Wireless communication has been around for quite a while.
We could classify wireless communications in three groups:
Near field: Typically Bluetooth,range about 10 meters. Used to inter-device communication as for example between the phone and the hands free headsets, or car hands free system.
WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network): e.g. Wifi, range 100 meters (in open space could go up to 300 meters). Used for home network and hot spots.
RAN (Radio Access Network) like: Wimax and all common celular radio technologies like GSM, CDMA and their 3G evolutions. Unlike Wimax, these technologies were initially created to provide voice services, and later enhanced to cater for data services. For this reason, there are some similarities between there radio celular technologies and the fixed line voice networks: the user has a unique number that associates the user to an operator and country. The devices using these technologies have a SIM card provided by the operator. The evolution to LTE is still based on the SIM card access.
Wimax on the other hand, was conceived based on the access principles of wifi. The device can access any network without the need for special operator chips. The operator can control the access to his networt using a variety of access control mechanisms such as login, MAC filtering, etc, just as with Wifi networks. This type of network allows over the air request an grant access to the network.
Therefore, there is a major difference between celular technologies and Wimax. Celllular access like LTE have high roaming costs to users when they move to a foreign country. For a user to have acccess to the network, he needs to get a contract (pre-paid, post-paid) with an operator, obtain a SIM card, instal it on the device before be able to connect.
Wimax network has the possibility to grant ad-hoc access, and this feature on its own, can lead to a major change on the mobile business model, giving more choice and independence to users. This is why most mobile operators keep away from Wimax, sticking to LTE.
However Wimax is ideal for new operators, or operators trying to enter new markets. Wimax have the potential to change the game regarding broadband wireless access, and leading to low universal access cost to the users.
Boingo (http://mobile.boingo.com) provides this type of access for Wifi. This gives us ideas...
The technology is ready. The ball is on the hands of the regulators.
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