WiMax will be the African Standard

WiMAX is defined as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access by the WiMAX Forum, formed in June 2001 to promote conformance and interoperability of the IEEE 802.16 standard, officially known as WirelessMAN.

WiMAX aims to provide wireless data over long distances, in a variety of different ways, from point to point links to full mobile cellular type access. In practical terms this enables you, for example, to browse the internet on a laptop computer without physically connecting the laptop to a socket in a wall. The Forum describes WiMAX as "a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL."

Source: Wikipedia

As I read news about the installation of new networks, the WiMax standard will soon surpass any new land line installation in most countries in Africa. This is not news to many, but African monopolies phone companies seem unsure as to what to do when they build new infrastructure.

This means that:

• African governments and the telecoms monopolies that support them may begin to take legislative and incentive measures to keep their land lines relevant. This will slow technological economic development.
• New telecoms start-ups can (and need to) bring real innovation to network architecture when they enter a country to improve their chances of success.
• New GSM devices need to be created which can deal with power uncertainties in Africa.
• We need to watch marketing strategies that emerge from the coming "gold rush" in telecoms expansion-Who can tap into the African culture's high-touch communication culture.
• New small business management applications need to be developed for emerging GSM devices like cell phones, Multi-media devices, and the coming $100 laptops?