Technology never rests, and wireless, or wi-fi, technology is hardly an exception.
In health care facilities, for example, it’s now more common for wireless systems to transport signals to and from a host of devices — computers, refrigeration-monitoring devices, pagers, medical-telemetry systems, supply-order entry systems, physician bedside devices, patient-wandering systems, and bedside equipment.
But just as building managers and owners start to get their arms around wi-fi applications and installations, the technology leaps ahead.
The next challenge for managers is WiMAx, new wireless broadband technology with a range of up to 80 kilometers and a bandwith of up to 75 bits per second (bps). Developers are billing WiMAX as an alternative to wi-fi.
Among its promised benefits are: the ability to provide fixed, portable, and mobile non-line-of-sight transmission from a base station; a cell radius of up to 6 miles point to multipoint, non-line-of-sight transmission; and 40 megabits per second (Mbps) per channel for fixed and portable access applications.
Developers are working on facility-based applications for WiMAX, and consultants undoubtedly will begin incorporating the technology into their offerings.
By anticipating these changes and understanding at least the basics of WiMAX technology, managers will be in a better position to help their organizations make smarter specification decisions that lead to smoother installations and more reliable system operation.