From 4G World: Smartphones need 4G, but (more importantly) 4G needs smartphones
This morning at 4G World in Chicago, Bill Morrow, CEO of Clearwire, described the need for 4G networks to support bandwidth hungry applications on smartphones, and we can’t agree more.
He demonstrated the difference between an iPhone’s performance using AT&T’s 3G network and an iPhone using WiFi to connect to Clearwire’s 4G WiMax network. The difference was impressive: Clearwire’s network performed beautifully for both streaming video and Google Earth, while AT&T’s network was sluggish.
Unfortunately, it is exactly this need of 4G smartphones for data capacity that will likely spell the downfall of WiMax. By our estimates, smartphones will be responsible for roughly 50% of mobile data traffic within the next five years. But the iPhone is not available with WiMax – and neither are any other mainstream smartphones.
Yesterday Kris Rinne opened the 4G World conference by laying out AT&T’s plan to forego HSPA+ and move directly to LTE, with commercial rollouts beginning in 2011. This is slightly behind Verizon’s aggressive LTE deployment across 20-30 markets planned for late 2010. The iPhone, RIM’s BlackBerry, Windows Mobile devices, and a wide variety of Android devices will all be available to run on these LTE networks.
WiMAX is a great technology, but the window of opportunity is short. Ultimately, the availability of leading smartphones, apps, and content will determine 4G winners and losers.
