| 4G promises to revolutionize the way we | | | | The speeds easily allow video streaming and online |
| communicate the way analog mobile phones did as | | | | gaming even while traveling. Aside from the obvious |
| the first generation, digital mobile phones in the | | | | advantage in speed, WiMax also offers a much wider |
| second generation, and multi-media did in the third | | | | coverage area of around 6 miles for a single base |
| generation - by connecting people to the Internet at | | | | station compared to a WiFi router that can reach |
| speeds up to six times as fast compared to 3G, and | | | | only about a hundred yards - enough only for a WiFi |
| while you are on the go. Two competing technologies | | | | hotspot such as a coffee shop or a single floor in a |
| considered as 4G, WiMax and LTE, are currently in | | | | building. A single WiMax station on the other hand can |
| the works. The primary wireless Internet service | | | | cover an entire city or a big part of it at least, so |
| provider (WISP) for WiMax is Clearwire Corporation | | | | that one can move around the city while remaining |
| that is majority owned by Sprint Nextel while the | | | | connected, putting the mobile in mobile Internet. |
| WISP for LTE is Verizon. WiMax is already available in | | | | As WiMax becomes accessible to more people, |
| some cities in the country reaching around 41 million | | | | manufacturers have already adopted the new |
| people. Clearwire plans to roll out the service into | | | | technology by shipping WiMax ready laptops and |
| more markets, increasing its reach to 120 million | | | | netbooks. These portable devices can be used on a |
| people by the year's end. Verizon is set to make 4G | | | | WiMax covered area without any additional installation |
| LTE available in selected locations at the end of the | | | | of hardware or software. For portables that are not |
| year. | | | | WiMax ready yet, Clearwire is providing a PC card |
| WiMax promises the ultimate speed in wireless | | | | that can be installed in a laptop's PCMCIA slot. After |
| broadband with speeds of up to 6 Mbps compared | | | | the driver is installed, the laptop can start connecting |
| to a maximum of 1 Mbps for WiFi, a 3G technology. | | | | through an available WiMax signal. |