Intel said it will deliver a PC card using mobile WiMAX in the second half of this year instead of 2007. That's nice, but will there be any mobile WiMAX networks to use it on? Most analysts believe certified mobile WiMAX equipment will arrive during or after 2007 and carriers typically test new technologies from 12 months to 18 months before implementing them throughout the network. And no one knows what frequencies mobile WiMAX will be deployed on in the U.S. I suspect Intel is trying to combat the growing interest in laptops embedded with EV-DO chipsets and HSDPA in the near future. Mobile operators have a leg up in this area since they are beginning to seed the market with these embedded laptops. Plus WiMAX networks will not be competitive from a coverage perspective in the beginning.
To read more about Intel's planned introduction of mobile WiMax PC cards:
- check out this piece from IDG News Services