WISP, Wireless Internet Service Provider, WiFi, T1 Wireless, Wireless T3 Bandwidth, WiMAX, 3G 4G Fixed Wireless

WISP

The acronym WISP stands for (Wireless Internet Service Provider). WISP's include WiFi hotspots, or a WiFi based wireless network infrastructure either in a residential or commercial environment. WISP's can also layer applications like location based content, VPN which stands for (Virtual Private Networking) and Voice Over The Internet Protocol, more recognized by the acronym (VOIP). 

WISP's are prevelent rural environments where cable and digital subscriber lines are not available. WiMax will change the marketplace by increasing the number of interoperable equipment on the market and making mobile data transmission feasible. 

A WISP operates designates a large point to point connection to the center of the area they plan to provide services. The WISP usually finds an elevated point in the territory, such as a radio tower or water tower, and will mount and install their equipment. On the customers end, they will mount a small dish or radio to the roof of their home and point it back to the WISP's dish. 

It is very difficult for a single WISP to build an infrastructure that offers World Wide or even national access to its subscribers, roaming between service providers is encouraged by the WiFi Alliance with the WISPr protocol. WISPr is a set of recommendations approved by the alliance which facilitate inter-network and inter-operator roaming of WiFi and WiMax users. 

WiFi

WiFi is an acronym that stands for (Wireless Fidelity). It is a term that industry experts use for certain types of wireless local area networks (WLAN) that use specifications conforming to IEEE 802.11b. WiFi has been accepted and deployed in many environments as an alternative to a wired Local Area Network or the acronym (LAN). Many airports, hotels, businesses and other services offer public access to WiFi networks called (Hot Spots), so people can log onto the Internet and receive emails on the move. 

WiFi uses a spectrum in the 2.4 GHz range to exchange data at broadband speeds. WiFi is a way of transmitting information in wave form that is somewhat fast, depending on the alotted bandwidth, and is often used for several applications. 

Wi-Fi (or Wi-fi, WiFi, Wifi, wifi), short for "Wireless Fidelity", is a set of product compatibility standards for wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802.11 specifications. New standards beyond the 802.11 specifications, such as 802.16(WiMAX), are currently in the works and offer many enhancements, anywhere from longer range to greater transfer speeds. Wikipedia. "WiFi." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WiFi (Accessed 14 October, 2006)

WiMAX

WiMAX is an acronym that stands for (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) by the WiMAX Forum, formed in June 2001 to organize conformance and interoperability of the IEEE 802.16 standard, also known as WirelessMAN. 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".

"WiMAX is not a technology, but rather a certification mark, or 'stamp of approval' given to equipment that meets certain conformity and interoperability tests for the IEEE 802.16 family of standards. A similar confusion surrounds the term WiFi, which like WiMAX, is a certification mark for equipment based on a different set of IEEE standards from the 802.11 working group for wireless local area networks (WLAN). Neither WiMAX, nor WiFi is a technology but their names have been adopted in popular usage to denote the technologies behind them. This is likely due to the difficulty of using terms like 'IEEE 802.16' in common speech and writing." - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).