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US Consumers Prefer Wi-MAX to Wi-FI, Cellular
A recent survey of 1,200 respondents earlier this year by In-Stat Research indicated that when given a choice, US consumers preferred WiMAX over 3G cellular data and Wi-Fi services. The respondents were asked a series of questions regarding their interest in various wireless broadband services, with each service description based on what is currently or will soon be available.
So why would consumers prefer a technology that has yet to be rolled out when compared to existing entrenched technologies such as Wi-FI and 3G cellular? The two reasons should come as no surprise: reliability and pricing.
Anyone traveling on business knows how frustrating it can be to find a Wi-Fi connection. And when you find one, you are often at the mercy of the local access provider and must sign up for fee-based day pass. Those lucky enough to find free service or someone else's unsecured Wi-Fi access point are often taking the risk of transmitting information over an unsecured network.
The other option of course is to sign up for 3G service with one of the major cellular providers. The problem here is that these plans are upwards of $60+ USD per month, coverage is not consistent or universally available, and download speeds are typically much lower than what users have become accustomed to with Wi-Fi.
It's not surprising then that the respondents' interest in 3G cellular services decreased dramatically when presented with pricing, followed by availability and reliability. Furthermore, over 50% of respondents said they would change their current home broadband provider for one that bundles wireless with a home broadband service.
It sounds like what respondents are saying is that they want they want to take the same experience they get with Wi-FI with them when they travel. Can the WiMAX promise of a single, global broadband wireless standard live up to those expectations and deliver that experience? We will see…
Zain Y. Shah
