Clearwire has been sending out hints that a switch towards LTE may be possible in the next few years. For instance, CEO Bill Morrow declared that he advocates one all-IP 4G standard and that Clearwire could add LTE once it reaches the equivalency to WiMAX's capabilities. If this scenario materializes then it might spell and end to the LTE vs WiMAX rivalry. But merging the two technologies may not be as easy as Clearwire projects it to be.
The main challenge appears to be how to flip from WiMAX to LTE without making fundamental changes to the radio network.

Dan Warren, GSMA's technical director, recently told Lynette Luna of fiercebroadbandwireless that, "It's got to be something done as a business decision to retask TDD spectrum, and that becomes tough because you run the risk of potentially running two technologies. It's technically challenging to retask spectrum. The two (LTE and WiMAX) are OFDMA but what you do above that is the question. There are different frame structures and different ways to carve up spectrum."

Of course, Clearwire might be keeping a solution to this problem secret and software-defined radio (SDR) will be able to make the flip without much difficulty. All we have to do is wait and watch as the WiMAX VS LTE saga continues to unfold.

READ