| Everyone is getting excited about a new Internet | | | | areas that are as big as entire cities in some places. |
| technology called WiMax (short for Worldwide | | | | This means that you can roam about the entire city |
| Interoperability for Microwave Access). And they | | | | and always be able to connect to the same network. |
| should be - it is an innovative technology with exciting | | | | Check your email from the mall. Send an important file |
| potential. While it is still a fairly new service, there are | | | | or report to your boss while you are standing in line at |
| many cities across the United States that already | | | | the grocery store. Shop online while you are cashing a |
| have networks in place and residents enjoying the | | | | check at the bank. Because you can be up to 30 miles |
| many exciting benefits that this service has to offer - | | | | away from a tower and still receive service, you will |
| including, perhaps the most exciting of all, nearly | | | | also never experience breaks in connections. |
| unlimited mobility. | | | | Because WiMax networks provide such wide access, |
| There are several WiMax providers with networks | | | | they are considered wide access networks, or WANs |
| already set up in the United States, some bigger than | | | | (Wi-Fi networks, which are also wireless, offer much |
| others. These providers have started offering service | | | | less mobility because they are local access networks, |
| in, among other places, Portland, Oregon; Seattle, | | | | or LANs). And the benefits of these wide area |
| Washington; Las Vegas, Nevada; Houston, Texas; | | | | networks extend beyond the city limits. Using line of |
| Dallas, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; | | | | sight microwave access links, this service is able to |
| Chicago, Illinois; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The | | | | transmit signals to rural and remote locations where |
| service continues to grow and be introduced to new | | | | the wires that other broadband networks like DSL and |
| markets every day, and it is anticipated that, over the | | | | cable run on do not reach. This means that if you live |
| course of the next few years, service will be made | | | | in an area where it is difficult or impossible to get DSL |
| available in every major city in the United States. | | | | or cable service, you know longer have to settle for |
| The great thing about WiMax coverage is how | | | | the slow connections that dial service provides. While |
| extensive and all inclusive it is within a given network. | | | | the connection speeds you will receive with WiMax |
| For the most part, users will enjoy full mobility within | | | | service do not quite match the maximum DSL and |
| any of these cities. This is because this type of | | | | cable connection speeds, they can reach up to 3 |
| service uses a system of towers that work a lot like | | | | Mbps. |
| the towers that cell phone networks use to relay data | | | | A subscription to this service only costs around 30 to |
| from one to another and to communicate with | | | | 40 dollars a month. Some providers also offer pay as |
| whatever device you are using to access the | | | | you go plans for about 10 dollars a day. |
| network. This system of towers creates coverage | | | | |