Despite skepticism from the likes of Texas Instruments, this week's Broadband World Forum in Venice, Italy, saw a number of industry experts expressing optimism over the growth of WiMax technology, especially in the European marketplace.

”According to a study by Juniper Research (Ltd.), only half of all households in Europe will have broadband access by 2008 due to poor or nonexistent cable infrastructure or high-speed line systems being too complicated or expensive to deploy,” said Andreas Greil, vice president of product management in the information and communication network division of Siemens AG. “There’s a huge opportunity for WiMax to fill this gap.”

Some, in fact, view WiMax not only as a wireless alternative to DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), cable and leased line services but also someday as a rival to mobile telephony.

”Never bet against mobility,” said John Krzywicki, president of The Management Network Group Inc. (TMNG). “I estimate that a mobile solution for WiMax is only two to three years away.”

Such optimism, of course, is to be expected at a broadband conference. But experts here seemed eager to avoid the hype and focus instead on WiMax’s progress — and the challenges that lie head.

WiMax technology, based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ 802.16 standard, can extend broadband wireless over longer distances and at higher speeds than current Wi-Fi or Bluetooth systems. Its access range, for instance, is up to around 30 miles (48 kilometers), compared to Wi-Fi’s 300 feet (91 meters) and Bluetooth’s 30 feet. It supports data transmission speeds up to 70Mbps (bits per second), compared to the popular 802.11b Wi-Fi standard’s 11Mbps or the 802.11a’s 54Mbps.

In addition to its distance and speed advantages, WiMax doesn’t require line-of-site transmission.