WiMAX is Coming

If Wi-Fi can be compared to the Pony Express, WiMAX will be the interstate highway system. Instead of having to stop at lots of way stations to get online, wireless travelers will be able to go long distances without dropping a connection, similar to cellular coverage, but with Wi-Fi's speed and lower cost. With players like Intel leading the way to make sure WiMAX chips are built into future laptops, the service providers will not be far behind.

WiMAX technology allows an operator to build a wireless network over a wide area, like a city or rural county, that will allow high-speed connections to the Internet. Initially, the service will work just like DSL or cable modem. Users would connect their computers to a fixed device in their homes or offices to hop onto the Internet.

Intel is also heading a consortium that is close to delivering the infrastructure necessary for an operator to build a network using WiMAX. In the meantime, some operators have jumped the gun to offer pre-standard technology in targeted markets. One example is Clearwire, which is focusing thus far on smaller cities without good wired broadband alternatives, such as Jacksonville, Florida, and Medford, Oregon.

While WiMAX promises connection speeds of 70Mbps, as with most wireless technologies, that bandwidth would be shared among users. Individual customers are likely to receive several Mbps or less.

The future of WiMAX is really as a mobile service that would allow users to access the Internet with their laptops or PDAs anywhere in a city that WiMAX is available. Users could access the Internet from their homes or offices as well as a restaurant, golf course, or park. This is the real holy grail for broadband wireless access, combining Wi-Fi speeds and prices with cellular-type coverage.

But the standard for Mobile WiMAX (802.16e) isn't set yet, meaning it will be several years before it's complete, after which vendors must start making equipment and operators will need to build the networks.

UWB -- Bluetooth on Steroids

While Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and cell data will own the broadband wireless Internet space, short-range wireless nets will need to improve to keep up with them. If you're using your 3G cell phone as a wireless modem for your laptop, Bluetooth 1.0 is just not going to cut it as a connection method. Greater bandwidth is also needed for home entertainment networking applications.

Bluetooth 2.0+EDR is an upgraded version that recently started showing up in products, notably Apple's PowerBook G4. It allows connections three times as fast as Bluetooth 1.0. Bluetooth companies also recently announced they will work closely with those developing ultrawideband, or UWB. UWB is a new standard that promises to connect devices within a short range at speeds as fast as 480Mbps, allowing applications like high-definition video streaming. Because the two groups are working together, current Bluetooth devices are expected to work with future UWB gadgets.

Ultimately, our fantasy wireless world will only becomes a reality once all of these technologies are combined and can work together. One gadget could include all of Bluetooth, UWB, cellular, Wi-Fi and WiMax, or a subset. Bits of information received from one network could be processed and retransmitted over another, depending on the application, without the user having to choose one or worry about the bill.

Things will most likely get worse (more complex and pricier) before they get better. but the end result should be worth the wait. The biggest problem the next wireless generation will have will probably be how to get away from it.

Wireless Technology Roadmap