WiMAX versus LTE: Device Battle Heats Up

Sprint released its finances for the first quarter of 2010. They lost money per share, but signs exist that the company can recover with 4G and WiMAX deployments in 2010.

Sprint released some new devices for 2010, including the flagship phone, the HTC EVO 4G. It’s the first WiMAX-enabled phone available in the U.S. Sprint 4G service is available in 28 markets. Houston joined Philadelphia, Seattle, Dallas/Fort Worth as one of 28 U.S. markets to have 4G services. Sprint will continue to grow its 4G offerings as long as WiMAX has the market advantage over LTE, which isn’t available in the U.S. yet.

Clearwire and Sprint will launch WiMAX in more markets in the second half of 2010. San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Kansas City will join the 28 current markets. The consensus opinion that the EVO 4G will be released with the launch of the Kansas City market this summer.

Dell entered the smart phone market with the Dell Lightning. Details about the products were leaked, including an upgrade to LTE in 2011. It’s the first major device announcement for the LTE market. Verizon’s been pushing LTE as the future of internet. They plan to launch the service in a markets by the end of 2010. They’re going to have a problem with adapting the technology if there’s a weak device market for LTE products.

When Verizon’s LTE network launches, users will only have a choice of a few USB dongles and a home modem that might be it. It’s not going to be widely adopted as WiMAX because the device market for WiMAX is going to be stronger, thanks to devices like the EVO 4G and Clear Spot. If the Dell Lightning upgrades to LTE in 2011, it’s going to be a quality device battle in the war between LTE and WiMAX.

Dell releasing a phone shows that software builders could enter different segments of the tech device market. It’s not the first time a computer maker entered the phone market. That road’s littered with companies that want products that cross over. They didn’t deliver on promises, or didn’t deliver on the basics. Google could possibly be the company that private labels a device, operating system and markets the device, eliminating outside vendors, all under the Google brand.

One Economy recently announced its initiatives to get broadband to low income households in the U.S. They will also push digital literacy, educating people on the importance of high speed internet connection. They’re using stimulus funding from the NTIA to implement their plan. It coincides with the F.C.C.’s plan to have broadband internet become the standard form of communication. The non-profit plan should help foster the F.C.C.’s idea.

The device battle between the Dell Lightning and the HTC EVO 4G is going to be a great battle in the war of WiMAX versus LTE. The device market will be the most interesting battle in the war. It all helps with broadband internet adoption by everyone in the U.S. WiMAX leads the way in the device market. LTE promises to be faster, but what’s the point of speed when there aren’t that many quality devices that harness that speed?

Email the writer: