Will WiMAX Bridge the Digital Divide?
Holly Otterbein | Wed, Oct 1st, 2008 | Category: Commentary | City: Baltimore | Tags: baltimore, digital divide, holly otterbein, international herald tribune, haiti, wi-fi, jeff evans, wi-max, research horizons Journalists and geeks have christened WiMAX, the successor to Wi-Fi technology, with many lovely names. It’s been called “Wi-Fi on steroids,” “Wi-Fi’s older brother” and even “the key to bridging the digital divide.” Purported by experts to be quicker and cheaper than Wi-Fi, WiMAX’s first two names are fine descriptions. The last moniker, however, has been much more difficult to live up to. When the WiMAX Forum introduced the newfangled technology in 2001, scientists and urban planners predicted that it would spread Internet access to underserved communities and impoverished citizens throughout the world. It certainly seemed promising: in a Wi-Fi zone, you can connect to the Internet within a 50-meter radius; but in a WiMAX zone, you can connect within a 20-kilometer radius. Be
