ANTenna Blog -- Mobile

WiMAX, a next generation, broadband, wireless networking option, has struggled getting out of the gate. The technology has been hampered by fluctuating standards and roll out problems by key supporters, such as Sprint. Comcast, which has emerged as a leading small and medium business telecom service provider, could provide the wireless networking option with a needed boost.

Comcast plans to launch a mobile Internet service in Portland, Ore. by the middle of this year and it will be based on Clearwire's WiMAX service. Details about the type of service offered as well as its pricing are sketchy at the moment, however, it is interesting that the cable television provider is taking a look at the wireless networking option. To date, the company has focused on wired services running on its own fiber network, so why the sudden interest in WiMAX? Perhaps, Comcast thinks that WiMAX would simplify the roll out of its high-speed data services. Maybe, the carrier is just kicking the tires to see what the wireless networking option offers, so it can better position its own services against it. At the very least, the trial provides WiMAX with more attention as well as another potential supporter, one capable of offering a number of reaching many small and medium businesses.

Yet WiMAX still faces some significant challenges. Cellular carriers have moved to embrace 4G data networking technologies: AT&T and Verizon have been investing billions or dollars so their networks can offer multiple M bytes of WAN capacity. WiFi now operates at speeds of 100M bps and can help companies meet their high bandwidth requirements. In sum, WiMAX still needs to prove itself as a viable broadband wireless network option but an endorsement from Comcast (although certainly not a given) would help with that process and provide small and medium business with one more wireless WAN option.