Is WiMAX the new ISDN?

[ThomasJL]

Is WiMAX the new ISDN? Will WiMAX be a pointless interim solution to mobile broadband as ISDN was to home broadband?

Should companies just forget about WiMAX and instead focus on 4G instead? (Contrary to misleading advertising by certain companies, WiMAX is not the same thing as true 4G.)

 

[Repo]

It very well could be. Faster wireless would be great. Maybe we'll start to see internet pop up in more rural areas.

 

[JtheLemur]

From some hands-on experience with WiMax kit during the past four years or so, you might not be far off of the mark.

Only very recently has the technology been shrunken enough to be usable in portable devices (read: ExpressCard form factor + a nice chunky antenna sticking out) - frankly I'm expecting the WiMax phones that Sprint(/Clearwire) is supposed to be offering by the end of the year to be sized like Nextel phones.

It's definitely more of a contender for WiFi's current spot than it is for GSM/CDMA. In the US, with Verizon and AT&T on the LTE bandwagon, it's pretty much set as the New Deal.

Crystal balling it, WiMax may find a niche as an alternative to cable/DSL/fiber for home users, but that's about it.

(Reference: Around 2005, our WiMax connection used a 12" diagonal directional antenna - requiring line-of-sight to a provider's base antennas. Not exactly something you can carry in a pocket.)

Mods: please move this thread.

 

[brentsg]

ISDN might not have had a lot of home penetration but it was pretty successful in the enterprise sector.

 

[Axemantitan]

Is WiMax the same thing as this?

 

[Peace]

Here's WiMax

http://www.clear.com/

 

[coupdetat]

ISDN might not have had a lot of home penetration but it was pretty successful in the enterprise sector.

Haha, you said penetration.

 

[Cromulent]

Any kind of wireless is pointless if you ask me for any serious use. Wireless will always be less secure than its wired counterparts (and likely slower as well).

The real replacement of ISDN is still the leased line.