You may have heard the term WiMax recently and been confused by what exactly it refers to.  Does it have to do with the Internet?  Or is it related to a new cell phone technology?  Well, the answer is both.  WiMax, short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is the telecommunications technology that enables fully mobile Internet access and long-range wireless broadband coverage across areas as large as entire cities.  In other words, it provides a fast wireless alternative to traditional high-speed wired connections.Though similar to Wi-Fi in certain ways, WiMax offers higher speeds over greater distances, to a greater number of users.  With this technology, people can use cell phones or computers to connect to the Internet from just about anywhere, since this access to this service can extend to even remote geographical locations where wired connections, such as DSL and cable, do not reach.  This means that people living or traveling in these so-called “blackout areas” – suburban and rural areas where DSL and cable are not available – will no longer be forced to settle for the slow speeds of dial-up.A WiMax system is made up of two parts: a tower and a receiver.  The tower operates a bit like a cell phone tower, and a single tower can give coverage to an entire area up to 3,000 square miles.  The receiver and accompanying antenna come in a variety of forms.  They can be a small external box or built into a laptop similar to the way in which Wi-Fi access is nowadays.The tower station itself connects to the Internet in one of two ways.  It can connect directly via a high-bandwidth wired connection like a T3 line.  The other way is to connect to another tower via a line-of-sight microwave link.  This process, called “backhaul,” is the key to extending access to remote rural areas.Likewise, there are two ways for your computer to receive signals from the tower station.  These two forms of wireless service are called non-line-of-sight and line-of-sight, and are pretty much what they sound like.  Line-of-sight service is the stronger and more stable of the two, and works using a fixed dish antenna aimed directly at the tower from a roof, high wall, or pole.  Because it is constantly pointing straight at the tower, this type of antenna is able to receive transmissions with higher frequencies, which are both faster and subject to less interference.Non-line-of-sight service connects to the tower using a small antenna attached to your computer and works more like Wi-Fi service.  These transmissions use lower frequencies because they are not as easily disrupted by physical obstructions.  However, these connections are slower and, since they have to make their way around obstacles to reach the computer, these transmissions encounter more interference than those sent through line-of-sight connections.  Non-line-of-sight access is also only available within a 4-to-6 mile radius of the tower, whereas line-of-sight service can reach up to 30 miles away.  This line-of-sight access is what accounts for the far-reaching coverage that WiMax is capable of providing.