WiMax Closer To Reality

One of the major mobile telephony operators in the United States, Sprint, has announced that shortly it will begin testing the WiMax technology and its practical applicability and that it will work together on these trials with the telecommunications equipments manufacturer, Motorola.

The WiMax has been introduced by Intel over two months ago and the first WiMax Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access products have been received with an increased level of interest by the manufacturers and operators. They have announced that this technology will undergo extensive testing as soon as possible, in order to be available for the users by next year.

WiMax provides wireless broadband last-mile high speed connectivity for individual users, companies and mobile wireless networks. The first implementations of this solution will provide broadband internet access in remote areas, where the usual DSL or cable services are not available. The technology is based on the 802.16e and is backed by Intel, but also by a large number of companies, amongst which Sprint and Motorola.

This technology is the direct competitor of the wireless 4G solutions which will allow the companies to benefit from wireless broadband communication services, regardless of location, on a very wide geographical area.

According to the agreement signed last week by Sprint and Motorola, the common tests will begin in 2005 and will continue throughout next year. If the technical tests' results will be positive, then a marketing study will be carried out, in order to establish the commercial applicability of this system.