According to a number of reports, including this one at mlive.com, Clearwire LLC who will this week be recommended as a provider for the City of Grand Rapids' wireless network intend to set up their network using the emerging "WiMax" (802.16) standard rather than the normal WiFi currently available in the hotspots listed on this site. Most computers that currently have wifi support will need upgrades to be compatible with the system.

The reasons for using WiMax are almost certainly it's wider range and stronger signal than traditional wireless networks, but it seems a strange choice if the network is to be installed quickly.

Perhaps there will be a special deal for those signing up for the service to get the computer upgrades bundled, but it certainly still lacks the simplicity of standard WiFi for those of us whose computers have support built in.