xMax Threatens Wireless Broadband Market Leaders

Telecom News Editorials Reports Glossary

3:07 am on July 26, 2005 | Category: Wireless Technology

Verizon, Sprint, and Cingular are all in the process of building nationwide wireless broadband networks across the USA. Such networks have already been established in most major cities, but the companies are now also trying to expand into less densely populated regions as well. For the moment, the three major cell phone carriers are still the wireless broadband market leaders, but two other players are entering the race, and will likely provide stiff competition in the coming years.

WiMax technology has been making great strides in the past few years, and has the potential to provide considerably faster service than current cellular networks. Their 802.16e hardware, which will most likely be up and running by mid-2006, could allow for much higher connection speeds on various licenced bands within a city/regional footprint. WiMax networks, however, are dependent upon base stations, and are usually only accessible from major metropolitan areas.

Another form of technolgoy being worked on by a select group of speculators, involves the transmission of information using television and radio frequencies, and may be able to provide even faster connection speeds than WiMax, over a much larger region. This tehcnology, which involves such innovations as xMax, could operate at speeds as high as high as 10 Mbps, and is expected to be made more and more widely available over the coming years.

Links: Wireless Broadband, Technology, Verizon, Sprint, Cingular, WiMax.