How well is the industry positioned to deliver Mobile WiMAX solutions to the market and how much traction have we seen for mass deployments?

When we look back one year ago and we reflect on all that we as an industry have accomplished - it is truly astounding the pace at which we are evolving our next generation broadband solutions.

In the span of the last year, IEEE ratified the standard behind Mobile WiMAX 802.16e-2005. The industry rallying behind the WiMAX Forum succeeded in delivering the first profiles for Mobile WiMAX certification. We are seeing a host of significant market trials in every region of the world, with all types of operators - seeking basic voice and data connections to unserved communities with fixed solutions or full on high-speed data mobility with Mobile WiMAX.

We're seeing increasing numbers of operators extend their trials into full market deployments - deploying next generation access and in many cases, pairing that with next generation core solutions like IMS. These are arguably some of the most advanced telecommunications networks ever realized on the planet.

The promise of WiMAX is heavily founded on its open standard and interoperable capability. With industry plugfests and interoperability demonstrations we are already showcasing to the world that these solutions work and that we are speaking a common language between equipment vendors and operator networks and devices.

We have already witnessed the public commitments from chipset manufacturers - pointing to a large ecosystem of low cost, feature rich and appealingly designed devices.

The market's demand for high-performing, robust wireless broadband solutions is being met head-on. We are advancing at a rapid pace and are poised to change the way the world shares, connects and communicates.

Why is WiMAX well suited to address the market demand for wireless broadband systems?

With WiMAX we have all the pieces to drive the global evolution of wireless broadband,and it is a technology that was developed from the start to handle data, not as a data overlay.

Hundreds of companies have contributed to the development of the WiMAX technology, we have a large and ever growing pool of companies committing to the technology and advancing their product plans

This broad industry participation and worldwide adoption will ensure that we can realize full economies of scale, bringing the cost points for equipment as well as subscriber devices down dramatically - much the same way it has been accomplished for Wi-Fi.

We are going to see unprecedented performance with the most advanced telecommunications technologies lined up - scalable OFDMA, all IP architecture, MIMO and smart antennas. WiMAX is what happens when the smartest scientists and engineers across academia and industry decide to collaborate on a common goal.

What must operators consider for delivering services over WiMAX and integrating the technology into existing networks and systems?

There is no question that the world is moving to IP. Service providers, equipment vendors, end-users are all embracing the shift.

It's only a matter of time before IP becomes the sole global communication language that will be leveraged by all existing communications infrastructures such as telephone, cellular, cable and broadcast TV networks. IP is already universal in enterprise data networks and, of course, the public Internet.

As an all-IP based architecture, WiMAX is riding the crest of this wave. The IP roots will allow us to seamlessly move content, applications, and services across next generation networks and devices with great efficiency.

Throughput and latency-stringent applications such as voice, on demand video streaming, and interactive, online gaming will work significantly better. All-IP WiMAX architecture easily fits into an existing wired or wireless application framework. Common IP core solutions can be readily deployed - to connect across multiple access technologies and easily incorporating WiMAX into an operator's existing access portfolio.

And IP will open up a whole world of cool applications.

With the availability of low cost WiMAX chipsets, WiMAX is positioned to permeate all expanses of consumer electronics. We need to think past the outdoor and indoor CPE, the PC card, the mobile handset. Let's consider how WiMAX gets baked into the next generation gaming consoles, or mp3 players, or television set top boxes, or factory machines.

Let's think about the pervasiveness of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth but add all the benefits of wide area mobile networking with broadband speeds. It's a tremendous opportunity and just requires a bit of imagination to consider the possibilities.

With WiMAX providing the connections across a landscape of devices, we open ourselves up to a host of rich applications. Mobile TV, video telephony, real time trading, remote office, networked home. With the IP foundation we can realize the next wave of mobile broadband applications emerging from all corners of the Internet.

The industry refers to this phrase "Personal Broadband". What is Personal Broadband and how does WiMAX allow us to realize this?

With all the advancements in telecommunications technology - we have yet to realize the true promise of "personal broadband" - that is about to change.

Personal Broadband is the promise of always on, always available connectivity, allowing users to take their information and services with them when they leave the confines of their home or office. Just as cellular technology freed the world to roam and talk - personal broadband services over mobile WiMAX frees the world to connect anywhere, any time.

Compelling multi-modal devices will allow operators to seamlessly transition across multiple networks - 3G cellular, Wi-Fi, WiMAX. End-Users will have ubiquitous broadband connections that follow them wherever they may be for ready access to bandwidth-intensive, personalized, rich media content.

With solutions like Mobile WiMAX we are delivering solutions that will forever change the notion of localized broadband connections and deliver an all-IP world where connections and communications are pervasive and simple.

www.motorola.com/wi4