WiMAX 2: It laughs at your LTE

[Bateluer]

http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/1...multiple-hd-sources-without-breaking-a-sweat/

Over at the on-going CEATEC show at the Makuhari Messe in Japan, visitors have been treated to a display by Samsung of the next generation in WiMax. While you may be excited about getting HSPA+ (<56 Mb) on your G2, or the forthcoming LTE (<100 Mb) network promised by Verizon late this year, the 330 Mbit connection of WiMax 2 (up from <30 Mb) rather puts those in the shade. Showing off speeds that most would trade limbs for even on their home network, the new 802.16m implementation is capable of streaming full HD 3D video with ease.

So, how easy/difficult will it be to upgrade W1 towers to W2 standards?

 

[akugami]

Latency? Playing twitch games require low latency for which Clear is spotty at best.

 

[Slick5150]

http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/1...multiple-hd-sources-without-breaking-a-sweat/



So, how easy/difficult will it be to upgrade W1 towers to W2 standards?

Depends on if WiMAX 2 is a complete hardware refresh, or a software revision to the current hardware.

(I have no idea)

 

[Anubis]

all of those speeds are 100&#37; useless with the data caps they are gonna throw at us,

 

[rudeguy]

all of those speeds are 100% useless with the data caps they are gonna throw at us,

why? I can't figure out how much data I use with Tmo but I'm sure I don't come anywhere near 2 gigs let alone the 5 that I'm allowed.

Were you planning on replacing your home internet connection with this?

 

[AznAnarchy99]

why? I can't figure out how much data I use with Tmo but I'm sure I don't come anywhere near 2 gigs let alone the 5 that I'm allowed.

Were you planning on replacing your home internet connection with this?

I did 2.5 gigs on just surfing and streaming music when I drive.

 

[akugami]

why? I can't figure out how much data I use with Tmo but I'm sure I don't come anywhere near 2 gigs let alone the 5 that I'm allowed.

Were you planning on replacing your home internet connection with this?

Well, Clear is probably the most known for pushing WiMAX but they have an "all you can eat" plan. While I have no doubt that the normal cell phone carriers will restrict data, someone like Clear who markets their product as mobile broadband will not. And it's not out of the realm of possibility for the carriers to introduce a higher priced "unlimited" plan down the line with the new tiered pricing structure.

But yeah...the most I've downloaded was about 1GB on my phone.

 

[Anubis]

why? I can't figure out how much data I use with Tmo but I'm sure I don't come anywhere near 2 gigs let alone the 5 that I'm allowed.

Were you planning on replacing your home internet connection with this?

look at my las post in this thread
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2109142

90&#37; streaming music at work 10% everything else

ive NEVER tethered my phone

also i use between 2-3 GB a DAY on my home connection

 

[rudeguy]

so you used less than 5 gigs?

I'm with you on the home connection. I'm very grateful that my home internet isn't metered

 

[Anubis]

actually it says 5.1 right now hasn't reset yet. however my point is that its without doing anything other then streaming music a 5GB cap is barely enough, 2gb like AT&T is horrid especially if you watch a few videos off YT or whatever on your phone

its IMO criminal to promote your super fast network and then penalize people for using it

 

[Bateluer]

its IMO criminal to promote your super fast network and then penalize people for using it

This. With those speeds, you'll eclipse a 5GB cap very fast. Caps better be much higher.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Meh, decent high speed coverage>highest speed.

 

[Lotheron]

Well, Clear is probably the most known for pushing WiMAX but they have an "all you can eat" plan. While I have no doubt that the normal cell phone carriers will restrict data, someone like Clear who markets their product as mobile broadband will not. And it's not out of the realm of possibility for the carriers to introduce a higher priced "unlimited" plan down the line with the new tiered pricing structure.

But yeah...the most I've downloaded was about 1GB on my phone.

Therein lies the problem. Clear is marketed as an at home internet replacement. Home internet connections aren't typically capped, other than Comcast at 250GB, and various others obviously. Clear can't even think about competing with these services if they're going to have archaic/low usage caps.

 

[rudeguy]

Meh, decent high speed coverage>highest speed.

That's the thing. Everyone has their own wants, interests and needs. Some people like me would prefer the higher speeds and have no problem with a cap. Others need more data but the speed isn't that important. Still others need both.

The only solution is going to be tiered pricing. I've been paying a total of $40/month for data and there is no way I've even been using 2 gigs between my 2 lines. There are others who are using 5x what I am and are paying the same amount. The cell companies love me but hate the other guys. They are losing data plans on customer like me (who they make the most money off of) because we have to pay the same rate as the guy who does tether/stream music 4 hours a day/download a whole Brazzers collection onto his phone.

It doesn't matter what wrong or right. It does matter what makes good business sense. I don't see how penalizing their most profitable customers makes good business sense.


With all that being said. I personally hate the idea of data caps.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Need to start getting more WiMAXX coverage before we start on WiMAXX 2

 

[gsaldivar]

all of those speeds are 100% useless with the data caps

Agree 100%

 

[Bateluer]

Need to start getting more WiMAXX coverage before we start on WiMAXX 2

Very true. The WiMax coverage for Sprint is almost non-existent.

 

[zerocool84]

Meh, decent high speed coverage>highest speed.

Yup, just like with AT&T. It has the fastest 3G but it's coverage sucks.

 

[Brian Stirling]

I did 2.5 gigs on just surfing and streaming music when I drive.

Let's correct that to ... I did 0.25GB surfing and 2.25GB streaming music ...

You can eat a sh*tload of data streaming music and can easily go way past a 2GB/month or even 5GB/month just streaming music. It will be interesting to hear all the streamers whine when data caps or metering come into play -- make that a prediction in ...3...2...1...

Faster data rates are always a good thing and even if there are data caps or metering faster rates will be a good thing UNLESS it's throttled....


Brian