Wireless network means less maintenance and less cost. The advent of radio has put a stop to the use of telephones that uses wires to transmit signals. The new age cell phones based on wireless technology have made it possible for us to reach anyone anytime. Wireless technology translates into a lower cost since it obviates the laying down of cables and wires and regular maintenance. The other area where a significant impact has been felt is in the networking of computers. The usual scenario of having a wired Internet connection is all set to change. The wireless connections are soon going to be cheaper than the wired alternative and will also be easier to use. This will result in people shifting to the wireless option, if available.

Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) will be the next generation of wireless, an improvement over the existing wireless networking that uses a standard called 802.11. The good news is that you will not need to change our equipment, as it will run on the existing hardware. Though scientists are still working on it, it is poised to take the world by storm. The first WiMAX equipment is slated for launch by the end of 2005. Its biggest advantage will be that it will cover a wide area, which could be as much as up to 50 kilometers! The term Local Area Network (LAN) will be replaced by Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), which would cover the whole city! It will also offer higher speeds of up to an astounding 10MB per second, coupled with improved security. All you would need to do is buy a subscription, plug into network and you are ready to go! If you still don't find it difficult to believe, you can visit the WiMAX Forum at http://www.wimaxforum.org or the WiMAX blog at http://wimax.weblogsinc.com for verification and further information.