WiMAX, is an acronym that stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access.It is a wireless metropolitan-area network technology that provides interoperable broadband wireless connectivity to fixed, portable and nomadic users. It provides up to 50- kilometres of service area, allows users to get broadband connectivity without the need of direct line-of-sight to the base station, and provides total data rates up to 75 Mbps— enough bandwidth to simultaneously support hundreds of businesses and homes with a single base station. WISPs using Wi-Fi with a mesh-network topology—are looking head to WiMAX to provide inter-AP backhaul and point-of-presence (PoP) backhaul.

Wireless broadband access is set up like cellular systems, using base stations that service a radius of several miles/kilometres. Base stations do not necessarily have to reside on a tower. More often than not, the base station antenna will be located on a rooftop of a tall building or other elevated structure such as a grain silo or water tower. A customer premise unit, similar to a satellite TV set-up, is all it takes to connect the base station to a customer. The signal is then routed via standard Ethernet cable either directly to a single computer, or to an 802.11 (Wi-Fi) hot spot or a wired Ethernet LAN.

In 2005, WISPs have additional options with the implementation of WiMAX, which copes with some of the challenges facing Wi-Fi. Starting in 2005, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) certification of the IEEE 802.16-2004 standard for fixed-position radios will revolutionize the market for point-to-point (P2P) and point-to-multi-point (P2MP) wireless broadband equipment in both the licensed and unlicensed bands. In 2006, the IEEE 802.16e standard for portable operation is expected to be ratified, thus standardizing client radios in unlicensed and licensed bands. This certification will provide users with an alternative and allow service providers the benefit of additional tier services. WiMAX—802.16-2004-based devices offer WISPs a standards-based long-range, higher performance solution. This new technology offers a great deal of potential.