Global chip giant Intel has called for two competing next-generation broadband wireless technologies, mobile WiMAX and Long Term Evolution (LTE), to be harmonised.

The debate over which technology will dominate the future market for fourth generation (4G) mobile broadband devices is nothing new, although Intel has traditionally backed WiMAX.

Both methods are broadly similar and designed to use cell networks, although LTE has arguably wider support from mobile operators due to being an enhancement of existing 3G services, while WiMAX is arguably better developed.

Sean Maloney, head of sales and marketing at Intel, fears that consumers could be confused by having two similar but still competing technologies: "LTE is still a little way away; as it starts to show up we will be looking to see how we can harmonise with it."

We suspect that there is little stomach for the development of an entirely new standard that incorporates both technologies, so it is more likely that hardware and chipset developers will merely find ways to integrate both methods alongside each other.