WiMax, the New Wireless Standard - WiFi Too?

If we look, we will see that WiMax, while not being a direct competitor to 3G , will not only affect 3G users but will also render WiFi "obsolete" since it is actually an improvement upon it. It will affect current mobile users since, with more widespread Internet connectivity options, VoIP will increase as there will be true mobility for high speed Internet connectivity within networks.

Why WiMax

For United States telecommunications carriers who are seeking to give their subscribers both voice and non-voice connections (especially over long distances), and who desire to avoid being at the mercy of the incumbent operators and their high access costs, WiMax will prove to be a lower cost option to wire services. With the costs of connection being approximately $80 per subscriber by 2008, initial roll out costs may be as high as $240 per subscriber. (That's because newer the technology means higher cost). Also, customer turnover is expected to be lower due to increased customer satisfaction resulting from a faster and more centralized deployment of their services.

End user device manufacturers are already embedding WiMax into PDAs, and with Intel already manufacturing chips to support the technology, it will soon become a standard feature in notebooks too.