Intel: 2008 Is Wimax's Year. Really.Integrated Wi-Fi/WiMax chipsets Intel's answer... ( old news - 08:56AM Monday Sep 24 2007) tags: business · wireless · hardware · networkingWe've been watching Intel's marketing department drum up deafening hype about WiMax for running on five years, with people back in 2004 already calling it a cable and DSL competitor before it had even really left the development gate. Now it's almost 2008, and Intel insists that next year will be the year WiMax truly takes off: Intel has been pushing hard for WiMax over the years, though the standard hasn't reached consumer products yet. Now, with substantial investments in companies like Clearwire, as well as attempts to cultivate an ecosystem around the wireless technology, the company finally believes WiMax is ready to move into the public domain. But don't expect everyone to be downloading data on WiMax in 2008. Just as it was for Wi-Fi, the rollout for Mobile WiMax will likely be slow, despite the continued hype. Sprint and Clearwire are joining forces to deploy mobile WiMax starting in 2008 ( Xohm), but the endeavor will face competition from existing 3G services and, initially at least, will only see deployment in major metro markets. Meanwhile, giants like AT&T seem to be eyeing WiMax simply as a niche rural broadband solution. However, Intel believes the open access nature of the WiMax networks, and their integrated Wi-Fi/WiMax mobile chipsets, will drive adoption.
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 xenophon
join:2007-09-17
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
4 edits | Hard to find a laptop w/out WiFi, WiMAX to follow same path "Intel believes their integrated Wi-Fi/WiMax mobile chipsets will drive adoption."
WiFi took off in a big way when it was built into laptops. You can't even buy a new laptop w/out WiFi. In a couple years, it may be tough to find a laptop w/out WiMAX/WiFi.
And Intel will develop combo WiMAX/WiFi chipsets to be dropped easily into consumer electronics - and others other than Intel. Any device that could benefit from Net connection can easily and supposedly cheaply drop in the chipset.
Forget the traditional cell companies as they are following a closed cell-based model. WiMAX will be nearly as open as WiFi and in many consumer electronic devices. Probably won't happen with cell-based networks.
ATT is downplaying WiMAX as a niche solution because they don't own enough spectrum to deploy it. If they had the spectrum to deploy WiMAX nationwide, they'd probably be singing about WiMAX. But they only have enough for parts of the South.
It supposedly costs 4-10x less to deploy WiMAX than cell-based networks. And apparently WiMAX may use 1/3 the power of current EVDO/HSDPA laptop cards, giving more battery life.
In the meantime, Samsung is also developing combo WiMAX/EVDO laptop cards, making it a smooth transition for Sprint EVDO users.
The US and Asia will likely see significant WiMAX deployment in the next year. Europe may take a while as there are spectrum issues. They'll likely see LTE first, but LTE will be more closed like cell-based services, not as open as WiMAX.
The challenge for WiMAX and other 4G is getting enough cost effective backhaul bandwidth to the sites. | |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
 ·RoadRunner Cable
 ·DSL EXTREME
| Re: Hard to find a laptop w/out WiFi, WiMAX to follow same path It costs less to deploy WiMAX for Clearwire/Sprint because...
They have a LOT of spectrum for it (i.e. doesn't need many sites). WiMAX is also a data only device (i.e. isn't tied into the CO's for call switching) which should keep the cost down.
A data-only option had better be willing to sell to house hold markets, as I don't suspect it will be doing much on the cell-phone style market (yet), especially since WiMAX doesn't hand off calls to any other type of infrastructure.
If it was as cheap as my DSL, I might think about it, assuming there's enough coverage/capacity.
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
| | | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
2 edits | Re: Hard to find a laptop w/out WiFi, WiMAX to follow same path We probably will see a couple WiMAX/CDMA smartphones from Sprint in the next year or so, but WiMAX only phones won't show up until QoS VoIP over WiMAX in a few years. Once VoIP is ubiquitous, it should be easy to handoff a VoIP call between networks. We may see WiMAX on gameboys and PSPs before before dedicated VoIP WiMAX phones.
Another key thing to point out is that Sprint doesn't want to sell WiMAX devices, just the service. They'll start out with selling devices, but eventually will get away from it. This is completely different than the cell-based model, where the carrier wants control of what's connecting to the network.
One other thing the article link points to is that Intel will be focusing on low power chips. It's about time. Only gamers, video editors and niche apps need 3Ghz or more. I'd rather have a 12-18 hour laptop at 1.5Ghz than 3 hours with dual core 2-4Ghz. | |
| | | SD6
join:2005-03-26
| said by en102  :A data-only option had better be willing to sell to house hold markets, as I don't suspect it will be doing much on the cell-phone style market (yet), especially since WiMAX doesn't hand off calls to any other type of infrastructure. Actually, WiMax covers an entire metropolitan area so it has the advantage that handoffs are not required. At&T 3G has a problem when handing off to or from 3G, and of course there is no handoff from WiFi hotspot to WiFi hotspot. Besides Intel's Montevina, Nokia will sell a WiMax enabled handheld computer. So Mobile WiMax is where the action will be. Fixed WiMax will be for those households that can't get DSL. | |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
1 edit | Re: Hard to find a laptop w/out WiFi, WiMAX to follow same path That's partially my point.
If I'm using a WiMAX handset/PDA/laptop and go into a subway, will it handoff ? If it does handoff... to what ? WiFi, UMTS, EVDO ?
WiFi has a basic infrastructure
GSM/UMTS/WCDMA has a MAP core infratructure (using SIM / IMEI)
CDMA/EVDO has an ANSI infrastructure (using ESN)
WiMAX has ... ?
I have AT&T 3G, and I have no issues handing off to 3G or GSM. At least 25% of my calls go from 3G to GSM (suspecting capacity issues - only 10MHz is deployed on 3G here).
This would be similar to having a Verizon Wireless handset handoff to AT&T or Nextel. While it can be done, is it ?
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
| | | | | SD6
join:2005-03-26
| Re: Hard to find a laptop w/out WiFi, WiMAX to follow same path As I said, WiMax covers an entire metropolitan area and there are no handoffs - a single connection. More like an FM radio station in that respect than a cellular or WiFi network. Of course, there are specific locations with coverage issues such as a subway (with any broadband wireless network).
There are problems with AT&T 2G/3G handoffs in New York where I live. | |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
| Re: Hard to find a laptop w/out WiFi, WiMAX to follow same path If there's only 1 site.... they had better have 500MHz worth of bandwidth to share, or its going to get filled pretty fast.
A town/city of up to 5,000 can probably do well on a site.
Cities like Los Angeles and NYC had better have sites every mile at least.
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
| | | | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
3 edits | said by SD6 : any other type of infrastructure. Actually, WiMax covers an entire metropolitan area so it has the advantage that handoffs are not required. Actually there will be many WiMAX sites in a metro area and will need handoffs between sites when moving in a car/train, etc. A WiMAX tower can supposedly do about 4-6 miles at 2-10Mbps in the real world, but there may be more than one every 4-6 miles where extra capacity is needed or in difficult terrain.
Mobile WiMAX is spec'd to do handoffs between sites. | |
| | | | | SD6
join:2005-03-26 | Re: Hard to find a laptop w/out WiFi, WiMAX to follow same path Thank you for the clarification. I had heard 15 miles for 2mbps, but that was years ago. Are they soft handoffs? I hope Xohm network will indeed be open to different access devices and will permit VoIP without restrictions. | |
| | | | | | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Re: Hard to find a laptop w/out WiFi, WiMAX to follow same path The Intel chipset will likely have real handoffs by the time it arrives next year. What's unknown is if the initial Sprint WiMAX cards for the trial starting end of this year will do true handoffs or be 'nomadic', meaning you can move within the WiMAX site. But they will hopefully have WiMAX/EVDO combo cards so that you could use EVDO as a backup until mobile WiMAX is fully deployed and fully supported.
WiMAX World starts tomorrow so we should find out more. | |
| BPLSUCKS
join:2006-04-26
Grand Ledge, MI | Clearwire? I thought clearwire up until recently wasn't wimax but a separate frequency spectrum of wi-fi? I know newer build outs like in grand rapids, mi are wimax (mobile nonetheless). WiMax network is set to go live in GR starting the end of this year. | |
| | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Re: Clearwire? Clearwire has currently rolled out a pre-WiMAX fixed version. They will upgrade to 'mobile' WiMAX, the same that Sprint uses and they will roam to each other.
Clearwire also uses 2.5Ghz, same as Sprint, it's just that they will be changing from fixed pre-WiMax to standard 802.16e mobile WiMAX.
What's amazing is that Sprint and Clearwire are swapping spectrum so that they each own 100mhz in non-overlaying markets. That's enough to potentially do 1Gbps when 802.16m comes in the future.
The other carriers won't have near that kind of spectrum for LTE. | |
| | | | ncbill
Premium
join:2007-01-23
Winston Salem, NC | Comes down to price Can it be competitive with wired broadband?
Right now Clearwire is signigicantly more expensive here than DSL or cable (at the same speed).
If WiMax is priced like Clearwire or cellular broadband you won't see much adoption at all. | |
| | xenophon
join:2007-09-17
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
3 edits | Re: Comes down to price WiMAX should eventually come down in price but it is worth paying more for mobility. I have replaced my cable modem for EVDO. Even though EVDO is slower, more expensive and has less consistent performance than landline, I'd rather have the mobility than being force into one location. And I never have to look for a WiFi hotspot in the entire metro. EVDO/1xRTT works anywhere there is a cellphone signal.
Same is true for cellphones vs. landline phones. Landline phones are more reliable and cost less than cellphones, but most of us want the mobility and are willing to dump landline, even though it's more reliable, performs better and costs less than cellphones.
If many are dumping cable/dsl for EVDO, many more will dump landline for WiMAX, except those who really need more than 4Mbps. | |
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