WiMax Folded Into 3G 'Family'

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.'"

Comments

Link broken in submission

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Can we just drop the whole "3G" thing?

[R2.0]

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!

The impact...

[ivan256]

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

Important differences....

[postbigbang]

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.

Re:Important differences....

[postbigbang]

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.

Re:Important differences....

[Ryandav]

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.

Triple provider coverage mode ...

[OldHawk777]

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