The word Wi-Fi and WiMAX

Wireless Fidelity. Popular name for IEEE 802.11 protocol for wireless local area networks (wireless LANs). It allows data transfer rates of 11 to 54 megabits per second (Mb/sec). Incomparison, standard Ethernet provides maximum dataspeed of 10 Mb/sec via cables. Wi-Fi operates in the 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz) radio band the same frequency used by most cell phones and microwave ovens over 11 channels. See also Bluetooth.

The IEEE 802.11 specification (ISO/IEC 8802-11) is an international standard describing the characteristics of a wireless local area network (WLAN). The name Wi-Fi (short for "Wireless Fidelity", sometimes incorrectly shortened to WiFi) corresponds to the name of the certification given by the Wi-Fi Alliance, formerly WECA (Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance), the group which ensures compatibility between hardware devices that use the 802.11 standard. Today, due to misuse of the terms (and for marketing purposes), the name of the standard is often confused with the name of the certification. A Wi-Fi network, in reality, is a network that complies with the 802.11 standard. Hardware devices certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance are allowed to use this logo:

With Wi-Fi, it is possible to create high-speed wireless local area networks, provided that the computer to be connected is not too far from the access point. In practice, Wi-Fi can be used to provide high-speed connections (11 Mbps or greater) to laptop computers, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and any other devices located within a radius of several dozen metres indoors (in general 20m-50m away) or within several hundred metres outdoors. Wi-Fi providers are starting to blanket areas that have a high concentration of users (like train stations, airports, and hotels) with wireless networks. These access areas are called "hot spots".

WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access)

WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a wireless industry coalition dedicated to the advancement of IEEE 802.16 standards for broadband wireless access (BWA) networks.

WiMAX supports mobile, nomadic and fixed wireless applications. A mobile user, in this context, is someone in transit, such as a commuter on a train. A nomadic user is one that connects on a portable device but does so only while stationary -- for example, connecting to an office network from a hotel room and then again from a coffee shop. Fixed wirelesstypically refers to wireless connectivity among non-mobile.devices in homes or businesses.

According to the WiMAX forum, the group's aim is to promote and certify compatibility and interoperability of devices based on the 802.16 specification, and to develop such devices for the marketplace. WiMAX is expected to provide about 10 megabits per second of upload and download, at a distance of 10 kilometers from a base station. The Forum says that over 455 WiMAX networks have been deployed in over 135 countries.

In May of 2008, Sprint and Clearwire announced that they would be combining their WiMAX businesses. Intel, Google, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks combined to invest $3.2 billion in Clearwire. The company has begun deployment of a planned nationwide 4G network in the United States as Clear WiMax wireless broadbandservices. Comcast and Time Warner Cable have announced that they will resell the service in areas where they have cable coverage.

WiMAX is competing with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)'s Long-Term Evolution (LTE) in the 4G market.