WiMax to break $1bn mark by 2009

Revenues from WiMax equipment are set for impressive growth, analysts report, but will continue to lag behind those from wireless LANs (WLANs).

Research company Infonetics predicts WiMax will reach revenues of $142m this year, shooting up to $1.6bn by 2009.

While the milestone is an important one for the long-range broadband technology, revenues from WiMax pale in comparison to those from WLAN, which jumped 10 per cent year-on-year to reach $2.4bn.

Infonetics expects the WLAN market to be worth $3.9bn before the end of the decade, largely driven by the enterprise segment, which will see a 120 per cent jump in revenue between 2005 and 2009.