Wimax is Still at the Forefront of Wireless Connectivity

You may not be fully aware of this fact, but Wimax has been at the forefront of wireless connectivity for a while now. Over the years, it has been quietly building up its infrastructure and now it’s finally gotten to the point where it can be considered a viable internet connection alternative for the masses. It’s fully ready to take center stage and you most likely can sign up for it in your area right now. Although there is some competition out there in Long Term Evolution, in the end the original choice will still be the best.

Just like how it took a while for cable and DSL to proliferate and become widespread, it took a while for Wimax to finally get to that point too. All of those connections aren’t like dial-up where you only need to have access to an existing phone line to sign up. Instead, they all require that certain infrastructure equipment be in place in a prospective city beforehand. For cable and DSL, that infrastructure came in the form of transmission stations and the appropriate wires. For cellular internet connections, transmissions stations are also required, but wires are not. In any case, if your city doesn’t have those stations in place, you’d unfortunately be out of luck. The good news is that cities are being added to the coverage area all the time and your city will probably be added before you know it, if it’s not there already that is.

Because it’s continuing to expand even now, some cities might not have the ideal kind of coverage yet, namely their service could be spotty. For people in those cities, there are hybrid plans that allow you use both Wimax and 3G. Whenever you’re in the coverage area you’ll get access to the fast network, and if you lose signal you’ll be switched over to the more widespread 3G network. The transition should be seamless for you too. The only thing you might notice are the slower transfer rates with 3G, but at least you’ll still have access to the internet.

Some people may have an option to sign up for LTE or Long Term Evolution. This is touted as a superior alternative to Wimax that is expected to boast much higher transfer rates in the future. The reality of the situation is that the two are almost the same. They offer about the same transfer rates, the same kind of service, and even the same kinds of pricing. The only difference is that LTE is a relative newcomer to the scene. In terms of future prospects, both are expected to be much faster than they are now down the line, but who knows which one will end up reigning supreme. When you start thinking about technology more than a few years away, it’s really anybody’s guess as to what will really happen. It makes more sense to worry about what can benefit you now. With that in mind, it doesn’t make sense to choose LTE. Instead, because it has been around and it’s probably offered in your area, you should sign up for Wimax.