und Intel ist mit den WiMax-Chipsätzen in den neuen Notebooks dabei...
Internet Speculate on the Next Internet Revolution By James Altucher Street.com 5/4/2006 1:05 PM EDT
There's an Internet revolution coming, and as I always say, it's best to own the arms dealers in a situation like this. The wave of the future is WiMax. The way to surf it is Alvarion (ALVR:Nasdaq) .
I recently signed up for a new broadband Internet account at the rate of $49.95/month. In the year 2006, it seems ridiculous to me that I am paying $50 for what I consider a commodity. As it stands today in America, you can get your Net fix via three main avenues:
1. Broadband access, which includes DSL, cable and an assortment of other high-speed connections.
2. Wireless access, which includes hot spot-type setups using WiFi access. and
3. Dial-up access, which is as advertised: You plug into a phone jack and dial into the Internet.
Although some dial-up companies are expanding their customer bases, dial-up will die soon enough. Broadband has good speed but is expensive. And wireless is promising, but WiFi doesn't cover a large range of areas without a large encompassing network. WiMax -- worldwide interoperability for microwave access -- is an all-in-one Internet offering, extremely fast and wireless (read: low-cost), and it has the ability to provide large coverage, much like a cell-phone network.
WiMax operates much like WiFi, but faster, 70 megabits per second, vs. WiFi's 54 megabits per second. WiMax also covers a much larger radius, about 30 miles [50 km - A.L.] to WiFi's 100 feet. While I can't be sure this is going to be the definite Internet protocol moving forward, I think it certainly makes the most sense.
My pick for the way to play the pending shift from current Internet access to more advanced access is Alvarion. Alvarion is an Israel-based leader in wireless broadband, providing systems to carriers, ISPs and private network operators.
Alvarion is known as a major player in wireless solutions, and it is leading the charge in WiMax with its BreezeMax offering. It also has taken the leadership role in founding the WiMax Forum, an industry-led, nonprofit corporation formed to promote and certify compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless products.
Basically, Alvarion is the arms dealer for WiMax; the company takes a wireless network and turns it into a broadband data and voice network. As WiMax gets rolled out internationally over the next few years, I expect Alvarion will be the biggest beneficiary.
Alvarion has a diversified customer base that includes carriers, wireless ISPs, utilities and municipalities. It has a presence in 23 countries, and partnership agreements with companies such as Alcatel (ALA:NYSE ADR) and Siemens (SI:NYSE ADR). In particular, Intel (INTC:Nasdaq) is using Alvarion in its worldwide rollout of WiMax technology.
In addition to its WiMax-focused products, the company also offers solutions in the operator segments of backhaul, private network, mobile, carrier, service-provider, government and cellular. Many overlap, but that's the product breakdown.
The stock is off its highs because of a poor fourth quarter, which saw Alvarion post a wider-than-expected loss. The company reported a loss of $4.9 million, or 8 cents a share, on sales of $46.5 million. Excluding items, the company posted a loss of $3.8 million, or 6 cents a share. Analysts expected a smaller loss of 5 cents a share, with sales of $47.4 million. I believe quarter-by-quarter results with this company will be lumpy for the next one to three years as the larger picture of WiMax plays out. The company reports first-quarter earnings May 10.
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