SMC Networks, one of the main wireless hardware makers, has marketed a new line of product provided with wi-fi technology. The first two ones, named “SMC EZ Connect”, are a wireless print server and a wireless hard disk (practically, a backup server) based on the new 802.11g standard.

Wimax standard has been approved and it has returned it its prominence. Makers don’t have an excuse any more to market terminals with this technology, but now they are wondering what to do with all the wi-fi developments. They fear that new wi-fi mobiles might not have enough time to consolidate in the market. At the end of the day, the problem is the doubt about which technology to choose: wi-fi or wimax?

One of the disadvantages of wi-fi mobile phones, apart from the smaller signal, is that they don’t admit SMS from other mobiles. But Connectotel, an English company, has developed a system that allows us to send text messages to any wi-fi terminal or even a computing one, by using Skype.

The Spanish High Court for the Defence of the Competence has recommended to stop Telefónica from absorbing Iberbanda, the main wimax supplier in Spain. This decision must be backed by the Ministry of Economy to be able to execute it. However, it still goes to show the importance that wimax will have in the future. The Court does even describe it as “technology with a great potential”.

Will wimax win the battle against 3G? Many people ask themselves this question after wimax mobile standard was approved. The answer is not clear yet, and experts think it will depend mostly on how long the new wimax terminals take to be marketed. The longer they take, the greater the opportunities for 3G.

Aragon will join the Spanish autonomous regions that will offer wimax to their rural areas, especially Sobrarbe and Ribagorza, in the region of the Pyrenees. The trial wireless network has been installed by Telefónica and Embou together with funds from the Government of Aragon, that will tender the whole project.

For the first time in the United States, Samsung demonstrates WiBro (Korean Wireless Broadband) service on one of its world’s first Mobile WiMAX phones, the Samsung M8000. Samsung’s WiBro service demonstration is an exciting precursor to the first commercial service in the Korean market slated for the first half of 2006.