WiMax actually works, it seems

Intel has been bashing on about WiMax for the past few IDFs, and we were beginning to wonder if we would ever see much of a roll out for it.

However, this time around, Intel has given a bunch of demonstrations of WiMax hardware working out in the wild, solving actual problems for people who can't get cabled broadband.

If you're not familiar with WiMax, think of it as WiFi on steroids. It's designed to reach miles rather than metres, and provide 10mbit and upwards access. The idea is that it can be plonked on the end of a large cabled pipe and then used to give broadband, wirelessly, to remote areas. Rather than HotSpots, WiMax provides HotZones.

Intel showed off demonstrations of the technology working in Canada, Holland and India, hosting video conferences over it. It seems that WiMax certified gear is now starting to trickle onto the market, meaning that its use should ramp up.

Personally, I can't wait to see areas of the UK enabled with this tech, enabling more of the poor souls that can't get ADSL or cable to join the 21st Century. More to the point, the 10mbit WiMax connection would be a hell of a lot better than my rubbish 1mbit pipe.

Looking forward to WiMax? Tell us!