WiMax as a BroadbandWirelessAccess implementation and as successor to WiFi is getting closer as ever. It may work along fine with ThirdGeneration and would therefore be more acceptable to the PttAuthorities. See how China market explains the coexistence at http://www.physorg.com/news5560.html.
* initial deployment is probably geared towards addressing data needs .

Adoption of WiMax may however be restrained by high spectrum licensing costs, thus offsetting the advantage of no substantial infrastructure required for deployment. See http://www.techworld.com/mobility/features/index.cfm?FeatureID=1629
* contract with WiFi which is unlicensed (low cost) and unregulated.

A WiMax forum exists to guide the adoption of the technology (many different implementations possible). WiMax hopes of repeating the WiFi success story may be dependent on the ability of competing vendors working together for the common good.

'''WiMax as it exists and implemented today only serve as backbone support between stationary points.'''
* See "...Internet everywhere" article at http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/andrewkantor/2005-08-04-kantor-wireless_x.htm.

'''2007 (Almost) update'''

Intel is getting ready for the day of the mobile super mini PC, small enough to be stored in a handbag, powerful enough like a broadband connected computer, and cheap enough to be widely adopted. Intel has revealed its WiMax Connection 2300 chipset to compete with Qualcomm CDMA and other BroadbandWirelessAccess implementations.

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'''"Mobile WiMax" - Sizzler'''

'' ..the WiMAX standard, based on IEEE 802.16d, aimed to deliver non-line-of-sight fixed broadband access. Now, many WiMAX proponents are hopeful of full 2-way broadband for mobile and portable devices as well, based on IEEE 802.16e.''
(From: http://rfdesign.com/ar/wimax-future-mobile/)

Some work is still required (e.g. certification). The standard addresses roaming and other considerations important for use in WirelessDevicesEnterpriseComputing.

"Mobile WiMax" standards development is not yet finished as planned for mid 05, despite the hype associated with the now in market Intel Rosedale chipset. The delays give room for alternate ThirdGeneration solutions and competing standards to compete. 

For large telcos without cellular operations or ThirdGeneration cellular infrastructure (e.g. BT), "Mobile WiMax" can fill a complementary need.

"More scepticism than ever about Wimax as a viable wireless carrier technology" -- http://www.theregister.com/2005/08/22/wimax_delay_again/
* Flarion was mentioned to have the proprietary competing technology that could derail WiMax if it does not get its act together quickly. This company is in the news in mid 05 as it gets acquired by QualcommInc who singlehandedly created the CDMA (CodeDivisionMultipleAccess) market.

''MobileIntelligentTerminal''

Samsung P9000 with mobile WiMax has made appearances at ITU World Telecom 2006. Mobile Burn site has pictures of this PersonalDigitalAssistant sized PC weighing 0.5Kg and equipped with fold-up keyboard running WindowsXp.

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'''WiMax PowerUsage'''

Power needs of WiMax still rules it out from use in SmartPhone, claims a research report found on Flarion site (now gone, but can still find it at http://web.archive.org/web/20041015040954/http://www.flarion.com/viewpoint/reports/MerrillLynch-wimax0604.pdf).

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CategoryCommunicationProtocol CategoryWireless