When Charting A Path To Mobile Broadband, Location Matters

Despite operators claims to the contrary, WiMax is just another pipe, though it's one that enterprises must pay attention to. Intel is poised to ship WiMax-ready Centrino chips, and phone makers such as LG, Nokia, and Samsung are ready to provide WiMax phones later this year. IT must decide whether to spring for 802.16 capabilities when upgrading. While we're bullish enough on 802.11n, the newest version of Wi-Fi, to advocate that enterprises spend the money to get Intel's latest 11n-capable chipsets, we're not so sure about WiMax.

If your organization operates in an area where Sprint or Clearwire plans to have WiMax coverage, the technology warrants consideration, if not a pilot. But realize that neither company will have a nationwide network built with the same pervasive coverage as cellular for some time. Nor will WiMax have in the foreseeable future--if ever--the global coverage available today from technologies such as GMS, UMTS, and HSPA. In some countries, the spectrum to deploy technologies like WiMax isn't even available yet. If you need coverage in a wide variety of locales, cellular technologies like EV-DO or HSDPA are still the way to go until we see whether WiMax can hold its own against LTE and other rivals for your wide area wireless dollar.

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From The Labs: Clearwire WiMax