WiMax
WiMax stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. It is a wireless telecommunication technology based on the IEEE 802.16 standard that defines the use of data transmission modes in the 3 Mbps broadband range for mobile and portable internet access.
Its range and bandwidth make WiMax suited for local portable or mobile wireless data connectivity such as WiFi internet hotspots one finds in many popular sites like malls and cafes.  It also allows telephone carriers to provide a wireless option to the last mile broadband solution for DSL line coverage.
Emergencies Using WiMax
The 2004 tsunami disaster in Aceh, Indonesia used WiMAX technology to help amateur radio to get in touch with the outside world as all telecommunication networks had been demolished by the tidal waves. WiMax allows the world to see the utter devastation on Aceh and helped restore communication with the survivors.
Intel donated WiMax facilities to the US government agencies involved in the relief operations after hurricane Katrina’s devastating fury that left much of the telecommunications infrastructure inoperable in the affected areas. WiMax augmented VoIP and satellite uplinks re-establish communication in these areas.
An Alternative to WiFi?
Not really. WiFi is based on the IEEE 802.11 b/g telecommunication specification standards while WiMax is based on the IEEE 802.16e standards. They are both operating on a wireless local data connectivity with broadband speeds with the latter having higher speeds and wider local coverage which make it more a competitor of the HSPA standards. Between the two, the WiFi standards are easier to implement as they cover only a limited area and have enjoyed a larger following with mobile handsets making it as part of their handset’s standard local data connectivity feature.
Sprint Nextel has venture into it as early as 2006 with a $5 Billion WiMax build-out that has yet to see fruition. In mid 2008, a major industry project involving Google, Intel, and Comcast under Sprint with Time Warner behind pooled their resources to form the company Clearwire which will operate in the 120 MHz spectrum. The deal has yet to bear any concrete benefit for its participants and with new technologies already in the horizon, it is unclear how the WiMax initiative is headed.
