OT: [Computerworld:] "Cisco takes aim at WiMax"

[Mike Schwartz]

see comments "bottom posted" [below].
thanks, Mike S.

On Tue, May 19, 2009 at 4:37 PM, Carlos Macedo Gomes <
powerofprimes at gmail.com> wrote:

> Full disclosure: I work for Intel but not in our Wireless Group.
>
> On Mon, May 18, 2009 at 5:03 PM, Joseph Sinclair <
> plug-discussion at stcaz.net> wrote:
>
>> There are some substantial differences between WiMax and WiFi.
>
>
> Agreed. WiFi is 802.11 (b,a,g,n) certified by the WiFi Alliance (
> http://www.wi-fi.org/ )  WiMAX is 802.16 (e or d) certified by WiMAX Forum
> (http://www.wimaxforum.org/ )
>
> But there are also some basic similarities.  Both are
> data communications standards that directly support IPv4 and IPv6.  Both
> bring native IPv4/IPV6 to consumers via radio frequency (i.e., RF, radio,
> wireless).  Only WiMAX does direct IPv4/IPv6 across large distances (i.e.
> WANs) using RF.  LTE brings cellular RF over large distances closer to
> IPv4/IPv6 but it's still not a pure data communications standard since it
> has some genetic inheritance of legacy cellular designs and specifications.
>  WiMAX and current celluar services are complementary.  WiMAX and LTE are
> not so complementary due to basic overlaps in tech and in competing
> business.
>
> My elevator pitch would be: Both LTE and WiMAX bring data to RF WANs but
> LTE is born of cellular (with inheritance) and WiMAX is born of
> Ethernet/IPv4/IPV6 (with inheritance).
>
> The Muni WiFi nets are about providing 802.11 throughout an area.
>> Considering the limited range of the 2.4GHz band used, it's fairly difficult
>> and there tend to be a lot of small dead zones.
>
>
> Not to mention that 802.11 doesn't include roaming, meshing, robust
> security (e.g., authentication, identification, confidentiality) that are
> needed for continuous & contiguous wide area coverage and secure access.
> http://www.wimaxmaps.org/
>
> WiMax is a wide-area technology in a completely different (and fully
>> licensed) band.  WiMax placements cannot be done by consumers because you
>> have to pay a lot of money for the location-specific license and meet FCC
>> siting requirements.  ClearWire holds most (about $3 billion worth
>> transferred from Sprint) of the WiMax licenses in the US.
>
>
> Right now the carriers own the transport part of the WiMAX equation. That
> doesn't rule out the ability of other businesses from providing the backend
> now offered (or planned) by carriers. Small groups might be able to create
> smaller WiMAX (or 802.16) clouds that may or may not mesh w/ the carriers.
>  Wireless Phoenix (http://www.wireless-phoenix.com/) <http://www.wireless-phoenix.com/>already
> offers private label WiMAX in Phoenix and other groups should be able to
> come up w/ various business models leveraging the new technology including
> free (as in speech and as in beer).  That's assuming WiMAX succeeds as a
> technology... :-)  Some folks are already looking into open sourcing the
> client side of the technology:
> http://www.linuxwimax.org/Home
>
> http://www.openclovis.org/project-poll/project-idea-building-wimax-wireless-broadband-802-16e-product-on-top-of-atca-platform
> http://www.embeddedrelated.com/usenet/embedded/show/79241-1.php
>
> http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/open-source-linux/2009/02/linux-and-wimax-become-friends---finally.html
>
> WiMax is more of a competitor to 3G cellular. Some have put it forward as
>> the 4G cellular standard, but it's not clear what will happen there, since
>> Sprint and Intel prefer WiMax, but NGMN chose LTE, and many carriers don't
>> care which is used, as long as everyone uses the same radio standard.
>
>
> I don't see WiMAX directly competing w/ 3G.  WiMAX and current 3G celluar
> services are complementary (data vs cellular).  WiMAX and LTE are not so
> complementary due to tech overlaps (small items) and business overlaps
> (large items).
>
> ymmv,
> C.G.
>
> --
> powerofprimes at gmail.com
> Carlos Macedo Gomes
> _sic itur ad astra_
> http://claimid.com/cmgomes
>
>
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Thanks, CG.I may not have read all of your explanations half as carefully as
they were written, but you (and at least "some" of the others, too) seem to
have a good perspective on the "big picture", and a good knack for putting
it in to terms that help to make it easy (/easiER) to understand.--
Mike Schwartz
Glendale  AZ
schwartz at acm.org
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