CHICAGO – WiMAX has always been something of an oddball technology in the mobile data world.

While most mobile broadband standards are based on such cellular technologies as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and GSM, WiMAX stands out as a data-only standard that is being billed as a wireless alternative to cable and DSL. At this week's WiMAX World conference in Chicago, many speakers pointedly downplayed any competition between WiMAX and its cellular rivals in the mobile data market. Rather, they said WiMAX could act as a complement to such current 3G cellular data standards as Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) and High Speed Packet Access (HSPA).

"WiMAX has no interest in replacing cellular voice networks," said WiMAX Forum president Ron Resnick during his opening keynote. "WiMAX's network will coexist with mob voice networks to deliver next-generation networks that will complement what they're doing today."

Ben Wolff, CEO of Sprint Nextel's WiMAX partner Clearwire, echoed that theme and said that "people are getting lost in debate over which technology is best," when they really should be talking about developing a business plan "that allows us to deliver all the Internet has to offer in the palm of your hand, and about having a new type of network architecture that is all IP-based."

So, if WiMAX devices and services won't be going head-to-head with carriers' cell-based data standards, it's fair to ask exactly what WiMAX brings to the table. The answer in the short term appears to be that it's the fastest wireless-data standard available until the GSM-based Long Term Evolution (LTE) arrives two or more years from now. In the long term, WiMAX could be a major player in bringing broadband to rural and developing areas.

Let's start with WiMAX's short-term potential. During his opening address, Resnick noted it would be at least two years before LTE or any similar mobile data standard is commercially available, and that this time-to-market advantage is "ours to lose." On the WiMAX World showroom floor, several device vendors gave attendees an idea of just what high-speed mobile-broadband services will look like. One of the most striking examples came from Nokia Siemens Networks, which mounted a Nokia N810 WiMAX-based Internet appliance near the dashboard of a car. Because WiMAX networks can cover several miles of ground, users could drive around an entire city and have uninterrupted high-speed Web connectivity throughout their trip.