WiMax has arrived in Manchester

Why should you care, what can it do for you?

WiMax is short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, WiMax is based on the IEEE 802.16 wireless standard. It sits between Cell Phone technology and WiFi, data handling is more efficient with WiMax and multimedia like VOIP or video should pose no problems.
 
It would give you speeds faster than normal WiFi, no more waiting around for pages to load. Connectivity will be greatly increased, no more twiddling your thumbs. If you own a laptop, what if you could walk outside with it, say a mile away or more, what if I said you could still be connected to your network. Did I also mention no telephone line required. These are just a few benefits that WiMax will bring, and Manchester will be among the first in the UK to use it.

Businesses have been crying out for faster, always on wireless broadband, WiMax could be the answer. Multimedia would be one of the main reasons for users wanting it, video and music would be streamed effortlessly, something the police say would benefit them by streaming CCTV over a wireless network. It could also be used to exchange information in real time between headquarters and police vehicles, other rescue services like fire department would also benefit from WiMax.

Manchester already has wireless broadband which is provided by , plagued by connectivity issues in some areas, WiMax could be the answer for those users.

Also there is another company offering wireless broadband free of charge in Manchester, it is called Connect2Manchester. It is subsidised through advertising and is available in areas of central manchester, manchester was one of the first cities to use the meshhopper network large scale. 

for more information about WiMax in Manchester, visit Freedom4Manchester. I should point out that Freedom4 will primarly deal be businesses, and may reach areas not covered by Eastserve.

For businesses there is another company offering WiMax called Manchester Metronet, who cover the Greater Manchester area. 

It would seem quite expensive for what you get compared to what's on offer at Eastserve, it might appeal to certain users who have difficulty with wifi connectivity and don't want a phone line. 

Health and Security 

WiFi and WiMax also bring with it other issues you may not be aware of, possible health risks. While there is no hard evidence to suggest it will affect your health, not enough testing has been done. Younger children would seem more at risk from wireless than older people, and while one type of signal may not be harmful, when mixed with another type of signal it could be quite harmful. The long term health effects have not yet been realised, and with WiMax the dangers are greatly increased. The alarms bells have been ringing around the world already, you have been warned.

As for security WiMax is much more secure than WiFi, see links below for more information.  

A couple of videos from Youtube to show you about WiMax.

Advertising Intel video for Wimax broadband internet on air

Wimax Intel

Read all about WiMax

WiMax wikipedia
How WiMAX Works
wimax.co.uk , Your Wimax Resource
wimax.com
WiMax Forum

Articles worthy of a read

BT eyes up a WiMax future
Wimax nomads will skirt the law and create a charging headache
Manchester leads Wimax rollout
Pipex gets $25m for UK WiMax networks
FREEDOM4 & Vialtus to Push WiMAX for Manchester
Manchester Metronet - An alternative WiMax company aimed at businesses.

Health and WiFi/WiMax

Electromagnetic fields and public health
The other trouble with WiMax
Mobile phone radiation and health
WiMAX in Chicago: An Untested Health Hazard?
WiMax on the Brain: Is "WiFi on Steroids" Safe?
WiMAX could fry your brain
Microwave News

Security and WiFi/WiMax

What are the possible security risks associated with deploying and using WiMAX?
Possible Security issues and risks using WiMax
Is WiMAX Technology Secure?
WiMAX Security Issues and Threats