Monday, April 03, 2006

WiMAX Facades Unsullied Challenge to Broadband and DSL

RCCOS: In the US a technology known as WiMAX is being conceptualized that will make high-speed wireless Internet services available in areas much larger than a typical Wi-fi coffee bar. These wireless hotspots would match the size of Philadelphia or a rural community in the American heartland.

WiMAX would be developed to spread Internet facilities across cities, using radio networks with much wider ranges than Wi-fi, a system available in coffee shops. However, it is questionable how far this service would be commercially viable.

Once WiMAX is in force, some broadband operators already have plans to use it as a way to expand their networks, and city administrators are ready to offer broadband services cheap in public places such as parks or low-income housing areas.

WiMAX which should be capable of delivering 50 megabits to 100 megabits per second is therefore much superior to DSL and cable. Analysts therefore believe that this technology would be far more competitive especially in rural areas, where the technology isn’t built out.

WiMAX and other emerging high-speed wireless technologies are likely to capture 42% of the wireless broadband business over the next few years thereby making WiMAX a popular standard.

WiMAX technology would be widely accepted by the telecom market in Asia-Pacific countries. It is expected that the market there would have 3.8 million subscribers by 2009.

WiMAX Market Forecast (2006-2010) Publ 20060403