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First Out of the Gate: WiMax Vs. LTE

You have to consider how WiMAX will easily get in the hands of consumers. WiMAX will likely be standard in most laptops in a year or so. Many will be buying laptops that happen to have WiMAX and may not even know it. They see a hotspot, think it's WiFi and sign up. It will be a self-marketing network for Sprint and other WiMAX providers. When a self-marketing network can be demonstrated, it will be easier to find funding to rollout to other cities.

When WiMAX/WiFi combo chipsets cost the same as WiFi only (it's only about a $6-$10 difference today), existing WiFi product makers of all kinds of consumer electronics products will naturally drop in WiMAX, ideally not having to deal with carriers. Consumer electronics product makers are already tied into IEEE, which is WiFi/WiMAX. WiMAX will naturally end up in cameras, GPS devices, streaming MP3 players/iPOd, PSP/gameboy etc.

LTE is controlled by 3GGP, the telcom industry. For LTE to make it in a wide array of products, they'll have to pay device makers to put it in on a case-by-case basis. It will not occur broadly or naturally as WiMAX.

With WiMAX and 3G on Your PC, What Will Happen?

Don't forget that Sprint is also coming out with EVDO/WiMAX combo cards later this year. Sprint also roams on Alltel EVDO, which is greater than Verizon and ATT coverage (for now).

When Intel puts out WiMAX/WiFi chipsets out at nearly the same price as WiFi only, the game will be over. The laptop makers just need to drop in the chipset. With 3G, they have a lot of extra overhead to work with the carriers.

WiMAX will also likely make it to a variety of devices since its controlled by the IEEE. The consumer electronics industry is already tied to IEEE. LTE will probably not make it into a wide array of devices because it is controlled by the telcom industry. Just ask Apple how fun that has been.