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WiMax Folded Into 3G 'Family'

Posted by Zonk on from the one-big-happy dept.

Andrew Donoghue writes "ZDNet UK is reporting that although WiMax and 3G have been battling it out as rival broadband wireless technologies, WiMax has effectively been folded into 3G's future development, after the International Telecommunication Union decided to include it in the IMT-2000 set of standards. 'An auction is to be held next year in which spectrum around the 2.6GHz band -- which is usable for both 3G and mobile WiMax -- will be sold off on a technology-neutral basis. It remains to be seen what the implications of Friday's announcement are for that auction but, as the investments already made in 3G infrastructure had been a major detrimental factor for WiMax, its inclusion in IMT-2000 has the potential to shake up the entire argument.'"

40 comments

  1. Link broken in submission by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Correct link: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39290156,00.htm

    1. Re:Link broken in submission by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      That was an excellent chance for Goatse, and you blew it.
      Fuck you.

  2. Implications? by imstanny · · Score: 1

    What does this mean for the likes of Google, Clearwire, and Sprint? (My understanding is that all 3 are major Wimax players and are bidding, or have licensed, certain frequencies for Wimax).

  3. Dual mode? by saleenS281 · · Score: 1

    Is there some reason they can't simply deploy dual mode 3G/wimax installations? We have A/B/G wifi... why not 3G/wimax on a chip? The only hurdle I can see is the range interference, but I'm sure they could find a way around that...

  4. Can we just drop the whole "3G" thing? by R2.0 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I mean, it originally stood for "Third Generation", but has taken on a life of it's own, with no real definition. It's like "Web 2.0" - it sounds neat, no one really knows what it's about, but sure as hell the next number is going to be even better!

    --
    "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
    1. Re:Can we just drop the whole "3G" thing? by nuzak · · Score: 1

      The funny thing is, another name for WiMax that was being commonly slung around was, get ready for it, 4G

      --
      Done with slashdot, done with nerds, getting a life.
    2. Re:Can we just drop the whole "3G" thing? by arivanov · · Score: 1

      Dunno... Both of them seriously suck as scalability for data. O(exp(-N)) scalability or worse (N number of clients per radio site). This is valid for all except the Chinese homebrew 3G variety which can have quite sane capacity models.

      --
      Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
      http://www.sigsegv.cx/
    3. Re:Can we just drop the whole "3G" thing? by sg3000 · · Score: 1

      > The funny thing is, another name for WiMax that was being commonly slung around was, get ready for it, 4G

      It's all marketing after a while.

      Sprint referred to WiMAX as 4G, mostly to differentiate against people like AT&T who are looking to do UMTS and HSPA. GSM's version of 4G mobile is LTE (making HSPA something like 3.5G), while CDMA's version is UMB (formerly EVDO Rev C). So by Sprint calling WiMAX 4G, they make it sound like it's further ahead than CDMA2000 and GSM. It's not much different than Microsoft calling the new XBox, the "XBox 360" to avoid a poor comparison to PS3 (if the XBox had been called "Xbox 2", as one would expect).

      Most people (who aren't pushing marketing) have settled on WiMAX as being "pre 4G", with the 4G version of WiMAX being based on 802.16m, sometimes called WiMAX Enhanced. In any case, 4G isn't expected until sometime between 2009-2011, so there's lot of time for new names to be coined.

      --
      Insert simplistic political, ideological, or personal proselytization here.
  5. The impact... by ivan256 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The impact of this marketing change on the future of technology journalism are profound.

    1. Re:The impact... by ivan256 · · Score: 1

      Heh... Ooops.. That should have said the impacts... Oh well.

  6. Important differences.... by postbigbang · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Unlike the two segments that are used for IEEE 802.11b/g and then 802.11a, WiMax can have several modes and several bands to use. A software defined radio might one day be a solution, but WiMax has a long way to go before it'll be used like b/g/a as it's 1) licensed spectra and 2) subject to the whims, fortunes, and insanity of various telcos and 3G providers.

    So a 3G/Wimax chip's not going to do much good for a few years, where a WiFi/3G chip makes sense, except fo the horrid security in WiFi.

    --
    ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    1. Re:Important differences.... by spitek · · Score: 1

      So a 3G/Wimax chip's not going to do much good for a few years, where a WiFi/3G chip makes sense, except fo the horrid security in WiFi.


      Few Years???? Thats simpley wrong, WiMax will be in production in Three major cities in 3-4 months. Than rolling out nation wide by the end of 2008. Also when we say 3G we really should seperate out Edge and EVDO. Edge is slow, everyone agrees. EVDO is already kicking EDGE a new one. WiMax is makes EVDO look like leftovers. 3 Mb in my car, in starbucks(WITH OUT PAYING THERE RAPING WIFI RATES) or where ever you may be in any populated area of consiquence. By the end of 2008. I know Ill have it as soon as it's available in my area.

    2. Re:Important differences.... by postbigbang · · Score: 2, Informative

      Sorry, I forgot to jump up and down. Yay, rah. Three cities, one vendor, one pilot implementation. It's almost as good as beta testing software. Yummy.

      And I'll bet it's nationwide, like 1xRTT and ev.do. Nationwide by maybe, Sprint?? Their whole program is in question.

      Edge certainly stinks, but at least it's somewhat available, if you can give blood daily, in quarts for it. If and where you can find EV.DO (or even the very rare EV.DOa), it's pricey, also with blood letting, and coverage is at best, mercurial. WiMax could legitimately be a 'broadband replacement' because of its speed, rather than EDGE/UMTS/etc and EV.DOx. But you're going to pay somebody's rates. Face it.

      The low-uptake rate has Intel creaming (because it's so nicely tattooed with WiMax) but the chipsets aren't out there, and for very good reasons: *money to support sales*. Not that WiFI is much better, of course, and it can also be very expensive depending on what latte you're drinking today. But a 3G/WiMax chipset won't be seen for a while. Sorry. Currently, WiMax is just another marketing man's hope, and for very good reasons.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    3. Re:Important differences.... by spitek · · Score: 1

      The three cities was more of an example that it is closer than you think than something to jump up and down about. Well unless thats how you get a good signal. Anyway.. :)

      Nationwide by maybe, Sprint?? Their whole program is in question.

      Where you hear that? The media? I question That statement. Anything can happen I give you that. However I'd dismiss those noises at this point. I think it's a lot more than a marketing mans hope. It's definitley that! But what any technology that does preform like WiMax should will be something may will benifit from. Sprint may be #3 but they have been succesfull when it comes to data. They where the first with full PCS, first with Photo Mail first with 3G. So I wish them luck, and if it fails, than Verizon or ATT will learn from the mistakes and well get something one time or another.

      And as far as paying for it.. Of course.. There is no such thing as a free lunch.. or internet in this case.

    4. Re:Important differences.... by Ryandav · · Score: 3, Interesting

      So, you are completely and totally wrong that WiMAX is some marketing dream. There are significant market deployments of thousands and thousands of people using pre-WiMAX or WiMAX ready gear today, right now, in over 50 cities in the United States alone (http://clearwire.com). There are beta services based on the absolute latest IEEE standard happening overseas in many countries that are already cash-flow positive. There are successful true WiMAX trials happening RIGHT NOW (which means gear is on the poles) in some metropolitan areas that are service large populations as we speak.

      This isn't vaporware, WiMAX is for reals; If you don't realize it's coming down like a freight train on the currently limited choice broadband situation in the US, you're going to be surprised in a year or two.

      --
      Check my Go-related blog for beginners: DGD
    5. Re:Important differences.... by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      Mmmmmm. One carrier. One that can't straighten their billing systems out.

      Ok, let's say for sake of argument that Sprint gets up a sufficient number of towers to cover what needs to be covered, in say five years. They're a single source. Do you think the cellphone makers are going to make a phone that works with only one non-GSM carrier? That doesn't happen much anymore. It's a bad bet.

      Sprint's PCS and 1xRTT was delightful. And like other short-sighted manuevers it didn't pay for very long. They're still #3, even after the merger, and now they're leaderless to boot, and looking at a huge capex to get WiMax sufficiently rolled out. Instead of continuing along the EV.DO lines, like Qualcomm/Verizon, they've gone it essentially alone, rather than cooperatively anchoring infrastructure. Typical not-invented-here mentality.

      Firsts are significant, but when you can't turn that into marketshare because your customers hate you, then it's only for the history/record books. But Sprint's not the only ones with serious broadband replacement problems. It's endemic to the industry as fiber build-outs continue to make wireless look stupid-- so stupid that even 802.11n is getting play, pre-standard. People want speed. I like WiMax's potential, but there are many good ideas that need cooperative funding and astute planning to meet market challenges. The competition is a good idea, but so far, WiMax does not compel everyone to go out and make waykewl WiMax/"3G" chipsets. It's realistically five years before many handsets will have them, and these will be largely software-defined radios where functionality is burned-in to compelling handset forms. Ask your local Sprint store-- when can I get a waykewl WiMax/3G phone? After they say the phrase, "huh?", crawl through the top nine mobile maker's press releases. Seen anyone announce anything?

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    6. Re:Important differences.... by cyphercell · · Score: 1

      this is one of the more overrated posts i've seen in a long time, clueless. a company that operates in most major cities? towerstream
      We're talking, DC, LA, New York, Boston, Chicago, etc... oh and some of their press releases date back to 2005, that's three years.

      --
      Under the influence of Post-Cyberpunk Gonzo Journalism
    7. Re:Important differences.... by postbigbang · · Score: 0

      We disagree.

      Significant deployments of perhaps thousands and thousands are not significant in the face of 121million cellphones that don't have WiMax-->IN THE USA TODAY.

      I don't argue that WiMax will come of age. But it's licensed spectra, and it costs money, and people are already familiar with paying money to their cellular/mobile carrier and have not had a strong uptake in broadband replacement technologies because of mobility issues and raw cost.

      It's not a freight train. It's a Volkswagen Diesel. One day it will grow, but the market has not evolved yet, and will not evolve for several years. I know all too well about the WiMax trials. And I also know all too well about how Earthlink nearly went bankrupt trying to do muni-WiFi, along with the deaths of committments from Google and others to back up muni-WiFi. Muni-WiFi has been set back years, and for good reason: capex, revenue, and support issues abound. WiMax isn't about personal wireless, it's about commercial wireless. It's damn crowded in that market right now, and WiMax penetration, today, is sincerely very low by comparison to numerous other (if fading) technologies. It's not that clear for WiMax. Gear on poles means nothing until penetration gets sufficient revenues. That's why there are no chipsets.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    8. Re:Important differences.... by spitek · · Score: 1

      Mmmmmm. One carrier. One that can't straighten their billing systems out. You talking about AT&T?? UPSing There iPhone invoices? But that would be a section with them I do not like either. I also wouldn't have wanted to merge Nextel and Sprint. yuk.

      Firsts are significant, but when you can't turn that into marketshare because your customers hate you, then it's only for the history/record books.

      This is true, true, true. Only time will tell on that one.

      Ask your local Sprint store-- when can I get a waykewl WiMax/3G phone? After they say the phrase, "huh?"

      This is the normal response from every customer service rep from all the carriers from my experiance if you as them anything besides what they have been told to say.. Now unless the person helping you is a high school or college student nerd that working there for the discount. Always try to find them when your going to a telco store!!!

      I hear you on the handsets. However I see WiMax and handset no so intertied. Motorola got a WiMax/WiFi/Wired Enet router already and intigration info laptops and other devices is where the additional bandwidth over EVDO is going to come into play in my mind. So the handset issue is only one part of true wireless broadband, its supposed to be bigger than that. Will it be?? You have some valid points, now we wait and see. Personally I keep wondering when humans will find something better than RF as a whole. We didn't know jack about RF not to long ago. That is when it will really get interesting. But maybe my daughter will get to see that..

    9. Re:Important differences.... by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      We largely agree.

      The bigger problem is that there are no metrics that you can use, like a pint or a joule, to measure broadband usability.

      If I said that FIOS/Verizon fiber drops typically got forty-two bammos (my extemporaneously named measure of Internet speed/quality/availability), then you might then say that 802.11n is nine bammos, and EV.DO is two bammos, and so on. There are no useful metrics or standards of measure/availability of the resource to compare with. Bandwidth then becomes a dubious denoninator to sell WiMax or any other technology with. We have the insanity of 2.5G, 3G, 3.5G, 4G, and they're all essentially meaningless and can't be used in any useful way to be considered for broadband replacement merits. Were there a 'bammo', you could say: my bammos are bigger than yours. Or my bammos cost less than your bammos, and I can get my bammos in Richmond Virginia and you can't. Nyah Nyah. That's a draw. You can take that to a boardroom, or an investor community, and say, look at all the bammos and how much we can charge for them. Golly-- let's go spend money on bammo infrastructure. Then we'll sell our bammos infrastructure to .

      But that's not happening. And the telcos could soar if they could figure out the capitalization needed to sell bammos. But they're still stuck in a 1950's mindset, despite several issues of Emporer's New Clothing they've tried to wear. The economics could be much different, but the investment community sees tepid returns on WiMax today, and in the near future.... and for good reason.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    10. Re:Important differences.... by spitek · · Score: 1

      But that's not happening. And the telcos could soar if they could figure out the capitalization needed to sell bammos. But they're still stuck in a 1950's mindset

      So true. That is where I think Sprint is the best, not great but better than ATT... wait Sprint wasn't around in the 50's. Well not really anyway. :)

      And your point about back haul. The largest actual issue for sure. This is huge and I know non of the providers are even close to being ready from this standpoint. The investment needed for that, were talking 100Mb to every cell tower to really get started. Than the back haul from distro sites on up. I know most of the special access networks are coper and 90% owned by ATT and Verizon.. so... Get the ditch witch out.. start laying fiber to every cell tower.. than get ready to buy a lot of DWDM gear..

      This is going to be interesting....

    11. Re:Important differences.... by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      Hey, look at the 9th Court of Appeals decision today-- no one rides free now-- they backed the FCC on haul issues. There's no SS9 in Internet relationships, but somebody's going to have to pay to ride telco wires. Let's see how *that* plays out. Imagine: a meter inside every Cisco 7XXX or 12XXX.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    12. Re:Important differences.... by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 1

      Sorry, I forgot to jump up and down. Yay, rah. Three cities, one vendor, one pilot implementation. It's almost as good as beta testing software. Yummy.

      And I'll bet it's nationwide, like 1xRTT and ev.do. Nationwide by maybe, Sprint?? Their whole program is in question.

      Edge certainly stinks, but at least it's somewhat available, if you can give blood daily, in quarts for it. If and where you can find EV.DO (or even the very rare EV.DOa), it's pricey, also with blood letting, and coverage is at best, mercurial. WiMax could legitimately be a 'broadband replacement' because of its speed, rather than EDGE/UMTS/etc and EV.DOx. But you're going to pay somebody's rates. Face it.

      I don't know what experience you have with EVDO, but you're totally off-base.

      I've driven cross-country several times recently. Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Savannah, Georgia. Chicago, IL to New York, NY. I'll be travelling to Las Vegas in a few weeks.

      In very, very few instances have I seen my EVDO RevA card go into EVDO Rev0 mode. 1xRTT is not uncommon, but on the vast majority of interstates, and nearly every urban area I've been in, EVDO RevA is the norm. I should know; I wouldn't be able to run my Skype phone on 1xRTT.

      Beyond that, I pay $49.99 for my unlimited EVDO RevA; which although slightly more expensive on a MBPS rate than Comcast, is pretty comparable given that you can take it everywhere. Wimax pricing from Sprint is rumored to be similar.

      And I don't know what beef you have against Sprint. Sprint is soft launching WiMax in 3 cities by THE END OF 2007, and plans to do a nationwide rollout in 12 months. Seems like quite a quick clip, to me. Especially because in the mean time I'm happily surfing on my high-speed EVDO RevA.

      Not everyone is stuck in the second-class service you get with AT and given your pessimism, you sound like an AT&T customer.

      On a daily basis I find myself travelling between downtown Chicago and rural Wisconsin. EVDO works everywhere, for me. I have every confidence in Sprint's capability to launch Xohm nationwide, and given their solid upgrade to EVDO RevA (they said it would take 1 year, and it is active in 95% of service areas now, 12 months after they announced a nationwide rollout), I expect than their Wimax rollout will proceed without a hitch.

      --
      WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
    13. Re:Important differences.... by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      I'm still dripping blood from my EV.DO (NOT REV A) card (and hideous Verizon rates). My experience is very mixed, but I travel way more than you probably do, 50Kmi+ by air, and at least 10K+ by car in the US. There's EU travel, but I have a handful of nice SIM cards and a separate GSM phone with a bluetooth/EDGE interface for my notebook.

      Sprint's 'launch' is definetly planned by the end of this year. No doubt about it. And they won't have full useful coverage for years. Look at their actual game plan, which has been set back several times. Add in the characteristics of WiMAX dispersion and backhaul; it's unlike EV.DO(a) in many ways. My beefs with Sprint are many, too many for a /. post. I currently use Verizon, only for its coverage where I have to travel. I'm an ex-Sprint (and their acquisitions), AT&T (and their acquisitions), ex-T-Mobile, and others going back 20 years this year. I have little faith in Sprint. Sorry. Less in AT&T. I believe your faith to be misplaced.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    14. Re:Important differences.... by Troed · · Score: 1

      3 Mb in my car, in starbucks(WITH OUT PAYING THERE RAPING WIFI RATES) or where ever you may be in any populated area of consiquence. By the end of 2008. I know Ill have it as soon as it's available in my area

      Or you could come visit Sweden, where the 3G networks are already upgraded with 7.2Mbit/s HSDPA (14.4Mbit next year, and also increasing the uplink using HSPA) for a flatrate fee of between $13-$26/month.

      Besides the 3G PC-card in my laptop that gives me fast Internet wherever I am, my cell phone also has HSDPA should I ever be near another computer that's not connected to the Internet.

      Sorry, why should I be interested in WiMax again? Existing 3G (and then LTE) is already everything WiMax wants to be. Now.

      --
      it's in my head
    15. Re:Important differences.... by spitek · · Score: 1

      Sounds nice.

      The investment necessary from both back haul and site build out point of view for any system, weather you call it 3G, 4G or myInetOvaDeAir it really doesn't matter. 17Mb, sounds sweet, but if every US household had one the back haul network alone would be upwards of 10 Billion or more. Not happening in a country as large as the US any time soon.

      Small area's like Sweden have an advantage when it comes to stuff like this, just like South Korea with their impressive broadband penetration. You could build 54Mb Wifi in all of these countries easier than 3Mb everywhere in the US, or Russia or any large country.

    16. Re:Important differences.... by Troed · · Score: 1

      ... which, of course, has no relevance whatsoever with regards to the discussion :) The point is that WiMax does not deliver anything not already delivered with 3G (using HSPA - a "software upgrade") and then LTE for the higher bandwidth and lower cost per bit.

      In the end the WiMax name will probably live on, but as just another nickname for the current cellular technology of the day.

      --
      it's in my head
    17. Re:Important differences.... by spitek · · Score: 1

      3G?? Can we narrow that down a little bit? Edge like AT&T, EVDO? What do you add this software upgrade to and than blamo its the shit? Seriously, I'd like to read about it.

    18. Re:Important differences.... by Troed · · Score: 1

      Brief list of the different networks and how they can evolve. I only list the world wide ones, China and the US have some local standards that aren't that interesting and at least when it comes to the US on their way out.

      * GSM - GPRS - EDGE - Evolved EDGE ("2G, 2.5G")
      * UMTS - HSDPA - HSUPA (together they form HSPA) ("3G, 3.5G")
      * LTE ("3.9G")

      HSPA is a "software upgrade" (in the sense that you do not build a new network) on top of normal 3G (UMTS). While Edge can reach ~220kbps (and Evolved Edge around ~1Mbps) UMTS ("3G") starts at 384kpbs, and as I already pointed out HSDPA is available at 1.2Mbps, 3.6Mbps, 7.2Mbps (available here right now) and will go up to 14.4Mpbs. LTE is projected to reach (at least) 100Mbps.

      I suspect that you can get more details by starting at wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3GPP

      --
      it's in my head
  7. WiMax is the NEXT THING! by zukinux · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    And those of you who don't agree/know-anything-about-it I invite you to read WiMax

    --
    Read and Comment at my BLOG
    !!!
  8. 4G by starlabs · · Score: 1

    So, are they going to rename WiMax to 4G now?

    1. Re:4G by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It actually already is considered (pre-)4G: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4G#Pre-4G_Wireless_Standards

  9. Clearwire has been giving WiMAX a bad name by philam3nt · · Score: 1

    WiMAX is for reals, the wireless broadband spectrum is about to put the 'only choice' in many markets, cable broadband (which is often abusing its power, I'm looking at you, Comcast!) to some serious competition. The speeds I'm getting on my HSPA (3.5G) AT&T/HTC Tilt are fast enough to rival my Comcast connection on most days, and it's making me reconsider my hardline connection.

    WiMAX has been given a bad name here in the States because Clearwire has taken so long to develop a PC Card, leaving them dead in the water. (For almost 2 years their motto has been: Internet Anywhere! ....anywhere you want to carry an 8 x 8 brick and plug it into a dedicated power source!) ...and $30/mo. for 1.5mbps isn't competitive with $40/mo. 3.6mbps HSPA.

    However, very few devices are being sold in the US with HSPA, much less the 3.6mbps flavor -- and HSPA came disabled on my device, I had to tweak the registry to use it! Even though AT&T is rolling out HSUPA (the upload half of HSPA), and I'm going to be enjoying 3.6mbps uploads nationwide, they're sure not advertising it. This is where Clearwire comes in -- they're poised to take the US market: the PC Card was FCC approved in February, 1000s of people already have WiMAX-ready devices in use, and they've been advertising like mad regardless. There's clearly frequency band competition right now (see Google's recent attempted FCC deal) and Clearwire already has it. Once Clearwire starts to look serious, you can bet other providers will jump into the fray. The prices are already low, and for most people mobile broadband speeds will be more than enough.

    Personally, I can't wait for real broadband competition, that crazy $50/mo. 100mbps fiber speed Japan has is driving me mad with geek envy.

    --

    If I had a sig, this is where it would be.
    1. Re:Clearwire has been giving WiMAX a bad name by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 1

      The competition is coming, but not from clearwire; Sprint's Xohm serivce is going to rock Urban markets.

      No contracts, one account per person (unlimited numbers of devices!), and standards-based chipsets than Intel is working in to the next version of Centrino.

      --
      WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
  10. Triple provider coverage mode ... by OldHawk777 · · Score: 2, Informative

    WiMax 802.16 as I understand it would have no functional problems using spread-spectrum frequency-hopping software programmable radio technology. Just search and read "spread-spectrum" "frequency-hopping" "802.16" WiMAX, most of this technology was available a few years ago, but the Telcos & congress .... Yep, could cause the cable carriers to become the WiMAX carriers to the home for TV, Radio, Phone ....

    http://www.mtc.ca.gov/services/arterial_operations/downloads/wireless/Wireless_Overview.pdf
    http://www.telecoms.gov.bb/Documents/Fact%20Sheets/Fact%20Sheets_MS%20Word/factsheet16.doc
    http://www.bbwexchange.com/turnkey/howrfworks_page_6.asp
    http://www.willtek.com/english/technologies/wlan

    --
    Unaccountable leaders are masters, and unrepresented people are slaves. How do US and EU fare?
  11. Still different other cellular offerings by dbateman · · Score: 1

    There is one big difference of WiMaX over upgrades of the 3GPP cellular offers. They aren't upgrades, its more or less a clean slate, and new supplier of WiMaX services can break the strangle hold that existing cellular operators have over the mobile communications market. This is a chance for the consumer to get a better deal, from these new operators. With SiP over WiMaX I'd tell my existing cellular operator to go screw themselves..

    D.

  12. Is this mostly about licensed spectrum? by WoTG · · Score: 1

    As far as I can figure out, all this means is that when a government puts some spectrum up for "3G" services, companies that want to deploy WiMax will be allowed to bid. It's not like equipment is magically going to support all parts of this new "3G"...

  13. PLEASE READ Wikipedia WLL, SkyCat, using 802.16... by OldHawk777 · · Score: 1

    Nothing fixes everything, but the USA does not need to fall
    to last place in telecommunications globally.

    LOOK READ THINK ... 1GG2G2.5G3G... is dead-end marketing hype.
    We need to be able to go anyplace in the USA and receive the
    same GDMF QoS that can be obtained at home with an option of
    multiple providers for all (or as selected) media and
    communications products and services. All without swapping a GDMF
    box at home/office or personal phone/PCS.

    For all the BS and DisInfo US Citizens are feed, from the experts
    and leaders of the USA Congress, FCC, Telcos ... businesses, we
    should kick their balls so GDMF hard that they will taste their
    own sperm in their mouths.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_local_loop
    http://www.worldskycat.com/markets/skycom.html
    http://www.iec.org/online/tutorials/wll/

    --
    Unaccountable leaders are masters, and unrepresented people are slaves. How do US and EU fare?
  14. Just added from above for more links to think... by OldHawk777 · · Score: 1

    Nothing fixes everything, but the USA does not need to fall
    to last place in telecommunications globally.

    LOOK READ THINK ... 1GG2G2.5G3G... is dead-end marketing hype.
    We need to be able to go anyplace in the USA and receive the
    same GDMF QoS that can be obtained at home with an option of
    multiple providers for all (or as selected) media and
    communications products and services. All without swapping a GDMF
    box at home/office or personal phone/PCS.

    For all the BS and DisInfo US Citizens are feed, from the experts
    and leaders of the USA Congress, FCC, Telcos ... businesses, we
    should kick their balls so GDMF hard that they will taste their
    own sperm in their mouths.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_local_loop
    http://www.worldskycat.com/markets/skycom.html
    http://www.iec.org/online/tutorials/wll/

    --
    Unaccountable leaders are masters, and unrepresented people are slaves. How do US and EU fare?