WiMAX makes way for WiMAX 2

With over 500 deployments around the world including the four in Malaysia, WiMAX is just starting to get a foot hold in the wireless world.

But that’s not stopping Intel, Samsung, Motorola, ZTE and friends from announcing the next version of the technology dubbed WiMAX 2.

These manufacturers along with almost everyone who’s supporting the WiMAX movement have committed to WiMAX 2 as well as to developing interoperable devices for the technology.

WiMAX 2 based on the 802.11m technology, according to the companies, will provide 300Mbits of throughput, with less latency and more bandwidth available for applications like VOIP calls. The technology is developed to address the astronomic rate in which bandwidth and data are being consumed at the moment.

“The wireless industry is convinced that the growing volume of data consumers are eating up is a bad thing,” said Mike Sievert, Chief Commercial Officer, Clearwire. “But for us, our spectrum position gives us tremendous capacity and the ability to meet the explosive demand for mobile broadband. Today our CLEAR mobile customers are using an average of more than 7GB of data per month on our network. And while other companies are considering how to curtail usage, we simply say to our customers, here’s the Internet: the world in the palm of your hand – enjoy it.”

The gang targets to have first commercial WiMAAX 2 products in the market by mid-2011.

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