So many wireless technologies

In its effort to improve the broadband penetration rate in Malaysia, the government has given out four WiMax licenses but to 'smallish' operators (none of the big telcos got a license).

I wonder how many of the four will be able to roll out WiMax by the end of the year.

Now, we hear that another company, MoBif Wireless, will be rolling out broadband using yet another technology iBurst.

Then, you also have the four 3G licensees who haven't made much headway either. Two of them, both telcos, have rolled out 3G but without much success. I blame that on high data access charges for unlimited access.

The other two licensees, both non-telco, have yet to roll out any services.

I'm wondering whether all these wireless efforts: 3G, WiMax, iBurst--and who knows what else will come out in the months to come--will have any significant impact.

Perhaps the government needs to just bite the bullet and plant cables into the ground and make cable-based broadband available in this country.