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An SIM Free Option for LTE Should Exist

Not sure the comparison of one-off transactions between WiMax/LTE and Wifi is valid. Most of those WiFi hotspot charges a ridiculous amount for one-off accesses (at least in US) and actually made using post-paid mobile data much more attractive. Hell even AT&T, T-Mobile USA and Sprint offers one-off hotspot free as an promotion to their DSL and 2.75G/3G+ wireless data plan packages.

What Happens to WiMax with Sprint on the Ropes?

It's ridiculous when people takes on a US centric view on WiMax deployment...

Where We're Holding on WiMAX

Xeno,

You are dead wrong on a lot of stuff.

1. WiMax is COMPLETELY different than WiFi, as a) WiFi travels on public spectrum b) cost of deployment is very cheap and can be done by consumers. WiMax travels on specific auctioned spectrum and the cost of deployment several magnitudes higher than WiFi thus ruling out any possibilities of the consumer deployment.

2. As the cost of deployment is totally bared by the carriers, you will have to pay for contracts to use WiMax, similar to your GSM/UMTS/CDMA/HSPA networks.

3. The cost of deploying WiMax network is much higher than deploying HSPA/EVDO network, as HSPA/EVDO are evolutionary network upgrades. WiMax is a complete overhaul at the equipment side (OFDM vs. TDM/CDM). Cell towers can be reused if proper licenses are granted.

Tim,

1. Both LTE and WiMax are not backward compatible with the current cellular networks.
2. Emerging economies could use *FIXED* WiMax to save cost on the backhauul infrastructure, but a) fixed WiMax are not compatible with mobile WiMax and b) *FIXED* WiMax won't provide as much bandwidth capacity compare to fiber.