What is Mobile WiMAX?
WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a telecommunications technology based on the IEEE 802.16 standard for wireless broadband Internet access. WiMAX is promoted by the international WiMAX Forum. Founded in 2001, this non-profit organization unites hundreds of electronics manufacturers, cellular carriers and Internet providers.
WiMAX provides both fixed and mobile connectivity. With Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard) you can access the Internet from a fixed location (think xDSL, only without the cables) or go online whenever and wherever you choose inside the coverage area — even while you are on the move. Until recently, only fixed WiMAX was available in Russia; Scartel company, which operates under the Yota brand, has launched the first Mobile WiMAX network in this country.
Mobile WiMAX around the world
Mobile WiMAX is firmly on its way to becoming a widely accepted technology. As many as 40 countries have expressed their interest in building WiMAX networks since 2008. A number of city-scale WiMAX networks have been put into operation since 2001, and now WiMAX is set to go nationwide in several countries.
While Internet providers have been busy launching WiMAX networks, consumer electronics manufacturers have developed WiMAX-enabled user devices. Samsung, ASUS, Intel and other technology leaders are already mass-producing laptops, PDAs and cell phones with built-in WiMAX capability. Nationwide WiMAX networks are being deployed in Russia (Yota), the USA (Xohm), South Korea (KT WiBro), Japan (UQC) and other countries.
Established in 2008, Yota is the first mobile WiMAX network in Russia.
The benefits of WiMAX
Mobile WiMAX provides high-speed web access. We are talking about speeds up to 10 Mbps — on par with broadband cable connection, which is the most widespread form of Internet access today. Such speeds enable you to download any data-intensive applications on the go: DVD-quality movies, streaming video and TV programs, music or games.
Mobile WiMAX makes you truly and completely mobile — you don't need cables to set up the connection. Just plug a modem into your laptop or PDA (if it does not already have a WiMAX chipset built in), and the network will be detected automatically. In this sense, Mobile WiMAX is not unlike WiFi, but it has a much broader service range. While WiFi web access is confined to an office or a coffee shop, a Mobile WiMAX network can cover a whole city.
