[IP] more on WiMAX vs. WiFi

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Steven Cherry <s.cherry@ieee.org>
Date: November 23, 2004 7:50:56 AM EST
To: dave@farber.net
Subject: Re: [IP] WiMAX vs. WiFi

Dave,

Wi-Fi and Wi-Max are very different protocols, designed for different 
network situations, and they don't really solve the same problems. 
Wi-Fi is a local area network thing, while Wi-Max is a last-mile 
replacement for wired broadband access.

Eventually, Wi-Fi will have greater range, and both will become mobile 
wireless standards (which won't be before 2008; neither is mobile right 
now, although Wi-Fi is, as they say, nomadic--you can move it from 
place to place easily), but even after that, there will remain some 
fundamental differences.

Earlier this year I tried to separate out the similarities and 
differences in detail in "WiMax and Wi-Fi: Separate and Unequal: The 
important but widely misunderstood IEEE 802.16 standard" 
<http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/resource/mar04/0304ncom.html>

 Steven

--
  Steven Cherry, +1 212-419-7566
  Senior Associate Editor
  IEEE Spectrum, 3 Park Ave,  New York, NY 10016
  <s.cherry@ieee.org>  <http://www.spectrum.ieee.org>

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