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Embedded Chips to Drive 4G Service Demand, Says Unstrung Insider

6:15 am on August 4, 2008 | Category: Cellular, Mobile Devices, WiMAX, Wireless Technology

A major push by mobile chipmakers to embed 4G technologies into a wide range of consumer electronics will create built-in market demand for 4G services based on Mobile WiMAX and LTE in years to come, according to a recent report from Unstrung Insider.

This trend will also trigger some fundamental changes in the wireless market, fundamentally altering relationships between service providers and device manufacturers, the report predicts.

“For 4G data services to succeed, embedded technologies must find their way into a wider range of end-user devices — not just notebooks and handsets, but also consumer electronics, surveillance cameras, automotive communications systems, and more,” explains Unstrung Insider research analyst, John Blau, who authored the report. “The ultimate key to success will be the ability of chip makers to develop higher-performance, lower-power, smaller, and cheaper chips.”

“The brains to develop these chips are arguably out there, but the economies of scale needed to drive down costs will only come with sufficient demand, which is linked to network coverage — which, in turn, is linked to a complex mix of spectrum, technology, intellectual property rights, and industrial politics,” Blau added.

As mobile data technologies increase in significance, the GSM association is already studying branding strategies, so as to make HSDPA, and later LTE-enabled devices easily recognizable to consumers.

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