Motorola and Trendsmedia Survey Reveals Predictions for Breakthrough WiMAX Applications and Keys to Adoption

WiMAX World attendees provide insight on top opportunities and challenges to WiMAX deployment

BOSTON – WiMAX World 2005 – Oct 28 2005 – As interest continues to build for WiMAX, industry participants report that interoperability and last-mile data connectivity will be leading factors in accelerating the technology’s widespread adoption. In a survey conducted by Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) and Trendsmedia, 45 percent of respondents predict that the ability to achieve seamless mobility through interoperability among various devices and networks will be the “tipping point” to WiMAX success. Motorola and Trendsmedia conducted the survey with attendees from WiMAX World, the largest-ever gathering of service providers, equipment manufacturers, operators and software makers meeting to further the understanding and advancement of WiMAX, the wireless broadband technology standard 802.16.

The survey also revealed that more than half of the respondents—57 percent—believe that the principle reason a service provider would wait for 802.16e instead of deploying 802.16d or proprietary solutions is the technology’s ability to support mobility as well as fixed or nomadic services.

According to the research and analyst firm Maravedis, WiMAX is one of the fastest growing emerging sectors within the world’s telecommunications industry, with the global market for fixed and mobile broadband solutions estimated at up to US$1 billion in 2007 and US$4 billion by 2010.

To prepare for this growth potential, Motorola has deployed several strategic initiatives. In addition to already being the second largest fixed wireless broadband equipment provider through its Canopy™product line, earlier this year Motorola announced its focus on 802.16e with its MOTOwi4™ product line of fixed and mobile broadband solutions. This week the company announced both that it will team with Intel Corporation to advance the use of mobile WiMAX technology, based on the proposed IEEE 802.16e standard for both fixed and wireless broadband applications, and that the companies have committed to work together to ensure that network and device interoperability issues are addressed adequately.

“Service providers, component vendors and system manufacturers face several issues in bringing the promise of WiMAX technology—and seamless mobility—to businesses and consumers around the world,” said Dan Coombes, senior vice president, Wireless Broadband Networks, and chief technology officer, Motorola Networks. “These survey results provide a view into the opinions of early adopters and others interested in WiMAX technology, and appear to support Motorola’s drive to deliver 802.16e solutions that offer improved quality of service as well as fixed and mobile wireless broadband.”

More than 50 percent of survey respondents believe that the most attractive or breakthrough application that will drive this use of WiMAX will be last-mile data connectivity. Although it will be used to quickly bring Internet access to communities that are not yet served, WiMAX also will augment or replace existing cellular and wireline assets. Although some confusion exists on the role the technology will play within existing infrastructures, 63 percent anticipate that WiMAX will serve as a complementary technology to networks such as 3G and Wi-Fi.

The survey was conducted online with registered show attendees and included 424 respondents. Thirty-three percent of the participants were service providers, 19 percent component vendors, 18 percent system manufacturers, and 30 percent fell under other organization descriptions.

At WiMAX World 2005, Booth # 103, Motorola is demonstrating the capability of its IMS solution to deliver Voice over IP (VoIP), end-to-end converged services and applications across today’s broadband networks and emerging WiMAX access environments. Motorola, using its IMS core and market leading MOTOwi4 Canopy™ solution, will demonstrate IP-based voice, video, conferencing services, unified messaging, ringback tones, and other SIP-based applications on multiple devices including Motorola’s Ojo™ Personal Video Phone. In addition, visitors can learn about Motorola’s Mesh Networks technology and the role it will play in a WiMAX environment.

About Motorola
Motorola (NYSE:MOT) is a Fortune 100 global communications leader that provides seamless mobility products and solutions across broadband, embedded systems and wireless networks. In your home, auto, workplace and all spaces in between, seamless mobility means you can reach the people, things and information you need, anywhere, anytime. Seamless mobility harnesses the power of technology convergence and enables smarter, faster, cost-effective and flexible communication. Motorola had sales of US $31.3 billion in 2004. For more information: www.motorola.com.

About Trendsmedia
Trendsmedia is an integrated media firm serving emerging technology markets. Founded by information technology media veterans, our mission is to help business and technology executives stay ahead of major technology trends that are likely to impact their businesses significantly within the next few years. Trendsmedia provides business and technology executives with independently researched media products to help them learn about the state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice of major emerging technology markets. For further information, see http://www.trendsmedia.com

Contact Information

Kathi Haas

Motorola Networks

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