Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[bobs10]

How about WiMax?


Me...

This whole thing keeps evolving from standards before bluetooth to 802.11bag to 802.11n and cell and all the varieties in between. To cover everything a standard needs to be broadband, high speed, and able to compensate for things like buildings and trees and hills in the way. At 100mbps and using MIMO technology 802.11n could have the bandwidth and speed needed, but there are still lots of problems like adjusting for multiple frequency arrival timing, etc. Distance covered is another factor as more towers means less bandwidth/speed is needed, but there is a tradeoff in closer towers. Another problem is backward compatability, at least to 802.11a is probably going to be a requirement. And then there's the problem of whose ox gets gored.

In the short term it looks like cell and wifi will start to combine, if not merge. The Verison deal being an example. In the long run more bandwidth will come online and eventually one digital standard should prevail, but who knows.

If cable eventually becomes what ma bell became, a service provider rather than a content supplier, there could be a market for ultra high speed connections. Right now we're limited to what say Comcast wants to provide. I would much rather see an internet where content by URL rulled, opening up the whole world.