With 3G having seen lack luster performance in mobilizing the Internet, the media and communications industries are migrating to more advanced technologies with the intention of improving the underlying performance and economics for delivering broadband services. Advanced technologies such as 3G-LTE, UMB, mobile WiMAX, are being touted as the migratory technologies towards 4G, with the support of technologies like 802.11n, and WiFi-mesh. As these technologies come to market it remains to be seen how well they perform relative to service demands. The open mobile Internet environment created with 4G will challenge the traditional service provider business models and dramatically lower the barriers for new entrants to penetrate the market with a variety of innovative solutions. It is competition derived from these innovative solutions that will drive the 4G market.

Introduction

As the media and communications industries grapple with 3G, and the mobilization of the Internet, 4G is emerging on the horizon with the promise of enabling the economic delivery of high bandwidth services to a plethora of cellphone, consumer electronic and computing devices. Traditionally 4G has been considered the realm of the mobile service providers, with the notion that they would migrate their legacy 3G networks to 4G once the technology was available and market demand evident. However advanced technologies like WiFi-mesh, 802.11n and WiMAX provide opportunities for fixed and broadband service providers and new entrants to offer portable and mobile Internet solutions that challenge the traditional position of mobile operators.