CDMA and EV-DO: Not Dead Yet
Although most publicity and headline grabbing stories in the mobile sector have focused on LTE versus WiMAX and the growth of HSPA/HSPA+, the role of CDMA2000 and EV-DO in mobile broadband for several years to come should not be overlooked. Indeed on a global stage it is now and will remain significantly more important than WiMAX.
There has been a tendency to overlook the global role of CDMA2000 and its data offshoot EV-DO in mobile broadband. This tendency was sparked by the decision by the most prominent CDMA 2000 operator Verizon Wireless to join the LTE camp and not even deploy EV-DO Rev. B as the next step in enhancing its established networks (although some unconfirmed rumors about this upgrade have surfaced, at least for some selected areas), and has been reinforced by the huge surge in GSM growth in Latin America.
CDMA2000 operators there have been downplaying their CDMA2000 networks as they launch GSM and more recently WCDMA-based networks. However, it should not be forgotten that there are some significant CDMA2000 operators outside the Americas, notably in Asia, which are committed to upgrading their networks along the CDMA2000 technology road map, including but not limited to EV-DO Rev. B.
One forecast of EV-DO projects over 355 million subscribers worldwide in 2014 (Wireless Intelligence). While this number is only a fraction of the 2 billion or so HSPA subscriptions that are anticipated by 2015, nevertheless it is much larger than typical forecasts for mobile WiMAX customers in 2015, which come in around the 60 million mark.
So despite all the Sturm and Drang that have surrounded and been generated by the WiMAX camp, the 3GPP2 ecosystem for CDMA2000, which has abandoned its attempt to develop an OFDMA-based competitor to LTE and next generation WiMAX (802.16m), remains a substantially more significant factor in ongoing mobile broadband deployments than mobile WiMAX.
Since 3GPP2 has a much larger base than WiMAX on which to build, it should be no surprise if, as I expect, vendors and components suppliers decide not to pursue the commercial development of 802.16m systems but stop with 802.16e Enhanced.
CDMA and EV-DO << Do you think there technologies have legs?
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