Think about how you access the Internet today. There are basically three different options:
- Broadband access- In your home, you have either aDSLorcable modem. At the office, your company may be using aT1or a T3 line.
- WiFi access- In your home, you may have set up aWiFirouter that lets you surf the Web while you lounge with yourlaptop. On the road, you can findWiFi hot spotsin restaurants, hotels, coffee shops and libraries.
- Dial-up access- If you are still using dial-up, chances are that either broadband access is not available, or you think that broadband access is too expensive.
The main problems with broadband access are that it is pretty expensive and it doesn't reach all areas. The main problem with WiFi access is that hot spots are very small, so coverage is sparse.
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What if there were a new technology that solved all of these problems? This new technology would provide:
- Thehigh speedof broadband service
- Wirelessrather than wired access, so it would be a lot less expensive than cable or DSL and much easier to extend to suburban and rural areas
- Broadcoveragelike thecell phonenetwork instead of small WiFi hotspots
This system is actually coming into being right now, and it is calledWiMAX. WiMAX is short forWorldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, and it also goes by theIEEEname802.16.
WiMAX有潜力做宽带实习医师t access what cell phones have done to phone access. In the same way that many people have given up their "land lines" in favor of cell phones, WiMAX could replace cable and DSL services, providing universal Internet access just about anywhere you go. WiMAX will also be as painless as WiFi -- turning your computer on will automatically connect you to the closest available WiMAX antenna.
In this article, we'll find out how WiMAX works, what engineers are doing to make it better and what it could mean for the future of wireless Internet.
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