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.]

Digital Radio Set for Major Growth

Despite what some nay-sayers might believe, digital radio is set for major growth, with satellite radio leading the pack in the U.S. According to a study conducted by market research firm In-Stat, sales in the digital radio market are expected to rise three-fold from 2006 to 2011, reaching almost 32 million units four years from now.

It's interesting that satellite radio technology is still numero-uno south of the border, especially given the growing consumer awareness of HD Radio, which permits participating stations to simulcast in digital format. Further, HD Radio is actually free, whereas satellite radio requires that you pay for a subscription to access it!

The In-Stat study reports that 'increased choice of programming" is the primary driver of digital radio. In my opinion, the absence of commercials is just as significant a driver. Sure, it's important to be able to hear the local news, commentary, and traffic updates; but on the other hand, if I have a 20-minute commute to the office, I don't want to spend half that time listening to commercials in between tunes and the DJ's witty repertoire. Heck, on some days, I don't even want to hear the DJ, which is where a station with constant song after song after song is a welcome option.

Of course, there are customers with whom the music offerings on satellite radio simply don't appeal (major classical music aficionados, come to mind as an example). But for others, a few weeks with satellite radio will have you hooked; and the nominal, yearly fee likely won't phase you.

The results of the In-Stat report are even more topical, given the possible merger that's surrounding the two satellite radio providers, Sirius and XM. Personally, I think competition is a good thing, and with one, powerhouse provider, we might see less appealing deals and offerings. Let's hope this isn't the case. And even if a merger happens, it will take plenty of time to smooth out details; and since the Canadian counterparts operate independently from the U.S., the changeover may take even longer to happen here.