At the start of 2009, we wrote about a few setbacks for Wimax and believed this to be a make or break year for WiMAX. We were also concerned that it might not survive till 2010.
As 2009 draws to a close, Wimax is stronger than ever with 146 countries using the wireless broadband technology. Spread across these countries are 519 deployments and a whopping 30 million users for Clearwire alone (link).
Stronger global growth also spells more support by chip makers, though it may take some months into the new year before we start to see a wider array of Wimax devices.
Now for the situation in Pakistan. The future of Mobilink’s Infinity service is in doubt, though their website still announces that they exist. However, it is still limited to Karachi with no signs of reaching other cities.
Both Wateen and Wi-Tribe have sustained the downturn and are still operating in the major cities of Pakistan. Both providers have slashed their rates and continue to come up with some great new offers. Wi-Tribe now provides a unit with Wi-Fi support, as well as a USB dongle which is excellent for those on the move.
Though it may be going pretty strong globally, Wimax faces stiff competition in Pakistan where there are numerous options for Internet connectivity. At least that’s the case in the major cities.
The competition mainly comes from more readily available DSL/Fiber offerings and other wireless services, such as PTCL’s EVO. This may be offset once the devices we mentioned above hit the market, though it may take another year for this to be clear. In the meantime, enjoy the broadband.
