WiMax
(802.16a)
WiMax was the trade name for a family of technologies related to the IEEE 802.16 wireless standards.
WiMax had the potential for long range (5 - 30 miles) and high speeds.
The initial version, based on 802.16a, was designed for fixed (non-mobile) applications only, such as a wireless replacement for home DSL or cable modem service.
Later versions, such as 802.16e, added support for mobility, potentially making WiMax a competitor for certain 3G or 4G cell-phone technologies. In the US, Sprint attempted to use WiMax to do just that.
WiMax was among the first technologies to use OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) for mobile data. OFDM technology was later adopted by more popular standards.
WiMax was deployed at higher frequencies than most mobile phone networks at the time. WiMax technology could operate in the 2.5 or 3.5 GHz licensed bands, or in the 5.8 GHz unlicensed band.
In mobile phones, WiMax was overshadowed and eventually replaced by the competing LTE standard, which enjoyed more success and support globally.
Last updated Mar 30, 2016 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
