WiMax promises breakthrough in broadband access

IDG News Service - A new wireless networking technology called WiMax is poised to reshape the way service providers offer broadband Internet access in the U.S. and other countries, holding out the promise that high-speed network services may take off in these markets, according to a senior Intel Corp. executive.
WiMax, also known as 802.16a, is a wireless networking standard that offers greater range and bandwidth than the Wi-Fi family of standards, which includes 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g. Whereas Wi-Fi is intended to provide coverage over relatively small areas such as in offices or "hot spots," WiMax can transfer about 70Mbit/sec. over a distance of 30 miles to thousands of users from a single base station.
By comparison, the most commonly used flavor of Wi-Fi, 802.11b, can transfer data at speeds up to 11Mbit/sec. at a range of up to 1,000 feet in open areas.
The greater range and higher bandwidth of WiMax gives service providers the ability to offer broadband Internet access directly to homes without having to worry about the problems that can arise when laying down a physical connection over the so-called last mile, which connects homes with service providers' main networks, according to Anand Chandrasekher, vice president and general manager of Intel's Mobile Platforms Group.
"WiMax is a very effective replacement for the last mile for broadband," Chandrasekher said.
Besides making it easier to offer broadband services, WiMax can help service providers cut the costs associated with installing broadband connections. "For a service provider to provide broadband, it costs them about $400 in just getting the truck out there, doing the installation," Chandrasekher said.
On average, installing a single broadband connection requires about 20 minutes, Chandrasekher said. However, in the worst case, that time can stretch to as long as two hours, increasing the installation costs for the service provider and wiping out its profits in the process.
"WiMax would eliminate that, because with WiMax, you'd be able to broadcast the broadband capabilities, and in the home environment, you could have an access point," he said.
WiMax-based products aren't available yet. The standard was finalized in January, according to information released by Intel at the Intel Developer Forum in Taipei.
Intel wants to be one of the first companies to get WiMax-based products to market. The company has announced plans to start production of chips that can be used in WiMax equipment during the second half of next year. With service provider trials set to begin next year, Intel expects WiMax products to be commercially available in 2005.
WiMax could be the key to breaking through the last-mile barriers that