Focusing on the big-picture plans for WiMAX (News - Alert) technology going forward, Infonetics Research has released the “WiMAX Services Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey.”

Although service providers plan to diversify the services they offer over WiMAX by 2012, fixed/nomadic basic broadband services dominate the WiMAX market currently, said the survey. The survey also states that there is continued demand for a broadband access "wireless DSL" solution in most regions worldwide.

Also, there are portions of the world that remain underserved and are a ripe opportunity for WiMAX, even in developed countries, according to the survey.

“Some of the strategic findings in this survey are surprising: in particular, the fact that two-thirds of the service providers we surveyed intend to use WiMAX for mobility-based services by 2012, or that over 90 percent expect to offer VoIP over WiMAX by then,” said Richard Webb, directing analyst for WiMAX, microwave, and mobile devices at Infonetics (News - Alert) Research. “This indicates a richer service environment for WiMAX in the future.”

The survey states that 64 percent of service provider respondents plan to offer full mobility by 2012 Although initially USB dongles will be the device of choice for nomadic/mobile services, full mobility is likely to be smartphone-oriented, combining data mobility and voice, states the survey. Also, availability of WiMAX-enabled mobile devices tops the list of respondents’ commercial challenges, states the survey.

As the interest in worldwide WiMAX flourishes in certain markets, a number of service providers are investing in WiMAX testing technology.

To answer this demand, Berkeley Vartronics Systems designs and manufactures portable test equipment for LTE (News - Alert), 4G and fixed and mobile WiMAX applications. The company’s YellowFin WiMAX Demodulating Tablet Analyzer is one such example of an ideal product for the testing community. YellowFin receivers perform spectrum analysis, multipath and packet demodulation all on a preamble basis while Tortoise is an OFDMA stimulus transmitter that simulates WiMAX base stations.

“The YellowFin Mobile and Fixed WiMAX analyzers are being effectively utilized around the globe to design and engineer WiMAX networks,” said Scott N. Schober, President/CEO of Berkeley Varitronics (News - Alert) Systems, Inc. “We have appreciated great success from the energy sector with the Smart Grid WiMAX deployments for both Fixed and Mobile and continue to see niche markets that WiMAX fits into perfectly for rural broadband wireless expansion. With LTE build-out going full steam ahead we are officially introducing a YellowFin LTE 700 MHz demodulating receiver at the upcoming 4G World show October 19-21st 2010 in Chicago. Both AT&T (News - Alert) and Verizon have aggressive plans for the LTE deployments going forward and are thrilled to see the YellowFin LTE analyzer being utilized in the 4G buildouts.”