With the impending launch of LTE, many early backers of WiMAX are worried. By the end of 2010, WiMAX will have 11 million subscribers worldwide. Still, LTE will be launched by carriers in 55 countries over the next 2 years, which should accelerate growth of the new 4G technology.
WiMAX might have gotten a head start when it comes to the next generation wireless broadband sweepstakes, but the technology is beginning to feel the heat from its rival, Long Term Evolution aka LTE. New data from research firm Telegeography shows that by 2015, LTE will have seven times as many users as WiMAX.
Not only does LTE bring speed, but it also has some potential drawbacks. Louis Carrara, VP of business development at Gemalto, told PC Mag that allows for openness, sure, but it also makes provisions for networks to be totally locked down. Gemalto is the world’s No. 1 maker of SIM cards.
Verizon LTE phone users will most likely be able to swap SIM cards between Verizon devices, Carrara said. That’s a key part of the LTE spec.
But there’s also a feature in the SIM cards which reports back to the network what device the SIM is in. (That’s not true of most GSM SIMs.) That means Verizon could choose to lock out non-Verizon LTE devices, or require that a device logging in have a specific service plan.
So, while we will see mobile technology get faster and more advanced with features like NFC for secure mobile payments, LTE may give carriers more ability to monitor and control what we do with our beloved mobile devices.