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WiMax Delayed for more Testing

Posted by CowboyNeal on Thu Jan 20, 2005 06:02 PM
from the getting-it-right dept.
Wireless Networking Upgrades Hardware
sebFlyte writes "The much talked about potential wireless broadband technology, WiMax, has been hit by more delays that may reduce its chances of commercial success and hence widespread application... so those of you wanted to play Halo 2 multiplayer while driving down the freeway may be in for a bit of a wait." A spokesman for Aperto blames the delays on being "optimistically aggressive" on shipping dates.
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  • wimax multiplayer gaming (Score:5, Funny)

    by rishistar (662278) on Thursday January 20 2005, @06:05PM (#11425706) Homepage
    I'd much rather be playing Grand Theft Auto 6 while driving down the freeeway.

  • This isn't a great surprise... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by ZiZ (564727) * on Thursday January 20 2005, @06:05PM (#11425710) Homepage
    The same thing happened with the initial appearance of 802.11b, and then again with 802.11g, and yet they caught on.

    So long as nobody is stupid enough to decide that because they have a WiMax-enabled chipset, they can discard all 802.11(b|g) support...WiMax (or something very similar) will show up when it's good and ready, catch on, and be the Next Big Thing. For a while.

    • WiMax (or something very similar) will show up when it's good and ready, catch on, and be the Next Big Thing.

      I doubt it'll be WiMax...and that has nothing to do with the technology so much as its nearest competitor: cellular data.

      Seems like we're not too far away from ubiquitous 3G implementations for data transfer... and companies like DoCoMo [nttdocomo.com] pushing 4G Research and Development are just around the corner from implementing multi-megabit data transfer. Other techs aren't likely to get the same penetratio
      • Cellular data isn't really a competitor for WiMax. WiMax is great for static links, not mobile, cellular is a daft way of provisioning static links. It's a nice way of building backhaul or metro meshes.

        I see no signs that the cellular operators are going be offering 3G data tariffs that are anything other than usage based, or heavily capped.
        • WiMax is great for static links, not mobile, cellular is a daft way of provisioning static links.

          Just because it would be cellular based, doesn't necessarily mean it would have to be mobile. Why not bring up a site on a 3G/4G connection, and just leave it sitting... much like people do today with other broadband connections?

          I agree that the problem of handling routing would be attrocious in a mobile environment (imagine hosting a webserver from the back of your van... and driving through a metropolitan
      • The cellular companies COULD provide this with 3G but their pricing structure is aimed for premium users. For instance, Cingular currently offers 135K bps GPRS coverage for $79.00 a month... not cheap. They've announced 3G services for "next year" with higher data rates. However, I don't think they will be lowering their prices to the point where the services would be attractive to anyone not on an expense account.

  • Pre-WiMax (Score:3)

    by PopeAlien (164869) on Thursday January 20 2005, @06:05PM (#11425713) Homepage Journal
    "2005 was thought to be the year of the WiMax launch. Unfortunately, it will now mostly be the year of pre-WiMax," said Vincent Poulbere, a senior consultant at Ovum.

    So its official! 2005 is the year of the pre-WiMax. What a great way to say vaporware!
  • I thought the new WinMX was delayed. Ah, forget it...

  • Halo While Driving? (Score:4, Funny)

    by dhj (110274) * on Thursday January 20 2005, @06:08PM (#11425750)
    That would SUCK.

    Unless of course you had a HUD screen that turns all the traffic around you into Covenant vehicles and incorporates them into the game!

    THAT would ROCK!

    The only tricky part would be implementing checkpoints that let you go back a few minutes rather than die a bloody death.

    --David
    • Then i'll start taking my chances in farmers markets

      At least until old people get hooked on halo
      • For those who don't get the reference

        http://www.waxy.org/archive/2003/07/16/santa_mo . sh tml

        This site explains how 86-year-old George Russell Weller killed ten people with his automobile at a farmers market in Santa Monica CA. At least one of the dead was a 10 month old baby and three year old was also injured. Mr Weller decided that he was capable of operating a motor vehicle in a safe fashion. He started the automobile and went about his business. Apparently Mr Weller was not able to operate his automob
    • Burnout 3 while driving.
    • hmm you develop it, I'll buy it Anyways WiMax is gonna rock unless it gets overly regulated which it will oh well, hopefully my dsl provider will give it to me free or for like another 5 bucks a month or so

  • Crappy marketroid naming (Score:4, Funny)

    by cortana (588495) <sam&robots,org,uk> on Thursday January 20 2005, @06:22PM (#11425859) Homepage
    They have really fought themselves into a corner with this one. WiMax is, by definition, the maximum amount of Wi that there can be.

    So what will they call the next standard?

  • WiMax to be renamed... (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    ...to WiMax Forever.

  • What is Wimax ? (Score:1, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward

    WiMAX is a standards-based wireless technology that provides high-throughput broadband connections over long distances. WiMAX can be used for a number of applications, including "last mile" broadband connections, hotspot and cellular backhaul, and high-speed enterprise connectivity for businesses.

    An implementation of the IEEE 802.16 standard, WiMAX provides metropolitan area network connectivity at speeds of up to 75 Mb/sec. WiMAX systems can be used to transmit signal as far as 30 miles. However, on the a

  • Disappointing (Score:3, Insightful)

    by colinramsay (603167) on Thursday January 20 2005, @06:26PM (#11425898) Homepage
    Anything that delays the deployment of wifi is bad in my books. In the UK we're seeing it proliferate - in transport hubs, trains, cafes. I'd really like to start seeing it used on a city-wide project here.
    • <anal retentive>
      WiFi = IEEE 802.11 family of standards (802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, etc.)

      WiMax = IEEE 802.16 standard

      They're not really the same thing.
      </anal retentive>
  • More of the usual hysteria surrounding WiMAX. Wavesat (.com) claims general availability of their WiMAX chips.

  • Certification (Score:3, Informative)

    by eggboard (315140) * on Thursday January 20 2005, @06:32PM (#11425967) Homepage
    You can't have WiMax without a plan for certification. WiMax, like Wi-Fi, is a sticker that says, "this device has been tested and passed." A recent plugfest to check out interoperability and other characteristics for pre-WiMax gear was canceled, hence part of the delay.

    Basically, the 802.16 standards on which WiMax will be a strong subset are done, and it's about figuring out what needs to be in final shipping silicon. No two WiMax devices may be identical, either. There will be profiles so that different features may be enabled in different devices.

    And don't expect WiMax mobile to be any time soon, unlike the description that leads into this story -- that's 2006 or 2007, more likely. The first WiMax flavor is fixed point-to-multipoint.

  • What's WiMax for? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by mveloso (325617) on Thursday January 20 2005, @06:40PM (#11426034)
    If you wanted to start your own VoIP telco, you could:

    * install a big 802.11b mesh network,
    * provision it with a few WiMAX backhauls (two or three),
    * sell 802.11b VoIP phones,
    * profit

    WiMAX is pretty neat, but I'm not sure yet how it differs from other high-bandwidth wireless solutions. It's standard-based and works in the free spectrum, but doesn't 802.16a? Or is 802.16d just the newest version of 802.16a?

  • Oh no! (Score:3, Funny)

    by Turmio (29215) on Thursday January 20 2005, @06:41PM (#11426041) Homepage
    I can't bear this! I have to wait before I'll be able to play Halo 2 while shuffling the iPod playlist [apple.com] and watching some great movie on DVD [shopping.com] and, of course, having a critical business conversation [abc.net.au] while driving down the freeway. So unfair!
  • "optimistically aggressive" -- You've just gotta love the marketing spin people put on: Well.. it doesnt quite work yet right.

    I suppose thats why the engineers arnt allowed to speak to the press. Of course, then nothing would ever be quite done enough for release, so I guess it's a balance, eh ?
    • "fail to gain marketshare"

      If WiMax fails to gain market share then by implication there is a competing technology. This measn that no WiMax is probably not a big loss for users (we can just use the competing stuff), but ist is a bit of a blow for the people who've put their money into WiMax.

  • I must say that I am slightly annoyed by this. My company has been developing WiFi based high speed solutions (for rural areas) with equipment that you can add WiMax modules to when they come along. We could have received a much cheaper solution if we had focused mainly on WiFi solutions without worrying about integration. I know all about the long run, but we need to build revenue with what we have now just to get the equipment.

    For more information, check out Connectronics [connectronics.com] and Strix Systems [strixsystems.com]
  • "Aperto", in Portuguese, means "strait" - A position of difficulty, perplexity, distress, or need.
    • Actually, it also means a connection between two bodies of water - such as the Strait of Gibraltar, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. That definition makes more sense for a connectivity company.
  • There's probably a significant Doppler issue with using WiMax on the move.
  • Before WiMax comes out, will there be any faster WiFi speeds released, other than the channel sharing ones out now?
  • Cingular's UMTS network is already live in several cities at 1500k mand mobile; Verizons EVDO network goes live Feb 1 in several cities also ar 1500k and mobile. What does WIMAX bring to the table for consumers thats so great given its not mobile and its pricepoint is still quite high?
  • Media reports indicate that certification for WiMAX products may be delayed for six months, but a spokesperson for the WiMAX Forum said the reports are inaccurate.
    Another prime mover of the technology, Intel Corp., also said it was not aware of any such postponements.

    Some media outlets had reported there would be a delay in WiMAX rollouts due to a lack of readiness of the customer premise equipment, as well as the lab and team to do the certification testing.

    WiMAX Forum spokeswoman Kendra Petrone de

    • Re:Erm. (Score:5, Funny)

      by nuclear305 (674185) * on Thursday January 20 2005, @06:10PM (#11425762)
      "I will personally decapitate anyone I see on the freeway playing Halo 2 while driving. Cell phones are bad enough."

      Hopefully you'll be conducting such activities from the passenger seat...otherwise I'm sure you see the irony here.
    • I will personally decapitate anyone I see on the freeway playing Halo 2 while driving. Cell phones are bad enough.

      Wait. You can decapitate people in Halo 2? How would you even know if they're in the same game?

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