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Intel sets WiMax "Rosedale" announcement for Monday

Declan McCullagh Former Senior Writer
Declan McCullagh is the chief political correspondent for CNET. You can e-mail him or follow him on Twitter as declanm. Declan previously was a reporter for Time and the Washington bureau chief for Wired and wrote the Taking Liberties section and Other People's Money column for CBS News' Web site.
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Declan McCullagh

WiMax soon may be coming to a computer near you. Intel's planning an announcement of its WiMax product -- code-named Rosedale -- at the National Press Club on Monday afternoon.

For those uninitiated in this particular vernacular, WiMax is the IEEE's 802.16 standard for broadband wireless access. While there are important technical differences, think of it as a beefier, longer-range version of the venerable 802.1x WiFi protocol.

WiFi's range is measured in meters. WiMax's range is measured in miles -- offering a handy way to link entire neighborhoods or rural communities. In the perfectly ideal situation of line-of-sight to a base station, WiMax is designed to work at distances of up to 31 miles.

Don't be too impressed by the Press Club location, by the way. Sure, the Press Club (I've been a member in the past) offers excellent programs and guest speakers. It also rents out space by the hour for press conferences, which is what Intel is doing.