WiMAX for the Home, Not Just Cell

A colleague of mine lives in the countryside, just over an hour away from the office. He has been struggling with having to use dial-up whenever he works from home. Why? He's tried every option under the sun to get high-speed in his home, but to no avail. Recently, he signed on for a WiMAX service, and has, for the first time, been able to e-mail me a 2 MB image in less than 30 minutes, and actually watch streaming video from sites like YouTube. What a relief, since he was getting tired of having to drive out to the local Starbucks to use their WiFi connection! This made me think of WiMAX in a whole new light: as an alternate to your in-home, fixed broadband connection.

Up until now, I've only thought of WiMAX's potential in a very limited sense: the ability to access the 'net and use devices anywhere, and seamlessly when moving from the home to the outside world. Sort of like an advanced version of WiFi, which, in a sense, it definitely is. But now I have begun to understand it's possibilities as an alternative just in the home.

Research firm In-Stat echoes my sentiment in a recent report. "There has been little to no consideration of WiMAX competing head-to-head against fixed broadband." The company went on to call this a "major oversight".

It's true. WiMAX is great for that seamless, connected experience while you're driving about, and it's fantastic for people like my colleague who don't have any other option for high-speed. But can WiMAX compete with fixed broadband services in every area, as simply another option? Probably. After all, why does Internet access have to be separated by what you have at home, and what you use everywhere else?

In-Stat predicts that, rather than a host of new WiMAX providers competing to convert standard broadband customers over to their more ubiquitous service, traditional broadband operators may just extend their own offerings and add WiMAX as another plan option. In a survey the research company conducted in the U.S., more than 40% of respondents said they would be willing to tack on an additional $10-15 to their monthly Internet service plan to get WiMAX. I fall into that category myself: it just makes sense.

On a borader note, will we eventually see a time where WiMAX blankets the entire developed world, and we literally become "always connected"? It's an exciting, yet scary, proposition.

[With WiMAX, Internet customers will be able to seamlessly access wireless Internet in their homes, and high in the sky, without interruption.]

Would You Use a PC on the Wireless Cellular Network?

This week, Rogers Wireless announced that it would be offering the new HTC Shift, a computer that's a mix between a portable notebook and a data-intensive smartphone but for one small detail: it doesn't include phone functionality! What is such a product doing on the Rogers Wireless 3G HSPA network? Isn't that supposed to be for phones with data capability, not dedicated PCs? What's more, would you buy a PC that operated on a wireless network, or one that used traditional Internet Service Providers (which, of course, also includes Rogers High-Speed Internet as an option). I'd tend to stick to the latter.

True, the computer is very portable at just 5.08" x 8.14" x 0.98" (h/w/d) and 1.76 lbs., so it's meant for on-the-go usage just like mobile phones. And it does have integrated WiFi if you prefer to use a free or paid HotSpot instead of the wireless spectrum. But the most data-intensive plan for this device on the Roger's Wireless network is $100/mo. for up to 5 GB of usage. Any data over this will cost you $0.03/KB. A comparable Rogers High-Speed Internet plan runs for $99,95 for 95 GB ($1.25/GB over). So I definitely wouldn't select the wireless plan if I was using the device at home. On the road, you'll end up incurring hefty roaming fees if you're traveling outside of the province or country, but then you can connect virtually anywhere, anytime. Wait, isn't that what BlackBerries are for? And you can chat using those as well!

I just can't wrap my head around who the market might be for such a device, especially at a price of $1,600! I can use a smartphone to access files, write e-mail, and surf the 'net on the go; and if I'm traveling on business, I can use the hotel's WiFi service to connect using my full-sized notebook, and any HotSpot out there, the most expensive of which I've ever logged onto at $15/24-hr period. When Rogers adds the GPS functionality to the Shift, it'll certainly become a bit more enticing. But I think before Canadians will accept neat and cool devices like this one (and it is indeed very cool!), we need to see more affordable plan options and unlimited offerings. Until then, I'll admire the Shift from afar.

Chicago Doesn’t Want to be Covered in WiFi

Just as several cities, including Canada’s own Toronto, ramp up for blanket WiFi service, Chicago has decided not to proceed with it. Why? Officials say it would be too expensive, and not enough people would actually use it.

I can’t argue with that. I live in the heart of downtown Toronto, right smack-dab in the middle of our blanket WiFi One Zone high-speed Internet, which is offered through Toronto Hydro Telecom. When this service was on free trial, I tried constantly to log on, and although I could see the network, I could never successfully get to the page to set up an account and log in. Funny enough, now that you have to pay to use it, my notebook constantly picks up the network and tries to log me on. Sure, it’s cheaper than my current high-speed package. But time is precious, and there’s nothing more frustrating than trying to get online and not being able to.

Plus, I don’t trust services like blanket WiFi to offer speeds that could rival my high-speed Internet at home; and saving a few bucks isn’t worth the potential for pulling my hair out because of super-slow speeds, whether I'm at home, or sitting in a coffee shop.

However, as they say, don't knock it 'til you try it, right? Maybe one sunny day, if I'm sitting on patio and feel like propping open my laptop to get some work done, I might just pay the $10 and try it out .

Meanwhile, the future of blanket WiFi is looking bright, as many tout WiMax as the “next big thing” in wireless technology. “WiMAX makes broadband as ubiquitous as air, and we believe it is key,” said Motorola President Greg Brown at the Canadian Telecom Summit that was held in June in Toronto, ON.

As technologies like WiMax and 3G for mobile devices continue to develop, blanket wireless might become a much more attractive option.

[Photo: Toronto Mayor David Miller and Toronto Hydro Telecom President, David Dobbin log on to the One Zone WiFi network while on King St. in Toronto, ON.]