Intel expects to deploy new WiMax wireless broadband technology in 2012

Rama Shukla, Intel ’s vice president and director of the WiMax project office, said on Tuesday that Intel expects to deploy mobile WiMax wireless broadband technology, which will be the focus of its next step, from 2012. Intel is a major supporter of providing mobile WiMax wireless broadband services to Internet users worldwide. Shukla said at a press conference in Taipei: "Related standards work will be completed by the end of this year."

According to Intel's data, the new mobile WiMax standard 802.16m will replace the 802.16e standard, which can provide faster download and upload speeds. It can provide users with 170M bps (bits per second) download speed and 90M bps upload speed. It can also be fully backward compatible with the 802.16e standard. Shukla said users can use the new service even on vehicles with a speed of 350 kilometers per hour. Existing WiMax network operators use 802.16e technology, providing download speeds of 16M bps and upload speeds of 4Mbps.

Shukla predicts that WiMax users worldwide will reach 6 million to 10 million this year, especially in the United States, Russia and Japan. Most of these users will start using mobile WiMax services through laptops. He said: "We see that in this year's notebook computers, WiMax applications are growing rapidly." The previous WiMax technology of 802.16d version cannot be called mobile WiMax technology because this technology is only for fixed products. It cannot be used in mobile products such as smartphones and laptops on fast-moving trains.

WiMax competes with the mobile-based wireless standard HSPA (High Speed ​​Packet Access) and LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology for wireless data services. WiMax currently has certain advantages in the competition. Although WiMax technology cannot cover most of the world's population like a mobile phone network, this technology has already been deployed in many parts of the world.

In Taiwan, WiMax wireless service provider Weimaisi's network has covered Taipei City, but it does not extend to areas outside Taipei. In addition, Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan's largest mobile phone service provider, has launched HSPA services throughout Taiwan. The download and upload speeds achieved by WiMax are significantly higher than those of mobile phone networks. However, the mobile phone industry is working hard to improve network performance to maintain a competitive advantage.