WiMAX subscribers could top 50 million by 2014

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A new report from Juniper Research has predicted the number of WiMAX subscribers will be close to 50 million within five years.

WiMAX

WiMAX subscribers will be close to 50 million by 2014, according to research released today.

The report from Juniper Research said the need for broadband in areas that do not have a good connection will drive up the adoption of WiMAX over the next five years, especially for locations in Western Europe and the US that are more difficult to run cable to.

Howard Wilcox, the author of the WiMAX Broadband report, said: "WiMAX 16e will have opportunities not just in developing countries but also areas of developed countries where the DSL coverage is weak or non-existent."

WiMAX has had a number of delays slowing its growth, but the report cites examples, such as Pakistan and the US, where it has been successful.

Wilcox added: "The key for the industry ecosystem now is to overcome the challenges and ensure trials evolve into commercial services quickly."

The report predicts the highest amount of subscriptions will be in the Far East and China, as they adopted the technology early, with Africa and the Middle East set to account for 15 per cent of the market.

Jennifer Scott
Jennifer Scott

Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.

Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.