Wireless Access Set To Grow Fivefold: Study

The market for wireless connectivity will grow from $2.4 billion in 2004 to $12.4 billion in 2010, Irish industry research firm Research And Markets said Tuesday.

In addition, the study found that mobile WiMAX, when it is introduced in a couple of years, may upset the industry.

"Mobile WiMAX enables providers to disrupt the ability of other providers to earn a reasonable return on their investment," the research firm said in a statement. Even fixed WiMAX, which could start appearing at the end of 2005, will disrupt the industry because many wireless operators have already made large investments in 3G cellular data or Wi-Fi, according to the study.

However, while the various wireless technologies will compete against each other, there also is plenty of room for all the technologies to succeed because they have different strengths, the study concludes.