A new report from market research firm In-Stat has found that
even though
WiMAX provides the right mix of features and pricing to appeal
to consumers, enterprise users
will provide a challenge to WiMAX operators
primarily based on the business users' need for ubiquitous,
business-class coverage.
“While early WiMAX network coverage will not be as large as
3G cellular, it will be adequate to appeal to consumers,”
explained Daryl Schoolar, In-Stat analyst. “When respondents were
presented with service examples and picked the one they most
preferred, the one representing WiMAX was picked more than
two-to-one over the one representing 3G cellular data. Service
descriptions include information on coverage, network performance,
pricing, and usage limitations.”
Respondents from the survey indicated marked interest in a
wireless broadband service that will allow them to connect multiple
devices under a single service plan. They suggested that they
wanted a service that could meet both their at home and away
Internet needs.
In-Stat believes that fixed broadband operators are vulnerable
to losing subscribers to WiMAX. Survey respondents reported
increased usage of public wireless.