Comments on: EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G: what’s the difference?

By: Gerry George

Gerry George — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:27:42 +0000

[@Hallam/Michelle] FTTH will remain elusive until there is significant demand for content beyond just the Facebook/Youtube and more “meaningful” activities are engaged online: educational, gov’t-related, and video-aspects of social networking. However, it may be driven by IPTV (particularly with Netflix and other like services pushing into the region). Also, with the falling costs of fibre, providers will eventually look at using fibre to replace their aging copper plant at some point, particularly as the ramp up of data demand will move to outstrip the ability for that old copper to keep up.

As far as WiMAX becoming a dominant 4G technology, there is still no readily available WiMAX handset. WiMAX will remain viable as a fixed-wireless last-mile option, but persons are taking their connections with them, thus the action is in the handheld arena. Based on this, I see LTE becoming the technology of choice.

[@Michelle] Local Loop Unbundling (LLU), IMO, will remain critical to achieving a fully liberalized environment, in addition to an integration of our regional geographical market spaces. A larger market would then make investments more viable due to greater opportunities for returns. Otherwise, local governments will have to use their limited (and sometimes non-existent) dollars to building out telecommunications infrastructure, effectively subsidizing the providers. Interestingly, though, a LLU regime will more likely see FTTH realized, as an infrastructure provider can choose to roll it out and simply lease it out to all providers.

The question remains, how much “interference” should there be by government in the market, vs allowing free market forces to prevail in realizing their social and economic goals?

By: mmarius

mmarius — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:50:21 +0000

In reply to Nigel Cassimire.

Thanks for pointing out the typo. It has been corrected.

Re Hallam’s question on FTTH, based on the economics involved, I am not optimistic that it will take off in the region to any appreciable extent. For there to be any comprehensive FTTH/FTTP build-out, I expect that external funding would be be necessary, as has happened in some jurisdictions (e.g. Singapore, Australia, NZ), where the govts put up the funds and implemented tender processes. Honestly, most of our countries are strapped for cash, and I am sure the telcos would not be keen to carry that financial burden…

Further, there are related issues such as Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) that perhaps need to be considered…

By: Nigel Cassimire

Nigel Cassimire — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:27:48 +0000

Looks like a typo in the final table under HSPA+ for Complicated web site.

As regards Hallam’s question, I expect that like all the cable-buildout technologies, fibre-to-the-home would go as far as the economics would take it. I anticipate that FTTH would coexist with the mobile broadband based on customer device preferences, security considerations and the like.

By: Hallam Hope

Hallam Hope — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 20:07:04 +0000

Another excellent and valuable post. One implication is should the Caribbean take some joint position on the technology standards at the coming radio spectrum ITU conference next year. And where is the Fiber To The Home debate going? Is it a case of Fiber co-existing with wireless a la 4G or a new wave of carrier competition?

Hallam Hope
Barbados

By: Snapshot: State of telecoms in the Caribbean region | ICT Pulse

Snapshot: State of telecoms in the Caribbean region | ICT Pulse — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:48:37 +0000

[…] expansion. However, both Digicel and LIME have recently launched pre-4G mobile services (see EDGE, WiMAX, 3G or 4G: what’s the difference?), which would offer more cost-effective and efficient rollout options than fixed (wired) broadband. […]

By: 7 insights on the future of technology and the Internet | ICT Pulse

7 insights on the future of technology and the Internet | ICT Pulse — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:58:05 +0000

[…] « EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G: what’s the difference? […]