ZDNet UK

CNET NETWORKS UK BUSINESS SITES:
atlarge.com
BNET UK
silicon.com
SmartPlanet.com
ZDNet.co.uk

ZDNet.co.uk - Winner of Best Business Website 2007

You are here: ZDNet.co.uk > News > Hardware

Processors Toolkit

Intel: Death to all wires

Jonathan Bennett ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 22 Apr 2004 10:45 BST

With the race for ever more powerful processors less of an issue these days, Intel is searching for other areas in which to differentiate itself and build a niche, such as wireless broadband, security, and mobile platforms.

ZDNet UK caught up with Intel CTO Pat Gelsinger at the company's travelling Developer Forum in Barcelona, Spain, to talk about the great hope for wireless broadband, WiMax, and his claims that the industry is suffering from "irrational exuberance".

Who will actually deliver WiMax technology to users?
Intel won't do this directly. We will build silicon, which we expect to go into access points and base stations, and eventually PCs. Companies like Samsung, Siemens, Alcatel will do base stations, and others like Cisco will do access points.

When can we expect to see WiMax products on the market?
This year people will start doing wireless broadband deployments that are "pre-WiMax", that is, they'll follow the draft standard, with 2005 being when real deployments will occur.

Will WiMax be deployed by organisations for their own wireless networks?
It depends on the situation. WiMax is good for campus environments, where everything is quite spread out, but not high-density buildings. Wi-Fi is better for that.

Is WiMax a replacement for GPRS or 3G for mobile users? Will it be able to cope with people on trains, for instance?
There are improvements to protocol coming. 802.16e is under development for mobile users. We expect that WiMax will have the benefits of higher bandwidth [than GPRS/3G] and it's designed for a data-centric environment. WiMax is easier to deploy as well. If I'm a service provider, I may not have a 3G licence, so I'll provide a WiMax service.

How has wireless technology affected the market share between desktop and mobile PCs?
Previously the shift in market share from desktop to mobile has been around 1 percent. The Centrino experience shifted that growth rate from desktop to mobile. Last year, we saw a shift of 7 points for the first time. Now that's really brought excitement to the mobile market. Intel likes the shift to mobility, but we're going to continue to innovate in the desktop.