WHILE technologies which promise ubiquitous high-speed wireless broadband access continue to mature, local telcos have expressed mixed reactions to the two key wireless broadband technologies available - High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and Wimax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access).

And adding to the heady mix of wireless broadband technologies is the islandwide Wireless@SG network, that offers free broadband access at over 2,800 hotspots using Wi-Fi technology - and this is expected to grow 5,000 hotspots.

Not surprisingly, incumbent telcos who currently operate cellular phone networks are putting their weight behind HSPA - specifically, the HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) variant, which is commonly referred to as 3.5G technology and rides on their existing 3G cellular infrastructure.

StarHub's head of advanced multimedia services, Chan Kin Hung, said: 'At this point, we see 3G/HSDPA as taking hold of the wireless broadband marketplace, given its clearly defined standards and deployment all over the world.'

'Wimax still has some ways to go. With over 140 operators worldwide either commercially offering or in deployment of HSDPA networks, we are seeing a strong HSDPA ecosystem in creating range attractive handsets for consumers in the pipeline.'

Mr Chan also pointed out that HSDPA technology goes one up on Wimax in that it allows for roaming. 'Roaming is a key requirement for mobile users in Singapore, so the ability to roam overseas is an important deciding factor for any new mobility technology. Since HSDPA is riding on the existing 3G network, it definitely has an edge over Wimax which is not compatible with 2G and 3G networks deployed worldwide,' said Mr Chan.

StarHub is expected to deploy HSDPA by the end of the year while SingTel and M1 both already have commercial HSDPA services available.

Expressing his doubts on a consumer Wimax offering in Singapore was Patrick Scodeller, chief technical officer of M1, who said: 'It will be challenging for Wimax to be a widely adopted technology in Singapore as the island-wide HSDPA network is currently commercially available from M1. Furthermore, the government is also expanding WiFi hotspot coverage across the island to wire-up the nation through its Wireless@SG programme.'

However, StarHub's Mr Chan acknowledged that 'a Wimax buildout may be an alternative option for new wireless broadband entrants which do not have the option of 3G technology, or as a backhaul for Internet or mobile phone traffic'. Backhaul refers to the network connection between a telco's network backbone, to a remote site closer to the customer.

Mr Scodeller added that Wimax is useful to M1 as it has conducted trials for the 802.16d-2004 or the 'fixed' version of Wimax and believes that it could be deployed to help it meet some of its cellular backhaul requirements.

'We will also study the feasibility of the 'mobile' variant of Wimax, and possibly conduct trials when the infrastructure and customer premises equipment become more readily available,' said Mr Scodeller. 'We do not really view HSPA technologies and Wimax as competing technologies,' he said. 'There could be some synergies to be reaped from deploying both technologies, but that would be more evident in developing markets.'

Alex Tan, director of Qmax, one of the three Wireless@SG service providers which runs its own Wimax wireless broadband service that covers a few key areas in Singapore felt that 'HSDPA can co-exist with Wimax'.

'They serve different purposes and fit different audiences with different requirements. It could be possible for HSDPA providers and Wimax providers to work on collaborative partnerships as one product (Wimax) is generally considered more data centric while the other (HSDPA) is generally considered more voice centric,' he said.

He added that Qmax is currently waiting for 802.16e equipment, which is the 'mobile' variant of Wimax, to be certified before beefing up coverage of its wireless broadband service. 'We are not pushing aggressively at the moment due to the delay on the 802.16e equipment front as well as the prohibitive cost of the CPEs and devices,' he said.

Meanwhile, Phey Teck Moh, chief executive officer of Pacific Internet believed that Wimax will be its technology of choice to offer wireless broadband access in Singapore. The company has already announced a Wimax network rollout in Philippines.

However, while he acknowledged that 'Wireless@SG has covered some of the value that a Wimax network can offer', he also felt that multiple networks can exist and even interoperate, citing the example of that in Korea. 'Ultimately, customers will find the relevant applications for the different networks and achieve a truly seamless experience,' he said.

This article first appeared in BT on June 11, 2007