The initial deployments of WiMax, will be fixed wireless solutions comprised of stationary WiMax equipment. WiMax terminals will debut by the end of 2005 with an outdoor antenna, which requires operator installation. A quick improvement will result in smaller antennas inside the home that resemble their cousins, the WiFi antennas. Common users of fixed WiMax will be SOHOs, WiFi hotspots, etc. This scenario would be common in remote places where DSL/cable is not available or economically feasible.

The next generation of WiMax will be portable wireless solutions, which involve roaming/non-stationary WiMax equipment. Laptop computers would get portable WiMax with mobile processors or WiMax adapters that would extend the reach and speed of Internet access beyond WiFi. In addition, further advances in portable WiMax will bring the power of broadband to cellphones and other handheld devices.