WiMAX, 3.5G, HSDPA, Wireless Broadband, Global: Visitors to the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona last year would have been highly impressed by the rise and rise of 3.5G technology, sometimes called HSDPA. AS this year’s event is now upon us, it is a worthwhile exercise to look at where 3.5G has made its breakthroughs and whether it will mount a challenge to highly-publicised WiMAX/4G technology.

Recent surveys by the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) have shown just how much 3.5G technology is powering the increase in mobile broadband deployment. In fact, by the end of last year there were over two thirds more HSDPA networks in the world than at the start of the year. For growth was no less than 69%.

Coupled to the number of commercial networks using the 3.5G transmission protocol, it is clear that the telecoms landscape is being rapidly changed. Seventy-five countries are enjoying the benefits of 166 HSDPA systems. By December this year, the total will top 200, namely 204 networks in no fewer than 89 countries.

There is no discrimination between developed and emerging markets. The 61 networks in Western Europe have been exceeded in total at least by the 34 networks in Central and Eastern Europe, 20 in the MENA region, and 16 in the Americas and Caribbean. Less easy to break down into developed or developing users is South-East Asia with 35 networks.

What is certain is that the criticism of 3G’s low download speed (0.384Mb/s) has been taken to heart and acted on. HSDPA can in theory attain up to 7.2 Mb/s and even the actual speeds of 0.8 Mb/s and 3 Mb/s.

Growth is clearly being driven. GSA research reports major rises in subscription numbers and operators’ bottom lines. This latter calls into question the role of 4G or WiMAX, which has been widely reported on the Developing Telecoms site. For another company carrying out analysis, Jupiter Research, HSDPA is the driving worldwide for mobile broadband, albeit that he market is still at a nearly stage. The problem for WiMAX, in the opinion of Jupiter Research, is that it will only be a threat to 3.5G in 2010 because of the substantial infrastructure changes required to enable it. Where 3.5G scores is that upgrading current 3G software can bring 3.5G into play very quickly and very cheaply.

WiMAX clearly has a problem to surmount.

More info: www.gsacom.com