Driving WiMAX Into Reality: Intel "World Ahead" Program
As if they hadn't already invested enough money into WiMAX in order to give it critical mass, Intel is forging ahead with their quasi-philanthropic effort "World Ahead". The program aims to bridge the digital divide, and provide Internet access to remote and under-developed regions of the world. In the news today, Intel Chairman Craig Barrett was in one of the most remote places in the world at Parintins in the Amazon, to launch a fixed WiMAX network that will bring connectivity to 5 public institutions (the WiMAX tower was funded by Intel, but the service will not be free.) The linked article notes that one of the greatest challenges at Parintins is reliable power, which is common in remote and developing regions...and California. We note that an additional challenge is the very high cost of satellite backhaul. With only five institutions on the WiMAX network, it's unclear how a WiMAX network is more economical than just getting their own satellite connection, but over time the number of institutions and companies that connect to the network is expected to grow, so they can all leverage the shared WiMAX infrastructure. Intel reportedly plans to spend US$1 billion over the next five years to bring WiMAX to developing nations. Add that to the many WiMAX companies they've funded, the investments in Clearwire and Pipex, etc, and the probably generous terms of the deal with Sprint, and the total level of WiMAX investment from Intel becomes truly amazing.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.
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