Computer experts: What is WIMAX??

[Bob Weisner]

Hi:


What is WIMAX & is it expensive to use?

[skip coyne]

here you go


http://www.intel.com/netcomms/technologies/wimax/index.htm?ppc_cid=ggl|wng_wimax|kC6F|s (http://www.intel.com/netcomms/technologies/wimax/index.htm?ppc_cid=ggl%7Cwng_wimax%7CkC6F%7Cs)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WiMAX

[Tim Burke]

WiMax is a wide area wireless network protocol. It is up to a business or a community to implement in the same way that a cable system is implemented in a community.

My experience is just with a small section of WiMax dedicated by the FCC to public safety. The hospital where I work is installing it right now to allow emergency communications with other public safety organizations. There are of course commercial uses for it, but I believe it is still in its infancy.

http://www.wimax.com/education

Tim

[Jim Becker]

WiMax (previously explained in another post) is not a highly deployed technology at the present time. It does have promise, especially in the fixed wireless arena for alternative access providers, due to it's high speed and range.

[Joe Pelonio]

I think that's what the county recently installed in one of our biggest parks, so people can use their laptops while watching their kids' soccer games. Also I read yesterday that they will be using it at some of the "park 'n' rides" so you can be online while waiting for the bus. On that one they will be limited to the bus and ferry system websites, to send e-mail or surf the web you have to pay a fee.

[Terre Hooks]

WiMax is this-


Broadband Inner-net access
Cable Television
"Land Line" Telephone
Wireless Telephone


as opposed to the current, widely offered "Triple-Play" by the media orchards.

[Jim Becker]

Terre, WiMax has the potential for most of all of the things you mention, but there isn't a lot of action relative to deployment, even just for 'net access so far. It's a new standard, so it will take time to see how it fleshes out. It does get mentioned in the trades I read, but not "overly frequently"...

[Terre Hooks]

It IS providing ALL the things I mentioned in a couple of test markets.

IIRC, one market is the DFW area. The initial hope of the maximum radius of the distribution is a 32 mile radius. The coverage was explained to me as more of an umbrella, versus the more line-of-sight coverage you see with cellular technology.

I know it has to have progressed more since my info was last related to me in Nov 2005. This was from people in the telephony industry, not Wired magazine or such.