Proof that Len Lauer, former COO of Sprint Nextel, is fully indoctrinated at Qualcomm: The new Qualcomm EVP and group president during the Wireless Innovation Conference knocked WiMAX, saying it is more expensive to deploy than cellular networks and also doesn't offer anymore bandwidth than 3G. Lauer said: "On the down link [WCDMA] can run 2 to 4 to 6 to 8 MB per second and that is similar to what we are getting with cable modems throughout the world. It's an assertion that WiMAX can only deliver these speeds, and you can't do that with WCDMA and CDMA. In fact you can." Lauer also points to reports of bad reviews of South Korea's WiMAX network: "If you look at it now in South Korea there are a number of press articles written that the results are very disappointing. They only have a few thousand users. But if you look at CDMA or WCDMA where there are hundreds of thousands to millions of users."
Despite buying the mobile WiMAX assets of TeleCIS, Qualcomm remains on the naysayer side of WiMAX. The CDMA champion said the purchase will bolster its expertise in OFDMA technology, which promises to be the basis for a number of technologies, including the migration road map for CDMA 1xEV-DO and HSDPA. Qualcomm, which has yet to support WiMAX, said it may enter the market if it sees a business case and demand for products. Remember the company bashed WiFi but later entered the market.
For more on Lauer's anti-WiMAX talk:
- check out this GigaOM article
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