Radioactif’s Wimax network is bumped back to Dec. 2007 (1)
Radioactif, a local internet service provider, announced earlier this summer that they will deploy a Wimax network in Montreal, with Nomade Telecom as the mobile wireless expert partner for this project. The announced date was then September 2007, but they have now a page about the details of the service, which is now due Dec. 2007.
Interestingly, the page also mentions mobile IP telephony, which means customers who are subscribed to the $30 monthly service will also be able to leave Bell Canada in the process. For me this is a very smart move from Radioactif. It doesn’t require a mobile license to deploy a wimax network, which is considered by the CRTC as a wifi technology. Videotron wishes on the other hand to be the 4th mobile carrier in Canada, but are stumbling instead in political games and bullyinglobbying by the 3 other telcos. I know other entrepreneurs here in Quebec who wanted to launch a mobile phone network, and this might be the answer.
Wimax is a wireless alternative to cable and ADSL, providing users a practical service like wifi but with speeds up to 5Mbps. Previously, it required to have a rather big device, the size of a router to get the signal, but manufacturers like Intel are now launching cards that can fit into PCMCIA slots.
Just thought I’d point out that WiMAX uses licensed spectrum, so you need a license to deploy it. Not the same license as for cellular services, but a license nonetheless. It is not akin to Wi-Fi which uses the unlicensed ISM bands.
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