http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20051213/tc_pcworld/123908
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a international standardization body, has ratified the 802.16e standard, also called mobile WiMax, according to Roger Marks, chair of the 802.16 working group in the IEEE. He posted news of the development to the 802.16e newsgroup.
"The standard being ratified is one thing, and the WiMax Forum having tested conforming products is another," said Ian Keene, a research vice president with Gartner. He expects certified mobile WiMax products to become available near the end of 2006. After that, operators will have to build the networks before customers can take advantage of the service.
Mobile WiMax faces more competition now than when work first began on the standard. For example, some mobile phone operators are upgrading their networks for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), which will deliver mobile data access.
WiBro, a similar mobile broadband standard developed in Korea, is also gaining momentum. Telecom Italia and an operator in Brazil said recently that they plan to build WiBro networks. WiBro and mobile WiMax are designed to interoperate. "WiBro is going to meld into WiMax," said Keene. "It's a start that allows some case studies and some experimentation."
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a international standardization body, has ratified the 802.16e standard, also called mobile WiMax, according to Roger Marks, chair of the 802.16 working group in the IEEE. He posted news of the development to the 802.16e newsgroup.
"The standard being ratified is one thing, and the WiMax Forum having tested conforming products is another," said Ian Keene, a research vice president with Gartner. He expects certified mobile WiMax products to become available near the end of 2006. After that, operators will have to build the networks before customers can take advantage of the service.
Mobile WiMax faces more competition now than when work first began on the standard. For example, some mobile phone operators are upgrading their networks for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), which will deliver mobile data access.
WiBro, a similar mobile broadband standard developed in Korea, is also gaining momentum. Telecom Italia and an operator in Brazil said recently that they plan to build WiBro networks. WiBro and mobile WiMax are designed to interoperate. "WiBro is going to meld into WiMax," said Keene. "It's a start that allows some case studies and some experimentation."