It speaks volumes about 802.16d yes! But most of the FUD which Intel has been spreading has related to mobile WiMAX. That's 802.16e which is neither available, nor even standardised, nor even yet agreed inside the Forum.

And (as was pointed out at that crucial Merryl conference) much of the technology suggested for mobile WiMAX is based on Star Trek technobabble, not physics.

I think WiMAX will be used to fill in connectivity backhaul, especially with developments like tethered aerostats and permanent airborne transponders; but for the mobile user, that's dependant on the development of mobile versions. I'm still unconvinced by that, I'm afraid.

And until Intel stops talking about 2.4 GHz WiMAX, I can't take it seriously. Around where I live, you can't even get 802.11g WiFi to connect reliably; too many channels occupied by households with wireless.