Skype: Where are all the WiMAX devices?
For Gareth O'Loughlin, Skype's general manager of mobile and hardware devices, this year's Mobile World Congress show has looked to meet the challenge of bringing the Internet experience to the mobile handset. While this tired premise has garnered little fanfare, the solutions for porting the Internet experience to the mobile phone have not yet fully coalesced. The prevailing mindset of most carriers, however, has shifted in favor of a more open wireless network that discriminates less when it comes to handsets and applications. That said, O'Loughlin lamented the lack of WiMAX devices at the show.
Late last year Skype launched a Skypephone with Hutchison Whampoa's 3G carrier 3, which led to similar launches across Hutchison's carriers worldwide. "What we have shown with 3 is that Skype can partner effectively with an operator," O'Loughlin said. There is no need to maintain the mindset that Skype is a threat to mobile carriers, he added.
O'Loughlin said he is "very optimistic" about the promises of open access that major carriers in the U.S. have pledged in recent months, but he noted that no two carriers are the same. -Brian
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By Robert Veltman | Posted 10:19am | February 14, 2008
That is because there is no WiMax yet in the USA except for some small areas. Why should a device vendor attend a show when there is only a few operators that have the frequency licenses. It would be better served to put up a Pup Tent Stand in front of the corporate headquarters at Sprint and Clearwire to showcase your WiMax stuff for the USA. The rest of the world of course is allready way ahead.
By spassmeister | Posted 11:12am | February 17, 2008
ironically Fierce had a story the day earlier on a WiMAX handset being demonstrated at MWC:
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/nextwave-collaborates-on-wimax-handset/2008-02-13?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss
By Cory | Posted 12:45pm | February 18, 2008
There is very little WIMAX CPE period....I think there is one manufacturer who is shipping a Wimax PCMCIA card for laptops, and that's the only device I have seen. VoWIMAX client devices are quite a ways off, from a practicality standpoint. I would be surprised to see any voice endpoint with native WiMAX connectivity available in 2008 at all.
The growth of voWIMAX will depend upon the service provider footprint that is delivered in 2008.
By Karl J. Weaver | Posted 5:16pm | April 25, 2008
Smart Phone WiMax Phones "Show us the Money"
During the CTIA Wireless Exhibition at the Smart Phone Summit in March 31st, I gave a presentation titled "Smart Mobile WiMax Phones - Show us the Money" Of course you will not see these handset in USA yet because they are being designed by CHinese firms (ZTE, Huawei), many Taiwanese and South Korean ODMs, Japanese OEMs and some Tier #1 players like Samsung, LG , Nokia, Motorola using smaller silicon chip vendors until Intel arrives on the scene with a dual WiFI/WiMax chip for mobile devices in 2009. I displayed a Mobile Wimax handheld gaming device in my hands as I moderated a panel on Mobile Wimax handsets in Bangkok, Thailand in March. PosData lent it to me, so for all those asking where are the devices, I say hold on mate they are coming from outside the USA. By the way if you want to plant yourself somewhere to catch the wave, sit yourself down in Washington State where Clearwire is located and its only a 3 hour drive to Intel's Portland campus where Intel has already turned on Mobile WiMax for their campus, and while you are there stop by the WiMAx Forum offices to chat with them.
Anyone wanting a copy of my presentation, please email me.
Thanks,
Karl J. Weaver
Newport Technologies
Mobile: 425-260-4378
Web: www.newporttechnologies.biz
By gustavo alberelli | Posted 11:54pm | April 25, 2008
Please would be very intrensting to reed your presentation aftyer that I will sent my coments.
We have a company in 9 countries and we are holding licencies in Latin America for wimax in 3.4 and 3.6GHz
Best regards Gustavo Alberelli
cel phone 305 4397839
By gustavo alberelli | Posted 11:55pm | April 25, 2008
Please would be very intrensting to reed your presentation aftyer that I will sent my coments.
We have a company in 9 countries and we are holding licencies in Latin America for wimax in 3.4 and 3.6GHz
Best regards Gustavo Alberelli
cel phone 305 4397839
By Karl J. weaver | Posted 8:12pm | May 15, 2008
HI gustavo,
You can e-mail to me your comments and we can chat.
Cordially,
Karl Weaver