NMU Helps Second School Set Up WiMax

In 2009, Northern Michigan University became the first college or university in the U.S. with a WiMax wireless high–speed internet system.

But it’s no longer the only college in the country that has WiMax.

Within the last couple of weeks, NMU has helped a second school set up a WiMax connection.

The University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is leasing access to the WiMax system core that NMU uses.

It was a lot cheaper for UMass Dartmouth to do that than to buy its own.

NMU chief technology officer David Maki says the school is willing to help any school that wants to implement a WiMax network before the FCC-imposed November deadline to start using the technology.

The lease arrangement with UMass Dartmouth will help pay for NMU’s core.

WiMax signals can cover up to 3 miles, instead of only about 300 feet like NMU’s old network.

Maki says there is a commercial equivalent to WiMax technology, and Marquette is a hotspot for that technology.

He says it was just activated on Sunday.

NMU started the WiMax network with just the city of Marquette.

But they’ve since expanded it to Negaunee, Ishpeming, K.I. Sawyer, Gwinn, Big Bay and part of Chocolay Township.