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Arun Sarin reverses stance on WiMAX versus LTE

Vodafone chief exec Arun Sarin today called for WiMAX to be included into the LTE standard in order to avoid dilution of resources.

Speaking at the opening keynote session of this year´s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Sarin effectively reversed his earlier position on LTE; this time last year urged mobile operators to forge ahead with LTE plans or risk losing market share to WiMAX operators. Now it seems he sees the two technologies as complementary, rather than competing.

Sarin also told delegates that the mobile operator will declare its own hand on LTE rollout in the course of time.

More information from the opening conference session on Total Telecom´s dedicated news service later today.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

First Sarin said we think Mobile WiMAX is not ready for primtime, so they are passing on it. Then reality happened and Mobile WiMAX (802.16e) became real. So now he says Mobile WiMAX should join a deadbeat LTE? You guessed it, what he will say tomorrow. Maybe LTE is not needed, lets just use WiMAX. Sorry he can't just say it, he's paid too much for 3G that if he says it its almost like writing down his stock value. So maybe he will have to just keep quiet.

Remember these are same folks at Vodafone who claimed in 2000, WiFi or 802.11 would be dead as it is based on unlicensed technology and 3G will take over. Today WiFi is a phenomenal success, while 3G is still searching for it. So you know the 3G blokes are a bunch of ostriches in the sand who have no perception of reality whatsoever. So I believe they will get it wrong again on WiMAX and it will succeed!