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Multi-mode LTE chips predicted for 2009, WiMAX for "developing nations"


We may be savoring just a small taste of WiMAX here in these United States, forced to wait until "2010+" before getting to know the robust flavor of LTE (the next, next high-speed wireless standard), but that's not stopping analyst Philip Solis from predicting that multi-mode chips supporting both standards will be introduced sometime next year, ahead of LTE itself. He indicates that numerous providers like Vodafone are hedging their bets (though we know where CEO Arun Sarin is placing his), and so therefore mobile device makers should follow suit by supporting both formats in their laptops, netbooks, and MIDs. We're inclined to say he might actually be a year too pessimistic on that call, but more interesting is his comment that wireless broadband providers "will use LTE in industrialized regions, and WiMAX in developing nations." We're sure that Baltimore has some issues it needs to address, but labeling it a "developing nation" bit seems a bit harsh.