WiMAX Chipset Market to Be Driven by Mobile PCs Through 2012

(Top News, 10 Jan 2008)

The emerging WiMAX chipset market will be driven primarily by embedded Mobile WiMAX in mobile PCs through 2012. According to market research firm In-Stat, WiMAX customer premise equipment (CPE), external clients and dual-mode cellular/WiMAX handsets will also help drive WiMAX chipset volumes through 2012. Major players in the user terminal chipset space in 2007 were Sequans, Intel, Beceem, Runcom and GCT Semiconductor.

"The total WiMAX user terminal chipset market will reach almost $500 million in 2012, growing from $27 million in 2007," said Gemma Tedesco, In-Stat analyst. "Furthermore, WiMAX base station semiconductor revenues are expected to be approximately $1.4 billion in 2012, compared to $130 million in 2007."

Other findings from In-Stat are the following:
- A multitude of chipset companies completely focused on the mobile WiMAX market are expected to commercially release products in 2008, including Altair, Amicus, ApaceWave, Comsys, NextWave, Redpine Signals and XROnet.

- WiMAX Radio Frequency IC (RFIC) chip vendors—Maxim, PMC-Sierra, NXP, and Analog Devices—experienced solid wins over the course of 2007. Other WiMAX radio chip vendors include Sierra Monolithics, Atmel, and AsicAhead.

- The WiMAX base station semiconductor market is dominated by picoChip, TI, Freescale, Sequans, and Runcom.

- Intel's combination mobile WiMAX and Wi-Fi Echo Peak module, which will launch as an option to the company's Montevina mobile processor platform release in 2008, is expected to drive the adoption of embedded WiMAX into mobile PCs.

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