Comments on article at:http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9180584/4G_czar_at_Sprint_backs_WiMax_singularly_?taxonomyId=15

In past articles, I have noted sufficient technical similarities to allow for a WiMAX to LTE migration. In past articles, I have openly voiced support for WiMAX as a 4G technology. I still believe WiMAX is a 4G technology and a viable one to provide service to users today.

I can believe that Sprint is looking at LTE and WiMAX simultaneously. Both WiMAX and LTE can run simultaneously on the Sprint Nextel network. WiMAX can be deployed and then later migrated to LTE; not easily but it can be done.

This may alarm many stock analysts. However, no one should be alarmed. As I have said in a recent posting, it is all in the timing. The timing I am referring to is market timing and all within the context of a major recession. The recession is still on. Economists are backpedaling on their views regarding a recovery. With this level of uncertainty, do you think it is reasonable to expect Sprint Nextel to stop and re-think the deployment of WiMAX and LTE? I think it is reasonable for Sprint Nextel to rethink the deployment of WiMAX and LTE. A prolonged recession or even sever economic weakness is going to limit consumers’ ability to spend money on luxuries and necessities.

If the marketplace’s media demands can be met with current 3G technology, the carriers need to consider LTE as a 4G technology because the market has given the carriers time to develop LTE. However, LTE is not here yet and WiMAX is here. There is a market for WiMAX but not so big that it warrants Sprint Nextel to abandon all thought of LTE because by the time the market recovers sufficient time may have passed to have a commercially ready LTE. Sprint Nextel needs to consider the reality that at this time the economy is in a recession and mobile media appears to be at a critical juncture both in technology development and in market development. The recession has forced consumers to reduce spending on luxuries and necessities, which has affected the demand for WiMAX based services.

I believe that a dual path can be expensive but if both technologies are sufficiently different enough in the services they support it may be possible to write a business case to support a dual path.

At the end of the day, the consumer will decide what will happen to 4G.