WiMax to rule in a world of mobile Internet: Otellini

Stan Beer
Tuesday, 08 January 2008 12:06

Your IT - Home IT

Intel CEO Paul Otellini gave a stirring keynote address at CES today, outlining his vision of a future where the Internet is globally ubiquitous, enabled by ultra low power net connected pocket mobile devices using wireless technologies such as WiMax.

In what some might consider a self serving address Otellini nevertheless crafted a credible story of a future of an Internet integrated into the mainstream of consumer electronics and communications.

"We're now in the midst of the largest opportunity to redefine consumer electronics and entertainment since the introduction of the television," Otellini effused. "Increasingly, computing and communications are coming together, bringing a new level of capabilities and intelligence to the Internet experience. The personal Internet of tomorrow will serve you – delivering the information you want, when you want it, how you want, wherever you are."

The self serving part of course is that for all of this to happen microprocessors - Intel microprocessors - must necessarily play a key role.

Otellini described four obstacles that need to be overcome to make these applications possible on mainstream computing devices in the next 3 to 5 years. Microprocessors have to be even more powerful and consume less power to be the brains of smaller, multi-functional devices. Wireless broadband infrastructure needs to be more broadly deployed to make high-speed Internet available everywhere. The Internet must be more intelligent and proactive so finding information is no longer a hit or miss proposition. Lastly, more natural user interfaces need to be developed so people can use their voices and gestures to engage with the Internet.

The first two of the above obstacles are directly concerned with the largest chipmaker and major WiMax backer Intel.

According to Otellini, the next big thing in computing will be ultra mobile Internet devices small enough to fit in your pocket that will "deliver a no-compromise Web experience".

Naturally, these devices will be powered by small high performance low power consumption Intel processors and presumably they will be connecting to the net using a WiMax network.

Intel plans to ship its first low power processor and chipset platform designed for mobile Internet devices in the first half of this year. Codenamed "Menlow," it is comprised of a chipset with a single chip design, codenamed "Poulsbo"; and a processor, codenamed "Silverthorne," which comes in a package that is five times smaller and consumes 10 times less power than ultra low voltage mobile processors introduced in 2006.

As for WiMax, Otellini believes it is the technology to deliver a global wireless internet network, and he predicted that 150 million people will be using WiMax to connect to the Web by the end of the year.