WiMax in mobile devices

[MrG]

Are there any current mobiles devices using WiMax as a replacement for the WiFi of today?

The Nokia N95 for example uses WiFi correct? Does WiMax use less power?

How soon until we see a movement of WiMax into everyday devices like the N95?

 

[Hannes]

WiMAX in mobile device are unfortunately highly over promised and extremely under delivered.

For WiMAX in mobile devices (note I do not say Mobile WiMAX. because the two concepts are not the same), the 802.16e needs ratification. The fragmented approach in terms of the building blocks for 802.16d WiMAX devices present problems in terms of integration and power consumption. You can right now buy a WiBRO handset that effectively is pre 802.16e (eventually it will become 802.16e profile 1A certified), as used by Korea Telecomms, but it only works on 2.3GHz. Intel at 3GSM showed their first embedded WiMAX in Centrino solution and they maintain that it only adds about 10% overhead on top of WiFi in terms of transistor count and power requirement.

Ultimately it is a device positioning strategy. Whereas WiMAX forum members are pushing the device vendors for integrating (eventual) 802.16e in smartphones, you can already buy 3.6Mbps HSDPA devices off the shelf and I am sitting with a 7.2Mbps HSDPA smartphone in my drawer (supposed to be testing it, but having more fun on the forum. It think it will be a numbers game and I doubt whether at least in South Africa you will find a mobile WiMAX network that stretches as far as 3G coverage , let alone GSM in the near future. If it means that if in the interim you therefore have to hunt for high speed Mobile WiMAX cells (much like for WiFi hotspots) you are back to square one. In SA we just do not have the prime consumption point that the 1st world has, namely that of public transport. If you follow history, the Ipod, Walkman, PSP, Push to Talk - they all grew their roots on the underground railways and TGV express trains of the world...

 

[Big G SA]

Wireless for secure, remote connectivity?

Hi, have a query from a client:
Wants to connect his workers at home to DB app's in his office, securely & with some form of bandwidth provisioning. Needs clear, uncluttered bandwidth to the office to work efficiently?