WiMax Delayed for more Testing

sebFlyte writes "The much talked about potential wireless broadband technology, WiMax, has been hit by more delays that may reduce its chances of commercial success and hence widespread application... so those of you wanted to play Halo 2 multiplayer while driving down the freeway may be in for a bit of a wait." A spokesman for Aperto blames the delays on being "optimistically aggressive" on shipping dates.

Comments

What is Wimax ?

[Anonymous Coward]

WiMAX is a standards-based wireless technology that provides high-throughput broadband connections over long distances. WiMAX can be used for a number of applications, including "last mile" broadband connections, hotspot and cellular backhaul, and high-speed enterprise connectivity for businesses.

An implementation of the IEEE 802.16 standard, WiMAX provides metropolitan area network connectivity at speeds of up to 75 Mb/sec. WiMAX systems can be used to transmit signal as far as 30 miles. However, on the average a WiMAX base-station installation will likely cover between three to five miles.

Certification

[eggboard]

You can't have WiMax without a plan for certification. WiMax, like Wi-Fi, is a sticker that says, "this device has been tested and passed." A recent plugfest to check out interoperability and other characteristics for pre-WiMax gear was canceled, hence part of the delay.

Basically, the 802.16 standards on which WiMax will be a strong subset are done, and it's about figuring out what needs to be in final shipping silicon. No two WiMax devices may be identical, either. There will be profiles so that different features may be enabled in different devices.

And don't expect WiMax mobile to be any time soon, unlike the description that leads into this story -- that's 2006 or 2007, more likely. The first WiMax flavor is fixed point-to-multipoint.