Not every company has the design chops to make it in modern consumer electronics. Case in point: NEC's Aterm WM3300R. While it looks like a thermostat you'd wall-mount at the local health center, it packs enough technological appeal to make up for that clinical dowdiness. See, it's a pocketable WiMAX router with integrated 802.11b/g WiFi -- think
MiFi only with the relatively blazing speeds of 40Mbps (downstream) / 10Mbps (upstream) WiMAX instead of EV-DO or HSPA and a battery capable of about 2.5 hours of shared usage. The WM3300R can also be USB-attached to a PC as a WiMAX modem. Drop another ¥5,000 (about $54) and you've got a spare battery to keep the mobile action going. Expect it to be released in early November in Japan for an estimated ¥25,000 or right around $272. You seeing this Sprint, Clearwire?
[Via
Akihabara News]
posted Oct 27th 2009 4:26AM
what now? where is WiMax already available?
I suppose when WiMax will be a standard we will have integrated WiMax antennas in our laptop/smartphone/whatever... or not?
Nice. I was just wishing for something like this last night.
What's the purpose of a wimax router? isn't wimax just wifi w/ way extended range? the router wouldn't do that, right?
WiMax is not WiFi; it's a separate protocol, designed for longer range at the same power. So this is just like a WiFi router you'd have at home, except that it uses WiMax for its uplink, instead of Ethernet.
4G? Yea, there's a map for that.
Let me see, I've got it around here somewhere. Ah, here it is. You may need your reading glasses to see the highlighted areas, though.
Great product - looking forward to it. But why not make it WiFi 802.11N?
Why not dual mode with WiMAX and EVDO uplink? Is there a device with both connections as an option? I was considering getting a Mi-Fi, but I know just when I re-up my Sprint contract on an EVDO Mi-Fi, they'll announce a WiMAX rollout date for my market.
Darn that ceaseless technological advancement.
I tried to post a comment noting that Clearwire has sold a product like this since April called the Clear Spot. Engadget covered it then. Seems to have been removed.
Anyway, in response to your specific question, you can combine the ClearSpot with one of the dual-mode EVDO/WiMAX devices Sprint and Clearwire sell to do what you're suggesting. This assumes you're in one of the cities with Clearwire WiMAX service. Hope that helps.
Sending off my Japan resident alien application now...