No, WiMAX Won't Kill WiFi

from the no,-really dept

Tue, Dec 20th 2005 2:55pm — Carlo Longino

Following the approval of the mobile WiMAX standard earlier this month, Mobile Pipeline says "many unanswered questions" are being raised about the future of WiFi. It's the same tired sort of argument that accompanies every new wireless technology, that it will "kill" some existing technology. The same things were said about various 3G technologies and WiFi, or how UWB will kill Bluetooth, when nothing of the sort has happened. Some people don't seem to be able to accept the fact that while these technologies may have similar and overlapping uses and applications, they're not mutually exclusive. While mobile broadband will be popular, WiFi still has its uses -- and it will continue to have them. Not everyone that uses WiFi will stump up for an EV-DO account, and mobile WiMAX isn't necessarily a good replacement for every WiFi application. Just because they're all relatively high-speed wireless data technologies doesn't mean they can't coexist. Root beer, coffee and water are all drinks that serve basically the same end purpose. I don't remember seeing too many "root beer will kill water stories" lately.

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7 Comments

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Jacomo, 20 Dec 2005 @ 2:55pm

WiFi will Marginalize Mobile WiMAX
I think everyone is missing some obvious happenings in the industry. Have you notices how many new impact companies have recently announced that they are joining the (Oh! My God) old WiFi Alliance. What is it that the Airspan/Qualcomm and Nokia of the world see in this old alliance. Could it be that they have their act together and are in their 4th or 5th generation of products. Watch what happens when these new Outdoor Wireless mesh Networks begin to dominate the Broadband wireless space with the 802.11a/g radios and new 802.11n systems and the recently released 802.11e and i enhancements to the standards really start to shine. Combine that with the real WiMAX 802.16-2004 Broadcast Fixed products providing quality backhaul and Gateways to Mesh Networks and you have a complete package. Not much need for Mobile WiMAX new radios radios whne it is already done without changing the Customer Access Devices already out there in the millions. Jacomo
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alaric, 20 Dec 2005 @ 3:31pm

WiFi could kill WiMAX
Modified Wifi might end up being a leading fixed wireless solution especially as MIMO and mesh are added. WiFi has the upper hand as it is cheap and ubiquitious

Many existing fixed wireless solutions are already wimax based.

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Mark, 20 Dec 2005 @ 3:48pm

root beer vs. water
"Root beer, coffee and water are all drinks that serve basically the same end purpose. I don't remember seeing too many 'root beer will kill water stories' lately."

Nice analogy, but unfortunately not all that apt. When was the last time you bought a cup that could only hold water, and not any other liquid? But when people buy computing devices that can only connect to one or two wireless protocols, they see nothing odd about that. One protocol can kill another if manufacturers accept it as the defacto standard, even if it would make more sense for the protocols to operate in parallel.
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Rikko, 20 Dec 2005 @ 3:58pm

Re: root beer vs. water
Same end purpose?

Man, I must be doin something wrong with my root beer...
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Mike (profile), 20 Dec 2005 @ 4:26pm

Re: root beer vs. water
But when people buy computing devices that can only connect to one or two wireless protocols, they see nothing odd about that.

I'd disagree. People actually are getting annoyed when their new devices only connect to a few wireless protocols. People want it to be able to connect to anything -- which is why people get so excited about SDR advancements, since the goal is to offer a single chip that can work with just about any wireless system.

As for you cup point -- there certainly are plenty of cups that can only hold cold liquied but not hot...
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haggie, 20 Dec 2005 @ 5:28pm

No Subject Given
My Betamax player asked me to post that you are completely wrong.
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knight37, 21 Dec 2005 @ 11:08am

Root beer
I don't remember seeing too many "root beer will kill water stories" lately.

That's because root beer sucks.
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