Recently, a lot of doubt surrounds WiMax technology but the support of wireless carrier Sprint has changed that, according to DataComm President Ira Brodsky. Sprint may be planning to use Intel's WiMax technology for its own mobile television offering, which would be more powerful than other wireless technologies from other carriers, he said.
Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) showed off its latest WiMax Connection 2300 chipset in Hong Kong this week, aimed at extending both the range and capacity of 802.11 or WiFi wireless networks.
The completion of its WiMax baseband chip -- coupled with a previously announced, multiband WiMax/WiFi radio on a single
chip -- indicates that "Intel continues to drive innovation in mobile broadband access by
eliminating the seams that prevent ubiquitous wireless connectivity,"
said Intel Executive Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing
Officer Sean Maloney.
Real Wireless Internet
In Hong Kong, Maloney showed an Intel Centrino Duo-based computer with
WiMax, WiFi and high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) 3G
capabilities accessing the Internet via the WiMax network.
Though other cellular wireless technologies are used more for applications such as mobile video, Intel touts WiMax capability for content-rich applications, which can be delivered with
responsiveness and free of interference from other wireless technologies
on a system.
"The Intel WiMax Connection 2300 will help speed the deployment of
mobile WiMax and accelerate the availability of a new wave of 'personal
broadband' laptops and mobile devices," Maloney said.
Heavy Wireless Lifter
Although there is some competition for a next-generation wireless standard,
the real question about WiMax is who is going to implement the
technology and how much is it going to cost, DataComm President Ira
Brodsky told TechNewsWorld.
Still, some WiMax projects, particularly a proof-of-concept
model for handheld television units rented out at NASCAR races, show the
powerful potential of the wireless technology, Brodsky noted.
Also praiseworthy is Intel's strategy of pairing WiMax with WiFi and
other wireless technologies, in order to position it as a "heavy lifter" for
wireless users seeking more multimedia content such as mobile TV, he added.
Sprint Solution?
Recently, a lot of doubt surrounds WiMax technology but the support of wireless carrier Sprint (NYSE: S) has changed that, claimed Brodsky.
"Sprint makes a world of difference," he said.
Sprint may be planning to use Intel's WiMax
technology for its own mobile television offering, which would be more
powerful than other wireless technologies from other carriers, according to Brodsky.
Standards Significance
With users and enterprises typically slow or unable to upgrade their
own devices, it is key that WiMax has a standard for
the wireless technology, Ovum Vice President of Wireless Telecoms Roger
Entner told TechNewsWorld.
"You really need the standard before you can do anything," he said.
"Otherwise, it's all premature."
Entner indicated that WiMax is not the only wireless technology in
need of standardization, and that all of the next-generation wireless
solutions face the same problem.
The Hot Spot Security Fable December 07, 2006
There are instances in which hackers can grab a user's personal data. With the phishing scheme Evil Twin, for example, a fake hot spot poses as a legitimate one. Once a user logs onto the bogus site, sensitive data, such as credit card numbers or bank account information, is intercepted.
Related Stories
Service Providers Throw Weight Behind WiMax September 21, 2006
WiMax is a more robust networking option than WiFi, which was originally designed for home or enterprise networks, not carrier networks. While WiFi supports transmission ranges measuring a few thousand square feet, WiMax is capable of transmitting network signals in areas of about 30 square miles.
Mass Market for WiMax Still Years Away August 19, 2006
"The U.S. WiMax market is at a point of inflection," said John Green, a partner at the research consultancy BusinessEdge Solutions. "The trail-blazing companies have demonstrated that the technology works and that there is a viable business model."
Sprint to Invest $3 Billion in WiMax Network August 09, 2006
Sprint intends to invest $1 billion in 2007 and between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in 2008 to build out a fourth-generation wireless network based on the WiMax wireless broadband standard. It will work with Intel, Motorola and Samsung to build the infrastructure needed and to develop handheld chipsets to operate on the network.
Related News Alerts
More by Jay Lyman
Open Source Developer Dumps Novell Over Microsoft Deal December 26, 2006
A key open source developer, Jeremy Allison, who cofounded the Samba project, has resigned from Novell in protest over the company's recent agreement to enter a collaborative arrangement with Microsoft. The deal has created an uproar in the open source community because it does not treat all recipients of the GPL equally and thus violates the spirit of the license, critics say.
Financial Firms Tap Microsoft for Linux December 22, 2006
Three major financial institutions are among the first companies to go to Microsoft for Linux services, provided through an agreement the software giant struck with Novell. Although a recent survey showed customer approval of the collaboration, many members of the open source community view Novell's move as sleeping with the devil.
Mozilla Beefs Up Security in Firefox 2.0 December 21, 2006
Mozilla's latest update to its open source Firefox browser includes security measures targeting phishers. Phishing scams that use social engineering techniques to dupe Web surfers into revealing personal financial information have become an effective way for cybercriminals to conduct their nefarious activities on the Internet.
Headline Feeds
Talkback: 
