Tech columnist David Coursey weighs in on the WiMax phenomenon and wonders if the technology will live up to its advance billing.  He says that WiMax definitely has some advantages,including its flexibility in setting up new connections and the ability to provide portable backhaul service for high-volume hotspots and 802.11 networks. However, he is skeptical that it will be useful as a WiFi replacement and of claims that it will enable users to carry a high-speed Internet connection anywhere they go in a metro area.

To sum it up, Coursey thinks WiMax has a definite future, but is concerned that its proponents are promising more then they can deliver.

As a wireless technology, WiMax offers tremendous flexibility. Setting up new connections should be fairly easy, without the sometimes several-month delays that telephone companies impose while provisioning lines. WiMax will also be portable, a boon for customers needing connectivity from such places as construction sites. It should also be easier than wired connections to bring back into service following natural or man-made disasters.

WiMax should also be able to provide portable backhaul service for high-volume hot spots and 802.11 networks created to support events and trade shows. What I question is whether WiMax will be useful as a Wi-Fi replacement.

Some proponents claim WiMax will enable users to carry a high-speed Internet connection anywhere they go in a metro area. I am very suspicious of such claims, first because WiMax probably won’t penetrate buildings very well, and secondly because a directional antenna will probably be required for WiMax connectivity.

Even when someone shows me a demonstration of mobile WiMax, I’ll want to have a long discussion of how it might work in a fully built-out system.