Intel, Motorola, Samsung and more join forces to support WiMAX 2
By Sean Hollister 
posted April 12th 2010 7:02AM
posted April 12th 2010 7:02AM
You probably have yet to experience its original incarnation, but with mere months left before the IEEE finally decides on the standard for the improved 802.16m version of WiMAX, a group of companies has finally stepped forward to support the new protocol, and solidify that nice, marketable "WiMAX 2" name while they're at it. Dubbed the WiMAX 2 Collaboration Initiative (or WCI for short), Alvarion, Beceem, GCT Semiconductor, Intel, Motorola, Samsung, Sequans, XRONet, ZTE and ITRI intend to, well, collaborate to make sure the new protocol can compete with LTE, while our old friends Sprint and Clearwire -- who are keeping their options open in the 4G wars -- simply cheer them on. Hit the source link for invigorating quotes from each company involved.
they should have included the "2" (w2ci) in the abbreviation to avoid the inevitable "water closet initiative" remarks
@cwalters74
Like what was Intel going to do? Roll over and let WiMAX die? It's Intel's baby. Intel will always be the first to push WiMAX (or WiMAX 2 or whatever iteration it is). The same is true for WiFi...it went from 802.11b, to 802.11a, to 802.11g, to now 802.11n. Intel has been in the thick of it since day one.
So, while LTE and WiMAX aren't freely available to any appreciable length in the US, I think this new WiMAX initiative may end up getting other companies to actually join in the adoption and use of WiMAX. But we'll have to wait and see if that ends up being true. After all, people said that about Betamax (it had numerous advantages over VHS), but we know how that ended up.
Wimax meh
GSM plus 3G plus HSPA plus Wifi plus bluetooth for phone FTW
@OCEAN CLAK
Same for laptop
@OCEAN CLAK
Plus LTE Plus you sound like a Fiber 1 commercial
as a sprint user his makes me happy
@Jean Marc
Oddly enough, same here.
as a sprint user this makes me happy
EVO 4G Here I come!!
I get europe will adapt to LTE, and let the consumers decide which telco to use after they buy their own unsubsidiced phones, and get cheap service.
American telcos will all adapt WiMax 2, LTE and whatever they can think of, all slightly different so if a consumers wants to switch telco he will have to buy new phone etc. And pay arma and a leg for the service.
@newone
It's the American Way!
Why can't we just have one standard? Just like the Ethernet or WiFi. (Extreme Bias: as someone living in the UK, I prefer the GSM stack more than this WiMAX whatever)
2?? Where the hell is WiMAX 1??
@Plazmic Flame
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), is a telecommunications technology that provides fixed and fully mobile internet access. The technology provides up to 30 Mbps[1] in real world end-user throughput. WiMAX is based on the IEEE 802.16 standard (also called Broadband Wireless Access).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WiMAX
@OCEAN CLAK
he said "where"
Next gen Wii - WiiMax
funny how months ago people were already touting that Sprint and WiMAX will fail, LTE FTW, etc.
What I'd like to know if this new technology will be compatible with say, the EVO 4G. Anyone might want to fill me in?
@MegaJapan No.
@Jacob1
And that is because?
But if that's true, then this is down-straight lame. I thought it would be like the difference between HSPA 7Mbps and HSPA 21Mbps, but it seems to be more than that :/.
@MegaJapan Usually, a current device using an old standard cannot be upgraded to a newer version of that standard just by a simple firmware upgrade. For instance, if I have a pre-3G phone, there's absolutely zero possibility it can be upgraded to 3G (at least with a firmware update).
@Jacob1, that is partially not true, when Sprint first launched their 3G network, some devices that were running on Sprints old network, were upgraded to 3G via firmware.
@Jacob1
Point in case, you're talking about upgrading a 2G phone to 3G. Here we're in the case where we are to upgrade a 4G phone to an even better 4G phone. It's not a full version upgrade from what I can read.
@scorpeo Those devices had to already have an EVDO chip built in. The firmware update only enabled the 3G wireless to work, while it was previously disabled.
@Megajapan Let's just say it's very very extremely unlikely that the EVO could be upgraded. Wireless chips simply cannot be upgraded to a faster protocol that easily. It's the same reason you can't upgrade an 802.11G router to an 802.11N router. The wireless chip has to be designed to accommodate the standard, and if it's not designed to comply with a certain standard, then it can't support that standard.
@Jacob1
That's actually NOT true. Much like WiFi, WiMAX interations be it 802.16e and 802.16m will be interchangeable. It will only be a matter of max speed. Any laptop with WiFi uses 802.11, but it doesn't matter if your computer network is type "N" versus "G" versus "B".
So, the Evo 4G will work with 802.16m, but it simply won't be able to take the full advantages of what the improvements to the network that will be offered by it. That's all.
Ok, what the made better on the second version? internet speed? larger distance?
You really cannot compare Wimax and LTE, Wimax is more similar to an actual internet connection, WiFi on steroids, LTE is more in line with GSM, a mobile cell phone connection. Cities across the US will be using Wimax for parking meters, Traffic signals, City-wide WiFi. Commuter trains, Busses as well as Taxi's will have mobile Wimax base stations. Walmart is ditching AOL in favor of Wimax, for all of their communication. Major corporations will use Wimax for video conferencing, multimedia, etc. At&t will use Wimax for their rural customers without landlines. There is also talk of a Television service being transmitted via Wimax. LTE is only being built for wireless cell phone signals.
@scorpeo kinda like VoIP,only different.lol