Navini Dumps 802.20 Mobile Broadband For 802.16e
Whether you buy into the hype fully or not, there's no denying that the Intel-inspired WiMAX juggernaut is growing. WiMAX is the (as of yet not ratified) IEEE standard called 802.16 which promises fast point-to-point wireless transmissions with aimed antennas. A later version, dubbed 802.16e will add mobility to WiMAX, and allow non-line-of-sight transmissions. Strangely, the IEEE is working on two standards for NLOS, mobile BWA, with the second being 802.20. However, with the massive Intel hype machine in overdrive, it is decreasingly attractive to hang one's hat on 802.20. Thus Navini, a staunch 802.20 supporter, has jumped ship, and joined the 802.16e parade. Navini has made what we feel is the right bet in this case: that OFDM 802.16e will displace the Sync-CDMA 802.20, largely because of WiMAX momentum. That being the case, we caution the masses not to believe all the hype: WiMAX in the mobile, NLOS form (802.16e) is unlikely to emerge before 2007, meanwhile there are a large number of existing standards, and technologies (UMTS TDD, F-OFDM) which are already on the market, and will be well entrenched by 2007.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
