Prepaid WiMAX is Here! Learn about 4G mobile broadband now!What is prepaid WiMAX, and why do you want to know about it? Well, before even talking about prepaid WiMAX, we'll need to backup a bit and answer the question "What is WiMAX?"! The name sounds mysteriously like Wi-Fi, so you might be asking yourself if these two technologies are related. To answer that question, and demystify what it is and why it exists, we'll break it down with the following series of questions. Needless to say, WiMAX is the first available 4G solution available in the modern word! If you haven't already done so, you may want to read up a little on Wi-Fi. What does WiMAX stand for? WiMAX stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, Inc. It's an organization that manages the technology standards on which WiMAX is based (IEEE 802.16). Though I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else, the name kind of makes me think of "Maximum Wi-Fi." Don't you think? Although there's no direct connection between WiMAX and such an interpretation, I think it does help to think about how the two technologies are related. In other words, think of Wi-Fi and short range like your home or a coffee shop, while WiMAX is more in the range of city-wide; i.e. maxing out your Wi-Fi connection. Let's dig into this a little more with the next question. What's the difference between Wi-Fi and WiMAX? While they're based on related technologies, they are different. Wi-Fi operates on the 802.11 standard, while WiMAX functions on 802.16. So what does this really mean in terms of how you, the user, will use the technology? It means that Wi-Fi has a limited range of 100 - 300 feet (or 30 - 100m). That's why when you have a wireless network at home, you may have trouble accessing your Internet connection if your wireless router is in one corner of the house, and you're downstairs in the opposite corner of the house. Or why you might have trouble picking up a strong and consistent signal from your neighbors ;-). On the other hand, WiMAX technology standards allow for a much longer range of access of 30 miles (or 50 km) for fixed stations. So, if you wanted to cover your entire neighborhood, for example, you would need to have a Wi-Fi router ever 100 feet to ensure that you could travel anywhere in the area without losing a signal. And that doesn't even account for the fact that switching off between wireless routers doesn't exactly work seamlessly. To the contrary, you might only need one WiMAX base station to cover your entire neighborhood! Assuming of course that the area does not have a radius of more than 30 miles. In addition to the extended range that WiMAX has, it also offers higher data rates. So with WiMAX, we're now finally talking about speeds that equal that you would get from your home cable or DSL Internet provider; only now it's completely mobile! What this means is that you're taking the speed of your home connection with you on the road; now that's exciting! You can now watch steaming video, download music, do all of the things you're used to doing at home without having to worry about finding a coffee shop with Wi-Fi access, or having to think about the speed limitations of 3G mobile broadband. Lastly, WiMAX technology has less interference than does Wi-Fi, which means that you're getting a generally more consistent and reliable connection. Here's a great illustration of the how the speed of WiMAX compares to other technologies. I found this on the Clear.com website, and thought it was so great that I'd include it here. You can visit Mobile Broadband Technology & Speeds for more details on wireless broadband speeds.
Summary of Advantages
Summary of Disadvantages
Going Prepaid WiMAX As is the theme throughout this entire Website, signing a contract for wireless service is not desirable for a number of reasons. Particularly for WiMAX, which is so new. Do you want to lock yourself into a contract when you don't know if you'll like the service or whether it will work the way you expect it to, or aren't happy with the coverage? Prepaid WiMAX really is the desired option. Fortunately, Clear, currently the only provider, offers prepaid WiMAX plans. The only difference you'll find is the upfront cost of the hardware. Check out Prepaid WiMAX Plans here. Conclusion WiMAX is the first available 4G technology. It offers amazing speed, and the promise of wide access at costs comparable, and even lower, than existing slower 3G technologies. However, it's still new and is currently being rolled out. As a result, it currently has limited availability, but that is changing (i.e. increasing!) as you read this. Fortunately, although historically prepaid offers have been a second though, there are an abundance of prepaid options available now. If you don't already have a 3G modem, you live in an area where Prepaid WiMAX is offered, and you don't plan on traveling outside of your area anytime soon, I would definitely recommend giving Prepaid WiMAX a try! Also note that you can use WiMAX as an alternative option to your home Internet connection. You have two options to accomplish this. One is to use your mobile access while at home. The second is to purchase/lease a desktop modem, which you can choose to hookup to a Wi-Fi router for use with multiple computers. The main benefit with using a desktop modem is a lower monthly cost than for the mobile service plans. Personally I'd go fully mobile, but that's just me.
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