[wplug] Wi-Fi (WiMAX redirect request)

[Brent M. Rust]

WiMax is terra based, not satellite.
Here are some sites for WiMax. In my opinion, WiMax is a CellularWiFi.
Simple to connect to, designed for data, but ubiquitous as cellular
(stated 30 mile +/- range).
It should allow fewer devices per sq mile so to speak (or a general
geographic area) than 802.11 a/b/g/i/x/y/z and higher throughput with
fewer limitations. It should go over small hills and through stands of
trees for instance. Whereas 802.11 won't penetrate your neighbors bushes
when it rains......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimax
http://www.wimaxforum.org/home
http://www.intel.com/netcomms/technologies/wimax/

The equipment right now is incredibly expensive. But I am sure all
WISP's are looking at moving to that direction. An ISP in Washington PA
is a also a WISP (in the North Hills and Burgettstown PA and may be in
another county that escapes me right now) and they have been looking at
it for some time. But they are such a small ISP, I doubt they will do
anything with it until something else comes down the pipe...so to speak
(pun intended) to reduce the cost.

I believe the first large scale public roll out was earlier this year in
Seattle by Speakeasy using the Space Needle as the base.
http://www.speakeasy.net/business/wimax/
http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050504/1809/

Here is a conundrum....3G, if it ever gets here, may get eclipsed by
WiMax if companies jump on the bandwagon of sort. If the WiMax is
cheaper to roll out than cellular and it can be meshed, then you could
actually imagine a seamless WiFi netowrk from coast to coast, even in
rural areas. Everyone would use WiFi phones and be able to get data
while you are driving. THAT'S COOL STUFF!

Brent

PS~I was in one of the equipment rooms at the base of the big cellular
towers. Guess what was in them....XM Satellite transcievers. I have
heard they are in all of the large cell towers. I wonder if they are
sending up, or broadcasting from...those towers. Things that make you go
hmmmmmmm

> Anyways- trying hard to re-direct and keep on WiFi thread:
>
> Can anyone PLEASE tell me about the "Super WiFi" (WiMAX) I'm reading
so much about on cnn.com lately? Something about being accessible in
more
> remote areas. Is this satellite based, like XM radio, or actually
tower based? Anyone know the up/down speed of this kind of setup?