WebProNews

On the heels of WiFi is Intel's latest high speed offering, WiMax, a chip designed to pick up (fanfare please) long-range high-speed wireless Internet.

With a range, reportedly, of up to 20 miles, WiMax will enable wireless broadband speeds of up to 40 Mbps, providing T-1 speed wireless connections to hundreds of businesses and DSL level speed to thousands of residences.

WiMax has been dubbed "the next wave of wireless technology" that will expand into sectors previously not reached by high speed browsing such as mobile phones and mass transit. Conceptually, one could take his laptop on a camping trip and still connect with broadband speed-as long as the tree he's sitting under is near enough to a WiMax antenna. Even better, he could surf in his jeep on the way over.

In fact, according to The Register,

T-Mobile and Nomad are both "fiddling with the technology to get it to cope with a train moving at up to 100mph."

Now that's a gnarly wave and some serious surfing.

Though WiMax is getting a lot of attention from various providers, fixed and mobile, it probably won't be widely used by the public for a few years. The processor is expected to sell for around $45 (Techtree.com).

Jason L. Miller is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.