WiMAX Equipment Market Grew 286% in 2006

Telecom News Editorials Reports Glossary

6:15 am on March 23, 2007 | Category: Business, Wireless Technology, WiMAX

The ever-growing market for WiMAX broadband equipment almost tripled over the course of 2006, according to an Infonetics Research report, with global revenues reaching $549.2 million, 286% higher than in 2005.

WiMAX equipment sales totaled $226.5 million in the fourth quarter alone, including $45.8 million in revenue from Mobile WiMAX, a technology that was only certified early last year.

“2006 was a landmark year for the WiMAX industry, with service provider trials moving to service launch phase in many areas, fixed WiMAX deployments accelerating rapidly in developing countries, and mobile WiMAX products coming to market for the first time,” commented Infonetics analyst, Richard Webb, who worked on the report.

“The mobile WiMAX market in particular is showing signs of a healthy future, with the infrastructure, components, and handset ecosystem now coming together-boosted by the significant announcement of Sprint-Nextel in 2006,” Webb went on to say.

The small but rapidly expanding outdoor mesh Wi-Fi sector also had a good year in 2006, posting overall growth of 257%, to reach $392.1 million.