Why Max?
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008I just recently hired a superstar associate at Ogilvy by the name of Christine Ngo. For the past few weeks she has absorbed SO much about the Digital Influence world at Ogilvy that she proactively researched and produced a kick-ass blog entry on WiMax - a hot button topic for several of our technology and consumer clients. I am so proud of her entry that I decided to re-post it on my own blog. So here it is. Enjoy!
Adriana
I’ve recently read a number of blog entries dedicated to critiquing the recent Clearwire and Sprint WiMAX deal from an economic standpoint. People want to know: what money is there to lose? What is there to gain? Who invested in what? And are they crazy for doing so?
For now, my answer is, “Who cares?”
I’d like to step away from this and focus on what WiMAX might contribute from a sociological standpoint. Personally, I am in complete support of WiMAX and what it might do for rural and underprivileged communities. By providing wireless internet access to areas that didn’t have it beforehand, there is potential to revolutionize the global education system.
Of course, critics will point out that part of the problem with the education system is the disparity of resources. If a WiMAX chip processor can commit to providing grants to some of these communities, providing them with the necessary equipment to jumpstart their journey into the wireless world, the possibilities are endless. When discussing costs, one must note that WiMAX is indeed the most cost-efficient way to distribute broadband data to rural areas. According to Jeff Evans, a Georgia Tech Research Institute senior research engineer, “With WiMAX, an internet service provider th