Qualcomm: WiMax doesn't scare us

Qualcomm has hit back at claims that the arrival of mobile WiMax will compromise the success of 3G.

Jeff Belk, senior VP at Qualcomm, told silicon.com: "The WiMax guys are saying existing 3G is 'disruptive' in terms of performance. At this point, that's patently false."

With the first pre-WiMax rollouts starting to arrive in Europe, Belk also criticised the lack of facts and figures provided by proponents of the technology.

With the first full standards yet to be published for mobile WiMax, speeds of between 10 and 75Mbps and ranges of 3km to 50km have been bandied about by various would be WiMaxers.

Belk said: "It's time for some real data to enter the debate... There's a real, real dearth", adding on speeds and range: "I feel there's a concerted effort to provide disinformation".

However, with big names like Intel publicly declaring their support, WiMax will eventually make an appearance – although how far it makes the leap beyond backhaul is under discussion.

Several analysts – not to mention vendors betting on the long-range broadband technology – have predicted that come 2007, laptops will be packing WiMax functionality. Qualcomm's Belk disagrees.

He said: "Folks from the WiMax Forum will talk about how it will suddenly show up in laptops. I've been in first-hand conversations with basically all the key laptop makers and they have no magic wand I can see."

That said, Belk believes WiMax is not without a future. "I'm never going to say that a wireless technology won't come to fruition – with time, money and smart people any thing can come to fruition," he said. "It's not undoable but it's certainly not trivial."

And, like any other standard, Belk is predicting an uphill struggle for the evolution of WiMax.

He said: "EV-DO [developed by Qualcomm] wasn't without its warts in rolling out, both in the network and... the laptop side, just as HSDPA [an upgrade to W-CDMA 3G networks] won't be without its warts and, frankly, neither will be WiMax. That's painfully clear."