A report released Monday predicts that the controversial wireless technology WiMAX is likely to eventually take its place as a major broadband service-providing platform competing vigorously with DSL and cable broadband.

Arjun Chokkappan, a Frost & Sullivan analyst, said the lower cost structure of WiMAX as well as its continued evolution and flexibility should propel WiMAX into the vanguard of broadband delivery services. However, Chokkappan hedged his bets somewhat by noting that the technology will have to prove it can deliver on quality of service (QoS) issues. He said also that potential interference problems will likewise have to be solved.

"This (interference) is likely to prove challenging, since the 802.16 standard operates in the unlicensed spectrum," he said in a statement. "With the number of service providers on the rise, there are greater chances of interference."

WiMAX, whose standards still haven't been set by the WiMAX Forum, is the subject of impassioned debate, with one side maintaining that 3G cell phone service will make WiMAX superfluous, while others are moving ahead to develop the nascent technology.

Major backing for WiMAX has come from Intel, which has helped the technology gain credibility in the marketplace.

Chokkappan views Wi-Fi as something of a double-edged sword in the development of WiMAX. Wi-Fi could offer some competition, but the analyst also sees WiMAX operating in combination with Wi-Fi on cell phones, laptops, and PDAs.