As telecommunications carriers around the globe experiment with a wireless replacement for cable and DSL modems, Intel Corp. plans on Monday to release its first chip for the technology, known as Wimax. The world"s largest chip maker sees in Wimax a potential profit source that it hopes will become as popular as its shorter-range cousin, Wi-Fi.
Intel also believes it will stimulate computer sales in emerging markets where high-speed Internet access is unavailable or prohibitively expensive. Wimax is not a guaranteed hit, as telecommunication carriers invest in wireless broadband networks based on cellular technology as well as WiFi hot-spots. Intel"s chip, formerly given the code name Rosedale, costs around $45 and is designed to power devices that will receive Wimax signals in users" homes.