The Next Step in Wireless

Business and technology gurus have long hailed the coming of WiMax, a new kind of far-reaching, high-speed wireless Internet technology that might make some futuristic visions a reality. For instance, appliances such as your refrigerator will be able to automatically download the latest software to make it more efficient, or communicate to the manufacturer that it is about to malfunction and will need service.

WiMax, short for Worldwide Interoper-ability for Microwave Access, is being deployed this spring in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Chicago and San Diego. My good friend, who provided some of the information for this article, is the enterprise account representative with Sprint in D.C. He is currently talking with Baltimore Power about putting a WiMax chip in every one of its meters, which would enable them to instantly download usage information in a whole area code.

The most basic WiMax use would be high-speed Internet access at home, work and on the go with your laptop computer or cell phone. Intel plans to have WiMax-friendly chips built into new laptops and different appliances for Internet access.

We’ll soon learn if WiMax meets initial expectations. Personally, I have doubts about its promise in Southwest Florida, where many of our businesses don’t have any form of wireless Internet yet. Still, our business community should get ready for the hype.

How it Works
Sprint, Clearwire, Motorola and Intel are the major players deploying the technology, and each company provides a different piece of the operational puzzle.

Sprint and Clearwire own most of the spectrum for WiMax. (Spectrum is the wavelength that the signal operates in. Rights to use it were sold to various private companies by the government.)

Sprint will also provide the cellular network over which the technology will be deployed to the public. In fact, the company has created a group called Xohm that will focus directly on the development and deployment of WiMax.