Vonage goes WiMax

I predicted that WiMax was going to be big a while back -- imagine wireless Internet access spread out over huge areas by far fewer towers than the cellular network requires, and of course the best part--no wires!

But lately, reading stories about Internet over power lines and seeing ads for Verizon's Wireless BroadbandAccess made me wonder if those technologies were going to hit before WiMax could even get off the ground.

WiMax has now gotten a big shot in the arm, as Vonage, the VoIP pioneer, has announced a partnership with TowerStream, a provider of Internet access using WiMax. Together they can offer VoIP wirelessly over ranges of up to 30 miles.

Vonage claims to have nearly 800,000 subscribers already, and I've heard good things from those who have switched from the POTS to VoIP. If using WiMax proves to work well, this could help it take off big time.