What is WiMax?

i. The ‘World Interoperability for MicroAcess, Inc. (WiMAX)’ forum, an industry group, focuses on creating advanced technology solution for high speed wide area internet access.

ii. The WiMAX product certification program ensures interoperability between WiMAX equipment from vendors worldwide.

iii. WiMAX can serve as a backbone for 802.11 hotspots for connecting to the internet. Alternatively, users can connect mobile devices such as laptops and handsets directly to WiMAX base stations. Mobile devices connected directly can achieve a range of 4 to 6 miles.

iv. There are 2 types of WiMAX, fixed WiMAX(IEEE 802.16d-2004) and mobile WiMAX(IEEE802.16e-2005). Fixed WiMAX is a point-to-multipoint technology, whereas mobile WiMAX is a multipoint-to-multipoint technology, similar to that of a cellular infrastructure.