to a new report from ABI Research, 164 mobile WiMAX networks were either in trials or commercial deployment at the end of 2009, compared with just over 100 LTE trials announced at the end of last year.
“While LTE does promise data speeds greater than 50 [megabits per second], they have yet to be achieved by live or trial networks, whereas mobile WiMAX is now a tried and tested standard,” noted ABI Research analyst Bhavya Khanna.
For mobile WiMAX backers, Clearwire’s efforts in the U.S. are being closely watched as the carrier said it plans to cover 120 million potential customers by the end of the year. The service has already gained more than 650,000 customers, a number that is expected to increase as its wholesale partners, including Sprint Nextel Corp., Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable, begin more aggressive marketing plans.
For LTE, the technology garnered it first commercial launch earlier this year when TeliaSonera providing service to “pilot” customers in Stockholm, Sweden, and Oslo, Norway. Domestically, Verizon Wireless has launched trial networks in Seattle and Boston, and plans to cover more than 100 million pops with commercial service by the end of the year. AT&T Mobility is also planning an aggressive LTE rollout beginning in 2011.
ABI added that it has tracked 242 WiMAX contract announcements around the world, compared with only 38 for LTE, and that WiMAX devices are currently far outpacing those supporting LTE.