Like any other disrupting technology in the past, there is a initial denial by the large operators, but as the new comers and challenging operators start to deploy and gaining market share using the new technology, the big guys are forced to enter the game.

We saw this happening in Europe with ADSL. The push was done initially by the small operators while the big trying to protect the voice cash cow business. Only when they saw that if they did not move they would loose a large chunk of their business, they pushed also the new technology (the situation was different in USA). Example, in France with Free and Orange (Wanadoo).

Regarding WiMax, the same is happening in the developed countries. In France, WiMax will be initially deployed by challenging operators, and the others will follow later.

Technology wise wiMax and LTE are not very different, but Wimax has some years ahead (it is being deployed today while LTE will start [at best] to be deployed in 2010). This will give some head ground to WiMax deployment and this will make pressure to mobile operators. In my view, it is not the technology that will make the difference, but the business model.

A possibility, is that the mobile operators could use WiMax like they use WiFi today. Many Mobile Operators in Europe (Vodafone, Orange, etc.) have large amount of WiFi hot spots (hotels, airports, etc), and they give the possibility to their subscribers to, for a small fee, to have access to the WiFi hot spots (nice when you go on vacations).

The only issue that bothers me regarding WiMax is that in different continents/countries Wimax has different base frequencies (2.4G, 3.5G, 700 M, 2.5G). I hope N900 will support all of these (I have a N800).

I am rather optimist regarding the future of Wimax ;-)