In a head-to-head comparison, respondents to a US consumer survey prefered WiMAX over cellular data and Wi-Fi services, according to market researcher In-Stat.

The survey, conducted earlier this year with over 1,200 respondents, asked respondents a series of questions regarding their interest in various wireless broadband services.

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

• Over 50% of respondents would change their current home broadband provider for one that bundles wireless with a home broadband service.
• Respondents’ interest in cellular data decreased dramatically when presented with pricing.
• Top two service attributes used in selecting a wireless broadband provider, when not factoring in price, were availability and reliability.

At the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing, China, Intel said its Santa Rosa chipset, due next month, integrates a Core 2 Duo processor, the Mobile Intel 965 Express chips, and Intel Next-Gen Wireless N. Montevina, due in 2008, will feature integrated Wi-Fi and mobile WiMax.

Intel also announced a new Ultra Mobile product platform; the Mobile Internet Device (MID). Intel-powered MIDs run Linux with ultra low power processors.

A full UMPC using a next generation 45nm processor is demoed on the video (above). The MID devices are expected to lower the cost of Ultra Mobile PCs to around $500.

Sprint Nextel is examining a number of different options for indoor WiMAX coverage. The company is using Motorola, Nokia and Samsung for infrastructure, but Sprint has been making “some inquiries” about WiMax “pico cells and micro cells” for in-building applications, says Unstrung.

Sprint isn’t saying yet who some of its suppliers might be for its varied mini-WiMax requirements. “We can’t disclose that,” Shen says. There are, however, a diverse collection of vendors working on smaller WiMax networking gear — from Adaptix to mesh networking firm Tropos. Indoor wireless specialist RadioFrame Networks has also started to look at WiMax as a transport mechanism. (See Mobile WiMax Takes Fixed Field and Femtocells Gear Up for 3GSM.)

Gabriel Brown, Chief Analyst, Unstrung Insider, moderated a webinar; WiMax, Wireless Mesh & Muni Networks.

Hakan Eriksson, CTO, Ericsson was not very enthusiastic about Mobile WiMAX (video). He thinks HSPA will deliver the goods for the vast majority of users. There are already 2 billion cellular subscribers. In five years, mobile WiMAX may have some 30 million subs — not a convincing market share, says the Ericsson CTO.

But 4G technology, like the Long Term Evolution standard, isn’t based on W-CDMA — it’s moving to OFDMA — like Mobile WiMAX.

Posted by Sam Churchill on Thursday, April 19th, 2007 at 9:53 am.