Wirelessnorth.ca

Intel has big ambitions for the wireless world. Four years ago, intel effectively conquering home and local area networks by pushing open standard wifi in every “centrino” branded laptop. It turned out that powerful (for their day) low powered cpu’s coupled with wifi was the killer app that has resulted in explosive growth of notebook sales and the popularity of wifi-equipped coffee shops everywhere.

Intel Centrino 2 platform, codename “Montevina”.

With today’s launch of the Cetrino2 brand, intel would like to duplicate that success by now revolutionizing mobile broadband as thoroughly as they revolutionized local networking. With Centrino2, Intel will be introducing several important changes focused on mobility. Intels Pentium M processors are getting physically smaller and dropping in power from 35 to 25 watts (making thin/light form factors like the macbook air soon to be more common). And most importantly, Centrino2 is (supposed to) contain Wimax built-in as well as Wifi. Intel would like wimax to be the big selling point. They would like every Centrino2 to be capable of that great dream, ubiquitous fast internet connectivity. Intel would like this to be the next killer feature in computing that sells a lot of chips.

However, as with any of us, intel would “like” a lot of things. Unfortunately, liking alone won’t always make it true. Although intel’s platform is being “released” today, the Wimax components have been delayed (again) until sometime mid-august. Next there is the little problem of what network those wimax radios will connect to. At the moment Wimax only have about 2 million subscribers worldwide (whereas mobile/celular carriers have, like, a lot more). Europe is pretty keen on GSM/HSPA/UMTS instead. The technology does looks like it could be slowly getting some traction in Asia/pacific and developing countries. In the US Sprint/Clearwire will (finally) be launching something soon [Sprint CEO touts WiMAX, calls for end of "walled gardens"].

But then, there is a final concern as to whether the technology actually works well enough. Depending on tower density and signal strength, Wimax may not be so good at penetrating indoors (if recent experience with older hardware, pre-mobile-spec psuedo-wimax etc., bell/rogers “Portable Internet” is any guide). Having to hold your laptop up to the highest window in your house to get a decent signal may not be your preferred usage scenario.

As earlier reported on WirelessNorth.ca, Canadian carriers Bell and Rogers announced at their recent earnings call that they do not have plans to invest further Wimax. They will keep their existing networks operating just in case (or so Industry Canada doesn’t take the spectrum back), but are both preferring instead to spend future capex on more carrier-friendly HSPA and/or LTE/4G technologies.

So how could we see real centrino/wimax-powerd “3rd pipe” mobile-broadband competition in Canada? Well, most all of the working wimax spectrum in Canada is owned by… you guessed it… Rogers and Bell.

As computers get ever smaller and more connected and as phones get ever smarter and more like computers, there is bound to be a collision somewhere in the middle. As with networks, big internet and computer brands (Intel, Google, Microsoft) are working hard at blasting open wireless connectivity (as free and open as possible) as all the better playground for selling their softwares, webservices and chips.

For the incumbent providers of mobile devices, it’s clear that the barbarians are the gates. It’s just an open question yet as to whether they can find the door.

Earlier on WirelessNorth.ca: Bell Pushing Cottage-Country “Wimax”