Discovering the Wonders of WiMAX
Cities and counties are beginning to take a chance on 802.16 technology to build high-speed municipal wireless networks.
For nearly three years, information technology officials in Grand Rapids, Mich., diligently planned to build a Wi-Fi network throughout the city's 45 square miles. The technology, attractive because of its wide acceptance and low cost, seemed the perfect match for the community seeking to use ubiquitous wireless Internet connectivity to stimulate economic development, improve public safety and increase productivity among mobile city employees.
Eight competing vendors even built Wi-Fi hot spots around town to demonstrate their technology's benefits. But when decision time came last December, the city chose WiMAX, the 802.16 standard for wireless broadband. It was an eleventh-hour verdict, but when Grand Rapids officials toured three U.S. cities to test municipal wireless networks, they were blown away by WiMAX's capabilities.
