WLAN hardware revenue hits $608M in Q2 '03

Worldwide WLAN hardware revenue topped $608 million in Q2 2003, and is projected to grow to $3.2 billion in CY06, up about 100 percent from $1.6 billion in CY02, according to Infonetics Research's quarterly worldwide market share and forecast service, WLAN Hardware. Growth is expected to be slow and steady over the next four quarters, mostly in the single digits, reaching $661 million in Q2 2004.
"WLANs will continue to show solid growth in all enterprise markets, and access point product vendors are beginning to differentiate between enterprise products and carrier-class access points for hotspots," said Infonetics's Richard Webb, lead analyst of the report. "Wireless broadband gateways, which wirelessly enable cable/DSL connections, will also continue healthy growth, driven simultaneously by telecommuting for enterprises and multimedia entertainment applications, such as online gaming, for consumers."

"The service provider public access hotspot market will accelerate slowly through CY03," continued Webb. "It's a small market now, but hotspots are gaining rapid acceptance as an inexpensive way for service providers to drive service subscriptions for an increasingly mobile yet data-reliant workforce. Numerous service providers have indicated their intent to roll out hotspots, spurred on by advances in subscriber and network management systems."

Further, Infonetics reports that consumers make up 45 percent of WLAN hardware revenue, enterprises 45 percent, and service providers 10 percent. Through 2003, the enterprise and service provider percentages are said to rise as enterprise-class switching and security systems drive adoption into this market, and service providers roll out wireless hotspots in public spaces.

Geographically, the Infonetics study says that North America accounted for 56 percent of WLAN hardware revenue in the Q2 2003; EMEA and Asia-Pacific each account for 21 percent, CALA 2 percent.