Similar term(s): Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access.
Definition:
WiMAX, the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a
telecommunications technology aimed at providing wireless data over long
distances in a variety of ways, from point-to-point links to full mobile
cellular type access. It is the final leg of delivering wireless broadband
connectivity from a communications provider to a customer and an alternative to
cable and DSL. It is based on a on Broadband Wireless Access standard of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE 802.16).
WiMAX and Wi-Fi
are complementary. While WiMAX is a broadband connection to the Internet at
service quality, Wi-Fi is a wireless local area network