What is WiMax? - Rolling out WiMax
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WiMax is currently starting to be deployed across the world. The interesting thing is that it's running on different frequencies in different countries and even within the country. Within the US, typically WiMax is being set around the 2.5 GHz range. In contrast, UK seems to be favoring a frequency of around 3.6 GHz. It's too soon to determine if devices will be compatible in all these different countries with different frequency.
As expected, the developed countries are near the top of the list as far as the number of WiMax towers. It might puzzle some people; some of the other countries near the top are underdeveloped countries. If you think about it, they probably don't have a strong infrastructure if any at all. Rolling out WiMax is one of the cheaper and easier ways of setting up a countrywide infrastructure.
The only cell phone service provider in the US that is adopting this new technology is Sprint. They seem to have recently pushed back their plans for deployment. It looks like, once again, the US is going to be behind in the next generation wireless communication.
WiMax Devices
Manufacturers aren't sitting around waiting to see what is going to come of this, as some companies waited until after the HD format war was over. Nokia has made their Internet tablet a WiMax device now. No release dates are set, but they are in production and will be coming soon.
Some engineers at Samsung must have caught the WiMax bug and are going crazy developing these devices. The first device is a USB device for computers. It's nothing really newsworthy, and it probably didn't take very long to throw that together.
Next is a really cool cell phone, the SPH-M8100. It runs on a version of Windows Mobile; I'm guessing the newly released 6.1 or better. With the high speed WiMax connection, this device is geared to portable TV. It has a 2.8 inch screen, a 2 MP digital camera, and a VGA camera for video conferencing.
Yeah, that's right, video conferencing on your phone! You thought having meetings on your home PC was the hottest technology; well think again. Shopping for groceries while in a conference is now the cool thing to do.
The last device might not make it to the states. Many of us in the US don't tend to love these different devices. It's more of a UMPC and not a phone, but it will work as both. It will run XP and offer basic hardware that will run XP fine, but forget about Vista. It unfolds into three pieces, a screen and a two piece fold out keyboard. It's an interesting looking device, but I don't see a market for it.
Next: WiMax vs. Cell Phones >>
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