WiMAX: The Personal Broadband Connection - 4G Wireless

Overview

WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) is a 4G wireless technology having service capabilities in regulated and unregulated spectrum (though operators and OEM partners are slowly moving away from using WiMAX in unregulated spectrum). WiMAX comes from IP / microwave side similar to its cousin WiFi (which is from IP world) as opposed to HSPA, GPRS and UMTS which are GSM flavors of 2.5G/3G wireless tech. The 4G version in GSM evolution path is LTE (Long Term Evolution) - something which is two years away but gaining traction with the largest mobile operators in the world eg AT&T and Verizon in USA have announced intention to adopt LTE rather than go the WiMAX way.