Giancarlo argues that DSL and cable are already in place, and it will
be hard for WiMAX to penetrate their bases. By the time WiMAX is
mobile, 3G will be well established, he notes.
Giancarlo reminded listeners at his speech that many wireless
technologies have come and gone over the years without finding
success. “This is what went wrong with MMDS (multichannel multipoint
distribution system) and LMDS (local multipoint distribution system),”
says Giancarlo. “The economics became very bad very quickly.”
Giancarlo’s comments seem to contradict Cisco's recent activities, and
the fact that Cisco, perhaps more than any other vendor, stands to
benefit from the shift to all-IP wireless broadband that WiMAX could
accelerate, according to some analysts. Cisco has been in the
forefront, with Intel, of lobbying for new spectrum for broadband
wireless, including below 2 GHz. The Intel model of open IP access
from mobile devices, rather than closed cellular walled gardens, is
clearly at the heart of the networking giant's interests.
A Cisco spokesperson did not return repeated phone calls for comment.
Members of the WiMAX Forum, such as Intel, declined to comment on the
news, stating that each company must do what it determines to be in
its best interest.
Some members of the WiMAX Forum believe Cisco’s action won’t stop the
momentum for WiMAX. Ken Stanwood, president and CEO of Cygnus
Multimedia Communications, says he’s not deterred by Cisco’s
announcement.
“Cisco has been classically an infrastructure company, so it sounds
like a prudent move,” Stanwood says. “I don’t see it as surprising or
disappointing. They could help push WiMAX if they announced that they
wanted to develop WiMAX but I don’t see this announcement deterring
other companies focused on WiMAX at all.” |
