Is the WiMAX Forum™ and Wi-Fi Alliance the same thing?
The Wi-Fi Alliance and the Wi-MAX Forum are two completely separate bodies
with varying charters. However, there are similarities. The Wi-Fi
Alliance is also a non-profit standards body designed to promote the IEEE 802.11
wireless LAN technology. Its mission includes Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™
interoperability testing of Wi-Fi WLAN products.
The WiMAX Forum has stated that it will work with other such standards bodies to
ensure seamless transitions to and from each group's certified products.
The Forum's vision appears to be to encourage eventual cross-handoffs between
varying broadband wireless standards to the enhancement of all parties.
Such capabilities should greatly strengthen the value proposition of all
broadband wireless technology in the marketplace. There is speculation
that WiMAX and the increasingly popular LTE standard could coalesce into a
single approach in future specifications of the two technologies. However,
the politics may preclude this for a time.
Another recent WiMAX alliance body is the WiMAX Global Roaming Alliance
dedicated to smoother roaming experiences between broadband wireless carriers.
