According to Juniper Research, WiMAX will take 12% of DSL subscribers by 2013. “WiMAX will be an attractive offer in areas where there are no wired networks, and in areas where the existing DSL speed is suboptimal,” says report author Howard Wilcox. But apparently all is not lost. Wilcox also says, “Brand identification and service differentiation are major marketing challenges facing new WiMAX operators.”
While these types of predictions sometimes leave a lot to be desired, this one does bring home an important point. Wireline broadband carriers, especially carriers who will rely on DSL, need to ensure they bring their ‘A’ game to customer broadband experiences and the methods in which they are marketed. As 4G broadband wireless capabilities continue to improve, DSL services are increasingly at risk, in much the same way wireline voice services have been to mobile wireless.
