Maybe WiMax Isn't All That
Finally! There has been story after story after story in the press about how WiMax is the greatest thing since the internet was invented, making all sorts of assumptions about how WiMax had already killed plenty of technologies that actually exist already (when WiMax doesn't). Now, some analysts have actually taken a look at WiMax and 802.20 (or, since everything needs a marketable name these days: "MobileFi"), and pointed out that, despite buckets of drool from the press, they're unlikely to kill of DSL anytime soon. At least initially, these technologies are much more likely to provide service to underserved markets. When they start competing directly with DSL, the economics just don't support the wireless offerings any time soon. They may eventually get there, but the stories that seem to assume WiMax and other broadband wireless technologies will simply wipe out their wireline competitors within days of being launched are clearly going overboard.
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
