Monday, July 02, 2007

Adding some realism to WiMAX and xMax

How realistic are claims of both WiMAX and xMax when it comes to cost savings on network build-outs, relative to GSM or CDMA-based networks?

I suppose a good deal of common sense (if not scepticism) is needed.

Just to add a thought on each:
  • WiMAX: in this release it is revealed that the range is limited to just 0.75-1.00 miles when indoor-coverage is needed to deliver 5 Mbps. Remember that originally, WiMAX was supposed to deliver up to 120 Mbps over a distance of up to 50 km?
  • xMax: I was a little puzzled over the Frost & Sullivan award last week. That seems quite premature, as xMax is far from both technical and commercial reality (see this article): "But is it stretching the rules of economics, or those of physics?" The company behind the 'Flash Signal' technology, xG technologies, puts forward Prof Stuart Schwartz. But the article quotes Prof Ben Friedlander, who dismisses the technology. Who should we believe? Now, Frost & Sullivan seems to add some weight to the xG/xMax side, but the article delicately reminds us of a similar award in 2004 for Gaiacomm ("transmit a signal of any strength to all parts of the planet up to and including inner space and outer space"), which is dormant now. Lastly, the fact that Stuart Schwartz held an interest in xG must not be overlooked (check out this paper from last September, prior to the IPO).

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tim,

Ok, not much substance in your blog...Here are the choices re. Dr. Schwartz (and he has been with xG since 2004, 2 years before the listing..) Either he has shares or he doesn´t. If he was talking about how great xG was and he didn´t have shares, I would question his true belief in what he was saying...That´s just me, though..and why would you question Frost & Sullivan based on a blog from some no name. Are you saying Frost & Sullivan have made mistakes, but blogger X has been right on the dime every time?

Again, you would never be printed in a subscription based news source...isn´t that the ultimate in blogdom?

Anonymous said...

Wow, Tim, your article is getting a lot of play, even though it doesn´t say much...people must be desperate.

Anonymous said...

Hey Marc, is that you again bullying anyone who dares to question xMax or xG and posting comments in every blog trying to shut up all those skeptics about xMax? Man, you should be tired of this...
xmax doesn't work, it's all a huge scam and Marc, you should get a life away from your computer. Oh, and sell all your xG shares because before year end they will be worth nothing (well, $0.058 or so...)

Anonymous said...

You call that bullying?
lol
You´ve been hurt.