XOHM has installed the first WiMAX network in a major city in the United States – too bad it’s in Baltimore instead of Washington, DC where I am.
WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) refers to a standard designed to provide high-bandwidth wireless services on a metropolitan scale – think public WiFi on steriods. Reportedly, WiMAX download speeds rival that of a traditional DSL connection. WiMAX differs from WiFi in that while WiFi tends to work in a radius of about 30 meters, WiMAX’s footprint is 3 kilometers. What does that mean to you? Essentially WiMAX can easily blanket an entire city to provide wireless access. Not only that, the network speeds are not greatly compromised as with WiFi at the outer limits of coverage.
WiMAX technology is not compatible with existing WiFi devices so compatible air cards or modems must be purchased. If you’re in the market for a new laptop, I hear that Asus and Lenovo are coming out soon with models with built in WiMax cards.
Today is the official launch event for the XOHM service in Baltimore. If you’re not in Baltimore, XOHM WiMax could be coming to your city soon. According to XOHM.com, Chicago and Washington, DC are coming soon while Dallas, Fort Worth, Boston, Providence, and Philadelphia are in the works.
More about XOHM:
More about WiMAX:
Photo credit: rkelland
