WiMAX: Media's Mobile Future

Media, as we know it today, has come a long way in terms of mobility and availability, but WiMAX could be the last step for revolutionizing modern media into a completely mobile enterprise. WiMAX is the developing technological standard for wireless broadband Internet over large areas, up to 30 kilometers.

WiMAX holds the potential to create an inescapable marketplace, a network that truly is always accessible, and generation that is undoubtedly “always on.” It is evident through the efforts of the cellular network providers that all types of media are moving into the mobile market. Music has been the leader in the mobile market with portable digital music players, but with WiMAX technology, opportunities exist for music to be mobilized in non-traditional fashions. Instead of a portable digital music player, streaming your entire library of music from your home computer anywhere in the world could become a reality. A car would no longer need a traditional radio, with WiMAX, you could just access the thousands and thousands of internet radio stations.

The constant connectivity would provide multitudes of ways to listen to music. Also, the technology would bring an even greater ability to personalize a users experience. For radio, a users tastes, habits and interests could be analyzed by the radio station to direct the user an optimized station with their musical interests in mind. Playlists could be altered on the spot from information gathered from the current listeners. Marketing and advertisements could be tailored towards the users interests to provide a more pertinent advertising method. With the implementation of WiMAX technology, personalized media portals will dominate the non “on-demand” markets like radio, and provide a more interesting and interactive experience.

This technology could really mean something for radio, but more importantly, it would vastly improve the mobility of media content and be a great boom for the consumption of content.