This week at the 4G World Conference & Exposition, the WiMAX Forum, an industry-led organization that promotes the compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless products based upon IEEE Standard 802.16, announced an updated industry roadmap. The WiMAX Forum today is publicized an extension to its roadmap, WiMAX Advanced, which "leverages WiMAX's all-IP broadband data network capabilities to enable WiMAX operators to access a broader ecosystem of devices and radio access technologies to more easily operate within a multi radio access network environment." WiMAX Advanced will allow WiMAX operators flexibility to support additional broadband wireless access technologies and devices beyond WiMAX Release 1 and Release 2.0.

"To further its philosophy of openness, the WiMAX Forum's updated roadmap supports a vision of harmonization across available technologies that enable operators to adopt multiple radio access technologies within their service offerings," stated Declan Byrne President of the WiMAX Forum.

It is obvious that the WiMAX forum is on the losing side in the race to 4G and is promoting integration with "rival" LTE technology.