WiMax 2 Will Support 100 Mbps Average Speeds

The WiMAX 2 standard, 802.16m, is slated to be finalized this winter, with device certification in 2011, suggesting WiMAX 2 devices could reach the market in volume in 2012.

WiMAX 2 will be significantly faster than its predecessor, featuring downlink speeds of more than 100Mbps to users. In contrast, Sprint's initial Xohm WiMax offering, which debuted commercially in 2008, delivered downlink speeds ranging between 3.7 Mbps to 5 Mbps. Coverage should be equal to that of the first WiMAX generation, around 31 square miles per access point.

For some observers, the possible implications might include market advantage for WiMAX 2 operators or possibly new life for WiMAX as a fourth-generation mobile standard. Others might simply observe that Long Term Evolution will catch up, in terms of bandwidth, and that its lead in device volume will simply be too much for WiMAX to overcome.

LTE or not, WiMax 2 set to roll out in 2012