Come In, WiMAX: Wider Options May Spur Indoor

global ABI Research : Conventional wisdom says that until the advent of 802.16e mobile WiMAX systems — still some time in the future — the wireless broadband standard will be more or less confined to the great outdoors. Some "near-outdoor" systems involving window-mounted receivers may be feasible, but for practical purposes WiMAX is considered an outdoor last-mile replacement technology. However, analysts say that there are optional specifications built into the 802.16 standard which can boost the sensitivity of receiving equipment to the extent of making WiMAX PC cards and built-in receivers a practical proposition for laptops, PDAs and other portable devices. Generally these optional specifications have not been implemented by the largest vendors of WiMAX equipment. However at least two smaller companies — TeleCIS and Sequans — have been designing their chipsets to implement these under-utilized options in the standard.

There may be WiMAX PC cards on the market earlier than many observers have expected. These will result from superior chipsets permitting the use of WiMAX in laptops and similar devices in homes and offices within the reach of fixed WiMAX transmissions. You will not have full mobility as you will with 802.16e, but you will have some portability. Companies involved with WiMAX, and some companies that will consciously avoid WiMAX, are profiled, and the study includes forecasts for subscribers, equipment, revenues and more.WiMAX/802.16: Opportunities for High Speed Wireless Data in Enterprise, SOHO, Residential and Portable (802.16e) Markets Publ 20050531 Wimax ?