The IEEE approved IEEE Standard 802.16-2004, more commonly known as the WiMax standard, on Thursday this week.
WiMax is a standard that will give similar funcionality to computer users, as we have today with Wireless LAN (WLAN) – but instead of having a range limited to typically 20 – 50 meters (maybe a kilometer or so using special directional antennas), and a speed limit under ideal conditions of 54 MB/s (millions of bits per second), WiMax will enable ranges of up to a kilometer or more at more speeds higher than the broadband connections that you can order from your local telecom company (max speed is 75 MB/s). The maximum range using directional antennas is expected to be about 50 km.
Industry pundits are predicting that within a few years, the technology will be used to provide broadband access to remote areas.
I don’t consider that we live in a remote area – Schmitten is around 30 km from the center of Frankfurt, but we have been waiting for at least 5 years for the technologically challenged T-Com, our national telecom provider, to connect us to the internet using DSL. I’m keeping my fingers crossed – the new WiMax standard has the backing of some major players, including Alcatel, AT&T and Intel, so maybe it won’t be too long before we can bypass T-Com and their last mile of cable and move into the twentyfirst century at last.
