WiMax Systems: Changing the Face of Mobile Internet
If you do not already know it, WiMax, short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a term you ought to know. This term explains the most recent developments in mobile telecommunications technology that have made possible truly mobile Internet access via a cell phone, laptop computer, or other compatible electronic device.Ò
WiMax, which is similar to Wi-Fi to the degree that it is wireless and useful for getting online in places where you can"t connect using a physical phone line or cable, fills in the gaps left by Wi-Fi networks and provides a service that goes above and beyond the best that Wi-Fi has to offer.
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As far as wireless Internet access is concerned, Wi-Fi does a pretty good job of letting people get online when they are not at home or at the office. But, if you have ever tried to get online using a smart phone and an open Wi-Fi network, you probably know that Wi-Fi networks are far from perfect. First of all, depending on where you are, it can be difficult to find one that is not protected by a password. And once you have found one, depending on how many other people have also found it, connection speeds can be variable at best and completely unreliable at worst.
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Perhaps the most important difference between WiMax and Wi-Fi systems is how accessible each type of network is. Whereas the latter is susceptible to spotty service and only covers small areas, the former delivers uninterrupted coverage to large areas as big as an entire city. In fact the coverage area under a single WiMax network can be as immense as 3,000 square miles in size.
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The reason these networks can be so far-reaching is due to the chain of large-scale towers that operate with. How they work is that there is one tower per network that is connected to the Internet via physical wires. But the use of wires ends there. From there, WiMax systems are completely wireless. A network of towers is a lot like a network of cell phone towers. They are interconnected and communicate with one another ò€“ as well as to something called a receiver which connects to your phone or laptop computer ò€“ through line-of-sight microwave links to form one large coverage area, rather than a group of smaller, separate zones of access.
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This is the thing makes WiMax systems so good for people looking for completely mobile Internet access. As everyone knows, these are busy times that demand the ability to multi-task, and you might spend a good portion of your day out and about running errands while having to be connected to the Internet to receive important emails or even attend an Internet-based conference call. Or, maybe you just have a long commute to and from work and want mobile access to the Internet for entertainment purposes only. With high-speed connections available no matter where you are, now, there are no limits to how and when you can use the Internet.