In Western Europe and the US, most of the excitement around WiMAX centers on the mobile standard, 802.16e (due to be launched in the second half of 2007), rather than on the currently available fixed standard, 802.16d. In the Middle East, on the other hand, fixed WiMAX is booming: even countries with ample 3G facilities are well on their way to launching fixed WiMAX networks. Is the region truly an anomaly, or will this surge in adoption fade as quickly as it appeared? During the next five years, the Middle East's inadequate broadband infrastructure will create a high demand for fixed WiMAX in almost all countries in the region. However, in the longer term, the wealthy Gulf states will transition to DSL and fiber as their primary broadband technologies, whereas the region's poorer countries will rely on fixed WiMAX for some time to come.
