Hasta La Gadget!

For next-generation 4G cellular networks, WiMAX may have a decent amount of current buzz, but it’s not likely to last. That’s the conclusion from research firm IDC, which is predicting that spending on LTE equipment will exceed that of WiMAX-related spending by the end of 2011.

Over 100 operators around the world currently support LTE, including nine of the top 10 largest carriers, and over a dozen networks are expected to go live this year alone, IDC said in a statement.

While some challenges remain, particularly with regard to a given carrier’s level of commitment to the platform as well as some spectrum-related issues, “LTE’s ability to reduce data delivery costs is fundamentally driving the technology forward,” as well as its ability to complement existing 3G networks in the interim, according to the report.

Verizon Wireless is expected to be first out of the gate with LTE in the U.S. later this year. Last month, Cisco announced it was pulling out of the WiMAX base station market, and now favors the LTE standard.