R oma - January 2007

The Ministers of Defense Arturo Parisi and Communications Paolo Gentiloni have reached an agreement for the launch in Italy of new technologies for wireless telecommunications, approving the location for 'introduction of the Wi-Max in Italy.
With this agreement, starting in June 2007, will be made available more 'lots of frequencies (in the band Wi-Max 3.4 ÷ 3.6 GHz), with the ability to spread even more on national macro-areas.
The agreement is the first phase of a project that will lead in five years, a tripling this first allocation of frequencies for Wi-Max.
The technical table between the Ministries of Defense and Communications will draw up a timetable by February operational, including the determination of the Authority of Guarantees in Communications and the achievements of the public consultation launched by the Authority that will be completed by February 2007.
The Wi-Max will then be launched for a more rapid development of broadband deployment in the territory, especially in areas where and 'more complex the construction of new infrastructure.
The agreement provides for the completion of the services in and 'responsible, the Ministry of Defense with a focus on issues of national security structures and telecommunications headquarters. The Ministry of Defense will put it together with their radar systems and mobile and telecommunications assets. The investment required will result in part by specific chapters of the state budget and possibly from the market frequency of Wi-Max.

It is a very significant step, which provides operators authorized a new network, powerful, and revolutionary perspective.
In fact, the Italian news is because the technology is already used in 125 countries around the world as private facilities, while the phase that we're experiencing is the marketing of the product on a large scale.
The Wi-Max (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) allows access to the Internet even in areas not reached by broadband via cable, so if developed properly, the new wireless network design, can make to achieve those standards European development that are not lacking in other areas of telecommunications.

The marketing of frequencies via auction, but might limit the potential of the service, making it effectively a "closed service", subject to the decisions of those who have funds available to invest in new technology and therefore subject to a market. This one could pass on the final form of a poor service or cost of using much higher than really necessary.

If you think about the possible uses of such technology, in addition to the spread of broadband in rural areas it is easy to imagine how a wireless connection sized metropolitan (WMAN: Wireless Metropolitan Area Network) is able to partially replace many services become essential for us today: one on all phones.
The spread of WiMax could in fact be the last step in the enormous development that we have seen over the past two years by the technology VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) with operators like Skype, Noverca and many others. For these companies would open the opportunity to become telephone operators (at least in the case of Noverca) on a national scale and to provide services at lower costs compared to normal telephony operators.
This development would lead to repercussions in the world of mobile telephony in its mainly of large companies now on the market. Tim, Vodafone, H3G would be forced to sell their services unless they are themselves to manage the structures of WiMax, which would lead to the first mention of the "closed service".

Looking at the case from an employment point of view, the advent of WiMax would have a first time an effect of growth of employment and then have a phase of decline more or less to a point of stagnation final.
In the first stage, the spread of infrastructure for the construction of bridges and radio links, in addition to the creation of offices and facilities management services, would turn into a demand for skilled workers and not, and following the launch of services expected A number of professionals for the interaction with the end user. All this represents the growing employment, which is being developed in the short to medium term.
While long-term, the importance of a structure such as WiMax could exceed that of traditional mobile telephony, with less use of resources by companies already established. Then we must also consider that completed the initial implementation of the facilities would be meeting only with a request of highly specialized for the only maintenance and not as the former is in quantity and quality.
This scenario is assuming that the mobile transits from one technology to another (something that happens very slowly) and that the phone devices are able to manage the new communication standard, which for the moment are not able to do, but given the time needed for this new area of communications, is not a limiting factor to consider.
The scenario changes little when you come to realize the so-called "closed service" as an effective opportunity to communicate at no cost (more than one connection) is real and offered in multiple forms, VoIP, Voice Mail, e-mail and video conferences. So in this case would avoid the collapse of the companies now on the market, but would be greatly scaled (the staff) due to low profits.

Logically, the advent of WiMax is not just a potential revolution in mobile telephony but also other sectors of communications.
We must remember, however, that much time must pass before the WiMax can count on a global roaming coverage like the one that boasts the classic mobile phone, and for this reason that it is difficult to be completely replaced.

To make the idea of WiMax as the band enters the radio communications, and with what characteristics, are reported to be illustrative graphics.