For many consumers, the process of buying a new cell phone is one wrought with excitement. With a myriad of new features, significantly faster speeds, the ability to access almost as many programs and applications as a laptop, it often seems as though a new cell phone will be life changing, freeing its new owner from the need to stay connected to the world by way of LAN cables. However, to date, the reality has been that these devices are usually limited by the strength of the nearest WiFi connection, often turning internet access into a jumbled page of headlines, limiting emails to text-only communications, and potentially turning a smart-phone into the same text-message and phone call only device that it was intended to replace.

The arrival of WiMax and 4G wireless internet, however, aims to change this. While much is made of the coming availability of 4G wireless internet access, many consumers do not yet realize that this technology will not necessarily require additional investment in a new phone, but will enable them to harness the power of the phone that they already have. On average, 4G wireless internet speeds powered by WiMax are four times faster than the speed currently offered by the fastest 3G networks today from cell phone providers. What this means for users is that many smart phone owners will be able to stream high definition video, watch high definition television, and download full-length feature films to their handsets in a matter of minutes. However, as, if not more important than the speed, is the overlapping coverage that WiMax networks offer users.

Part of the problem with accessing the internet using a cell phone is that users are reliant on either their actual phone service, or on a series of WiFi hotspots, such as those in libraries, cafes, or restaurants. These WiFi hotspots provide high-speed internet access; however, they have a very limited range, and tend to weaken quickly when users wander even a few feet from their center. WiMax technology is to the internet what cellular phone networks were for telephones. WiMax networks allow users to access high-speed internet wherever they are within a 4G network, meaning that users will be able to access high speed internet on their smart phones wherever they are within a 4G network.

The range of WiMax networks is also noteworthy. A single WiMax tower has a range of approximately 3,000 square miles, meaning that many rural blackout areas currently in effect due to the fact that phone and cable companies have not run the necessary wired connections to these areas will soon be eliminated. All of this means that in the very near future, cell phone users will finally be able to fully utilize the internet-based features of their cell phones, with rapid downloads, streaming capabilities and seamless transitions from place to place, without having to worry about rural or suburban blackout areas.




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