4G WiMAX – The future of the Internet

Imagine a world where wireless Internet was literally everywhere. You could work and play anywhere you wanted. You could open your laptop and answer some urgent emails while you change the oil in your car, you could even go to the park and watch an episode of your favorite TV show while enjoying a nice spring day.

In the past these scenarios were pure fantasy. While there are many companies that offer WiFi, there are also many companies that do not. Even when you’re in the center of a city like San Francisco or Miami, you’ll have a hard time finding a usable WiFi signal. And even if you find a usable signal, you still have to worry about security. Logging into your online bank account over public WiFi is a great way to have your identity stolen.

However, now there is a way to make these fantasies come true. A new technology known as 4G WiMAX promises to bring WiFi to entire cities, allowing you to access the wireless Internet from anywhere.

What is 4G WiMAX?

Traditional WiFi does the job it was intended to do. That work, however, only extends to a radius of a few hundred feet under perfect conditions. It is a wireless connectivity standard created with the intention of providing Internet access to a small area, not an entire city. While some smaller cities have successfully implemented wireless Internet access using chains of WiFi routers and range extenders, larger cities need a different technology.

That’s where WiMAX comes in. WiMAX is an acronym for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. It is a standard that allows all WiMAX-enabled devices to communicate with each other. WiMAX is fundamentally different from WiFi because it is designed to transmit signals over distances measured in kilometers rather than meters. Information is sent and received from large transmission devices that are operated by a WiMAX service provider rather than routers that are owned by individuals or companies.

The term 4G, which is often applied to WiMAX solutions, means fourth generation. It is not a technical term in the sense that it does not represent a specific technology. Instead, it is used to inform consumers of a substantial speed improvement over previous technology.

4G WiMAX vs. DSL and Cable

Current 4G WiMAX deployments are capable of average download speeds of 3 to 6 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 1 Mbps. Peak download speeds can be up to 10 Mbps depending on the service being used.

This is competitive with more traditional broadband services like DSL and Cable. Basic DSL plans typically start at speeds of 1.5 Mbps through companies like Qwest and Earthlink, while cable Internet providers like Comcast offer cable broadband with speeds ranging from 1 to 3 Mbps, depending on your location. .

Today’s WiMAX technology can’t match the highest possible speeds of DSL and cable, which typically top out at around 20 Mbps on the most expensive service plans. Of course, DSL and Cable cannot offer the possibility of using wireless Internet anywhere in your city. The hardware required to make use of 4G WiMAX is also usually less expensive. Laptops that are already WiMAX-enabled will not require additional hardware, and all other computers can use a USB WiMAX adapter to access the Internet. Purchasing this adapter is typically less expensive than purchasing the modem and router that would be needed to enable wireless Internet in your home.

Note that some residential implementations in rural areas are an exception to this, as the long distances involved require a large headset to be mounted outside the home.

WiMAX coverage

WiMAX is an exciting new technology. This means that availability is still quite limited, but there are many cities that have WiMAX coverage available.

The largest provider of WiMAX coverage in the United States is Clear, a company that focuses exclusively on WiMAX Internet. Clear originally launched in Portland, Oregon and has been gradually rolling out the service to new markets. The cities that Clear now covers include Seattle, Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, and many others. Clear is constantly launching new 4G WiMAX service areas and expects to serve all major cities across the country in the coming years. Clear offers 4G WiMAX service for as little as $40 a month.

While Clear is the biggest player in the US market, it’s far from the only one. Regional WiMAX Internet services are provided by numerous organizations. For example, AT&T Alaska offers a WiMAX network that covers Anchorage and Juneau, and Northern Michigan University has established a WiMAX network that covers Marquette, Michigan. These are just two examples. There are numerous WiMAX services throughout the country, with new ones arriving every month.

It’s not just cities that are getting WiMAX. The largest planned deployments of WiMAX networks generally involve rural areas. For example, the Kansas Broadband has already established a WiMAX network for Saline Country and currently has plans to establish a rural WiMAX network that will cover 18 counties, totaling 12,000 square miles.

The future of WiMAX

While WiMAX is still in its infancy, it is a technology that is sure to catch on. The ability to purchase an internet plan and use it from anywhere in your city, instead of being restricted to your home, is a major benefit that is sure to attract many customers to these services.

WiMAX will also bring broadband Internet to people who previously had few or no broadband options. In rural areas, the infrastructure costs of traditional broadband service can be very high, but WiMAX can cover long distances with little infrastructure. This is a win-win technology that benefits everyone involved.