International broadband wireless (particularly fixed wireless) technologies are fragmented and flailing to find their place in the high-speed service landscape. The diverse, competing proprietary technologies confuse customers who are unsure how to parse the advantage claims of vendors. It slows adoption by carriers and creates uncertainty in the customer’s mind as to reliability and capability.

Costs are high relative to competing broadband technologies and customer growth is relatively stagnant. This is a huge problem as broadband wireless access is perhaps the best choice to solve the data needs of many potential customers in rural and remote areas of the US or even developing countries lacking the basic infrastructure to support traditional wireline broadband products.

On the Mobile side, there is great opportunity for a broadband mobile wireless standard that will deliver cheaper and higher capability broadband. Current 3G technologies arguably are less inherently efficient and costlier to deliver per transmission bit.

The WiMAX Forum ™ aims to cure these ills by creating focus in the industry, consistent and improved technological capabilities and far lower costs for all.