Should be: Municipal Wi-Fi (vs.) WiMAX & 3G

Just as with fiber...none of these cellular based wireless connections will ever be built-out in the sticks.

The whole reason our mini-wifi is going at all, is because there is NO service provider who offers these new broadband-link wireless services here. No EV/DO, 3G or whatever they want to tag it with...heck ATT coverage here is marginal OUTSIDE let alone inside a building...this is about a 9 sq. mi. city...with that much area to cover it's amazing we get any service from the CellCo's...huh?

And just like Verizon flat out saying they will NEVER build out fiber to our city (even with a major fiber back bone running through the middle of town...we know because they had the two main hwy's into/out of town and the two main streets torn up for about 18-months laying the cable...) So the city is planning and has setup first our own WiFi with the next portion planned is fiber to the pole (at least).

While not perfect and certainly not well planned or designed the Wifi here in Lompoc is very usable if one is out and about. More nodes and/or wireless bridges need to be added but for the $10/mo it costs I can use Skype most everywhere in town.

I pretty much get between 500k-1.5Mb download and consistent 1-1.5Mb upstream speeds...where I can actually get a connection.

Something else is muni-wifi type projects do not exclude those who cannot get approved for other wireless services for whatever reason. And really the major cellular providers LOVE the inflated charges they add for prepaid customers...so there is yet another reason the CellCo's are in direct opposition to anything Muni...same for the CableCo's...

Nothing beats physics:

a) Effective data rates are linked to link budgets available (high-order modulations require better signal quality -> low SIR) and available spectrum bandwidth

b) Low spectrum allocations generally allow for larger cell sizes than higher spectrum allocations

c) Large spectrum allocations (high bandwidth) generally available in higher higher bandwidth allocations

d) Running broadband networks in unlicensed spectrum also utilized by microwave ovens and remote controls will run into interference issues

e) Shannon's law still applies
MIMO allows to benefit from multi-path transmission, but requires multiple antennas at BS and terminal.

f) Data rate = Complexity = baseband processing power = battery consumption = inversely proportional to mobility/portability of devices

g) Fixed-wireless deployments generally allow for significantly higher data rates due to terminal antenna on roof-top (good for link budget), and no design constraints on battery/power consumption, as AC power is readily available.

Summary:

Ignore marketing hype

Mobile service provision requires tradeoff
with regards to performance (mobility support vs. data rates supported).

Select service provider / radio technology suitable for your application, your mobility
and your corresponding terminal requirements.