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Watch Out... Here Comes The Mobile WiMax Hype Brigade |
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Written by Kory Mohr
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Thursday, 08 December 2005 |
Amended from Techdirt:
Om Malik is out breaking the news that the mobile WiMax (802.16e) standard has been "approved,"
which actually means a lot less than you might think. For those who
haven't been playing the home game to keep up, there are a few
different version of WiMax. The first is "fixed," meaning that you'd
have to attach a stationary box to the side of your house or building
to use it. The second version, which is getting all kinds of hype is
"mobile" -- which is what most people seem to think WiMax is all about.
That is, you'll be able to have a card or a chip in your computer that
will let you access WiMax signals on the go... maybe. Despite press
(and interested party)
hype, no WiMax exists yet. There are companies who want to offer WiMax
someday who claim their existing, proprietary solutions are
"pre-WiMax," but that's just a meaningless label. It's like saying my
house is a "pre-mansion" or my car is a "pre-flying car." Sure, I'd
love to get there some day, but we're not there yet. Anyway, the IEEE
standard for 802.16d ("fixed WiMax") was approved about a year and a
half ago... and yet there's still no equipment. After the standard, you
have certification testing which was delayed and delayed until it
finally started earlier this year. The hope is that some certified fixed
WiMax equipment might hit the market some time next year, but it's a
long way from being particularly common. So, now that the mobile WiMax standard
has been approved, don't think you'll be seeing any actual mobile WiMax
for years to come. Companies first need to make chips and equipment to
meet the standard (which might not be as easy as they'd lead you to
believe). Then, you have to go through the plugfest/certification
process, which, if the "fixed" certification process is any indication,
will take quite some time.
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