Major WiMAX network starts in Japan

A subsidiary of KDDI has started providing WiMAX fast wireless connectivity in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe.

The broadband service offers download speeds of 40Mbps, a speed that compares favorably with ADSL and is many times faster than 3G, said nikkei.net.

The WiMAX service will cover all major Japanese cities during 2010, the report said.

The service costs $46 (4,480 yen) per month, a price which also compares favorably with data comms on cellular networks.

Unless a PC has integrated WiMAX capabilities, users will have to buy cards to use the service, but a large number of vendors are set to produce WiMAX ready notebooks during July.