Research Firm Frost & Sullivan says all eyes are on WiMAX for fixed-mobile convergence, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. "WiMAX is poised to cause a major upheaval in the telecommunications industry," says Sin Siew Teyew, Asia Pacific head of telecoms research at Frost & Sullivan. "The added mobility and farther range it offers over its predecessor Wi-Fi, and greater bandwidth over 3G, further strengthens its appeal."

"The increased activities surrounding BWA (Broadband Wireless Access) spectrum allocation in Asia Pacific in 2005 and 2006 has brought about the resurgence of WiMAX," Teyew says. "The low penetration of broadband subscribers and tele-density in the region are major thrusts for the deployment of WiMAX."