Alcatel-Lucent and Motorola Runaway Leaders in Mobile WiMAX Market

(Business News & Technology News, 16 Sep 2008)

As of the second quarter of 2008, Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) and Motorola together account for over two-thirds of worldwide mobile WiMAX equipment revenue, according to market research firm Infonetics Research. Just one quarter ago, the two market leaders captured roughly half the worldwide market.

According Infonetics' report, WiMAX and Wi-Fi Mesh Network Equipment and Devices, Alvarion continues as the clear leader in fixed WiMAX, garnering roughly a quarter of the worldwide market in 2Q08.

"The big WiMAX story of the quarter is the huge ramp-up in mobile WiMAX equipment revenues by Alcatel-Lucent, which more than doubled its revenue in 2Q08; Motorola posted a hefty increase as well. ALU's gain was due mainly to a dramatic increase in access service network (ASN) gateway shipments, having shipped more than six times its nearest rival, Motorola. These shipments make ALU the first major integrated vendor to reap the rewards of an 'open WiMAX' policy, a policy that enables vendors to sell ASN gateways into networks where they are not necessarily the base station vendor," said Richard Webb, wireless analyst for Infonetics Research.

Other highlights from the report include:
- Worldwide fixed and mobile WiMAX equipment revenue topped $402 million in 2Q08, up 3 percent from 1Q08
- As the overall WiMAX market continues to gain momentum, double-digit quarterly sequential revenue growth will continue through 2008 as more WiMAX networks are rolled out and scaled up
- WiMAX is gaining traction, with more than 200 networks now being deployed and more than 100 other trials in progress; the market will be increasingly driven by more Tier 1 operators entering the market
- Developing countries are the engine for WiMAX market growth, with Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Central and Latin America, and parts of the Asia-Pacific being hot-beds of activity. In particular, India, Russia and Brazil are fast- moving markets with numerous active WiMAX operators and large populations and market conditions to give potential for strong growth
- The number of fixed and mobile WiMAX subscribers topped 2 million worldwide in 2007 and is expected to triple by the end of 2008

Click here for more information on Infonetics Research