"Semiconductor giant intel is putting its formidable weight behind WiMax, a powerful wireless technology that gives fixed-line telecom carriers a weapon to hit back at the mobile rivals that have long been eating into their voice revenues.

Compare that with the first third-generation (3G) networks which, although much faster than today's mobile phone networks, are 30 times slower than WiMax. One 3G radio mast covers an area 10 times smaller than WiMax.

WiMax is such a hot topic that Intel's executive board discusses its progress as much as three times a week, and by 2006 plans to start building it into its chip platforms, which power around 80 percent of all personal computers.

By the time you see real market momentum, it will be 2007 or 2008. That gives 3G three years to get its business better established," he said."