This is a very unique report as it focuses on the three A's (Access, Affordability, and Applications) when considering a WiMAX deployment. The author leverages his real-world experience of deploying a large scale WiMAX system for a major metropolitan educational institution to instruct others about the many opportunities for WiMAX in education. Not only is this a valuable resource for those seeking business drivers for WiMAX, his method of evaluating using the 3A's can be used for any purpose to evaluate deployment issues and options.

Written by subject matter expert, Frank Ohrtman, a consultant on multiple WiMAX projects in US and abroad and author of WiMAX Handbook: Building 802.16 Wireless Networks and WiMAX in 50 Pages, this publication provides an easy-to-understand process for assessing the parameters for a school district-wide WiMAX deployment (access, affordability and applications). It provides case study analysis based on project in progress in Palm Beach County, FL of TV over WiMAX, "controlled" Internet access, school financing/savings

The reader may use the author's unique approach to the 3A's of WiMAX as a process and framework to determine feasibility and launch plan for any potential WiMax project or application-driven deployment.

Key Findings

One-to-one computing (one laptop per student) is a powerful market driver for the deployment of WiMAX as a wireless broadband access technology

School districts could provide broadband wireless internet/intranet access for their students at home for as little as $40 per student in capital expenditure of $1/month per student in operational expenditures

WiMAX-enabled laptops may be the only way for public schools to comply with federal mandates in education (NCLB, ATTAIN)

WiMAX provides a low-cost means for crossing the digital divide

The WiMAX in Education market could be $1.8 billion by 2015

A school district can equip each student with a WiMAX enabled laptop extending the school intranet's content and application to the student at home for less than 10% of what a public school district receives in annual federal money per student alone (before state and local funding)



Target Audience for.edu, .gov, and .org Organizations

Educators: How can the instructional yield from one-to-one computing be multiplied using WiMAX?

School administrators: What is WiMAX and why is it so important to instruction?

Supporting Organizations: Organizations concerned with conquering the digital divide

Government: Local, State, and even Federal Government organizations concerned with education


Key Questions Answered for.edu, .gov, and .org Organizations

How can school districts maximize after hours, off-campus internet/intranet access for students, especially those of low socio-economic status (SES)?
Why is WiMAX the best technology for education and especially "digital inclusion"?
What is the cost per student to deploy WiMAX in a school district and what are the assumptions?
What are some means for a school district to finance a WiMAX deployment?