The Finnish-German vendor has decided to divert R&D resources away from WiMax to Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) and Long Term Evolution (LTE), and will no longer make its own standalone WiMax base station, but will rely more on partners instead, Marc Rouanne, head of radio access at NSN, tells Unstrung. "We're not stopping, cancelling, or getting out of the market," he says. "We still have a strong offering in WiMax."
NSN isn't the only major wireless vendor to divert resources away from WiMax in favor of next-generation cellular technology developments: Alcatel-Lucent announced in late 2008 it was ceasing investments in mobile WiMax but continuing to develop fixed WiMax as a "wireless DSL" technology; and Ericsson AB ceased its WiMax development efforts as long ago as late 2006.
So what impact will NSN's decision have on the overall WiMax market?
Alvarion appears to be a likely option: It doesn't have any conflicting relationships, is well established as a proven WiMax vendor, and has experience (albeit short-term) of a major vendor relationship, having teamed up with Nortel before the Canadian giant imploded.
Source: Unstrung
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