What is the difference between normal wireless and WiMax? Or is it the same product labelled differently?

Q: What is the difference between normal wireless and WiMax? Or is it the same product labelled differently?

Answered by Phil Verity, Mazars

The basic difference between “normal wireless” or Wi-Fi and WiMAX is that they’re different radio technologies that enable the delivery of high-speed internet access.

Wi-Fi is a relatively mature technology, with equipment widely available for both domestic and office use. In addition, there are thousand of hotspots around the UK, offering wireless access in hotels, coffee shops and airports.

WiMAX on the other hand is a very new technology, with very few services available in the UK. It offers higher bandwidth services over a longer range, compared with Wi-Fi. This means that when it becomes more mainstream, WiMAX is expected to give faster internet over a wider area.

Phil Verity is a partner at Mazars, the international accounting and business advisory firm, and head of the mid corporate market business line.