The global telecommunications industry is on the cusp of major change, and operators are approaching critical decisions about their 4G strategies, as mobile WiMAX (802.16e) starts to move from trials and pilots to the first real-world WiMAX network deployments.

As described in a new study from ABI Research, mobile operators and other service providers are planning mobile WiMAX networks all over the world, mainly in the 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands. “The mobile wireless industry is in a state of major change as mobile operators decide which IP-OFDMA path they will take for their 4G networks,” says principal mobile broadband analyst Philip Solis. “The new and unproven (on a large commercial scale) mobile WiMAX has positioned itself against the potential Goliath that LTE (Long Term Evolution) is expected to become.”

Just a little over a year ago, most people thought the United States would only see deployments of fixed WiMAX in rural areas with no DSL or cable modem service. During the summer of 2006, however, those who did not see the bigger picture got a reality-check. In July, Clearwire made a firm commitment to shift its proprietary network to mobile WiMAX, receiving investments from Intel and Motorola. Shortly afterwards, Sprint Nextel announced its plans to deploy mobile WiMAX to make use of its extensive 2.5 GHz spectrum, becoming the first major mobile operator to commit to WiMAX.

Redline Communications will feature live, over-the-air IPTV demonstrations using its WiMAX Forum Certified RedMAX family of products at WiMAX World USA from October 10 - 12, 2006. WiMAX World USA attendees can experience live IPTV demonstrations over the world's first complete WiMAX-certified system at Redline's booth No. 505.

Nortel unveiled a new demonstration of real-time, multimedia IPTV and IMS services over a live high-speed, 4G WiMAX network. The demonstration, shown at the WiMAX World trade show in Boston, October 10-12, emphasizes Nortel's expertise in delivering personalized, advanced IP-based broadband services across any device - TV, telephone, PDA - and accessed from any network - wireless or DSL/cable.

Nortel's demonstration shows a variety of ways TVs and other devices can be used for personalized, high-speed communication and entertainment services such as broadcast video, video-on-demand, VoIP, instant messaging, gaming and click to call.

Alcatel and KT announced that they are working together to accelerate the adoption of the new Broadband Wireless solution known as mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e). Within the framework of this agreement, both companies have decided to establish a new center in Seoul that will serve as a venue for conducting interoperability tests of WiBro*/mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) infrastructure with WiMAX-enabled devices and to showcase WiMAX technology. Both companies will also develop new mobile broadband applications that leverage the potential of mobile WiMAX for the worldwide market.

Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe (FME) announced the successful demonstration of a fully functional, IP-based video-on-demand application at the Wireless Broadband Forum in Cambridge, UK. The solution combined FME's AXEL-F, ETHOS and WiMAX devices to deliver a high-resolution video-stream from a server across optical and wireless networks to an end user.

The demonstration network was developed to comply fully with the protocols that will form the backbone of the next generation of wireless broadband roll-out, such as Ethernet over SDH/SONET (ETHOS) (MB87M2181) and WiMAX (MB87M3400). This demonstration proves FME has the capability to offer a cost-effective, highly-integrated solution that will provide a fast route to market for Telcos.

VeriSign, Inc., provider of intelligent infrastructure services for the Internet and telecommunications networks, and Airspan Networks, worldwide provider of broadband wireless access networks, including 802.16-2004 and 802.16e WiMAX systems, announced that Airspan has selected the VeriSign ® Custom Device Certificate Service to help prevent the pirating of broadband wireless services. Airspan will embed VeriSign digital certificates in its WiMAX- certified customer premises equipment devices (CPE), allowing them to meet security requirements for 802.16-2004 and 802.16e WiMAX standards, and to prevent device cloning and service pirating. Airspan is the first company to deploy these VeriSign services in its 802.16 WiMAX platform.

Motorola announced its commitment to developing WiMAX in Asia Pacific at the Wireless Broadband Week 2005 conference held in Singapore October 18-19.

Motorola's commitment to develop WiMAX in Asia Pacific will be backed by its global drive to provide operators with improved wireless broadband networks through increased R&D, business alignment and industry alliances. Motorola is focusing its efforts on developing WiMAX 802.16e solutions that provide mobility as well as fixed and nomadic access.

PanAmSat announced that it was joining forces with KenCast, Inc. and Trinity Workplace Learning to demonstrate the first satellite-delivered live video to handheld devices. Taking place at the WiMAX Forum Plenary, on July 12 and 13 in Vancouver, Canada, a live video stream from Trinity's facilities in Dallas, TX will be uplinked to PanAmSat's Galaxy 11, then encoded and transcoded by Kencast to handheld devices at the Vancouver trade show. Sponsored by Intel and many others, the WiMAX Forum Plenary is one of the industry's leading events for showcasing the application of WiMAX technology.

The Red Herring writes, "While the communications industry has been waiting on a WiMAX standard for over a year, and companies have been worrying over the technology's place in the wireless world, AT&T is one of the biggest carriers around willing to envision a WiMAX future." The article explains that AT&T will be using the new "Rosedale" chipset from Intel to launch a small business-based WiMAX trial in Middletown, New Jersey, during May.