WiMAX Deployments Are Picking Up Speed

October 29, 2008

The commercial launch of Sprint’s "Xohm" WiMAX service in Baltimore on September 29 has captured headlines and garnered favorable reviews. While many have hailed the switch-on of the Xohm WiMAX network as the beginning of a new era, Sprint was actually the 14th operator to introduce commercial WiMAX services in the U.S., and the 126th globally.

New data from TeleGeography’s WiMAX Research Service reveal that WiMAX deployments are gaining momentum around the globe. The number of commercial WiMAX networks grew 82% between Q3 2007 and Q3 2008, from 69 to 126. This growth has been distributed across the globe: the number of commercial WiMAX networks increased by 100 percent or more in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Growth was slowest in Central and Eastern Europe, where the pace of new network launches slowed to 38 percent. However, this should prove only a temporary setback: while 18 operators now provide WiMAX service in the region, 22 companies are building WiMAX networks, and another 10 have commenced field trials.

Commercial WiMAX Networks (Sep 2006–Sep 2008)

"WiMAX network deployments should continue at a rapid pace," said TeleGeography analyst Peter Bell. "More than 100 WiMAX networks are currently being constructed, and another 90 trial deployments are underway."

Data from TeleGeography’s WiMAX Research Service is now available in the GlobalComms Database Service.