Intel Will Have Wi-Max This Year

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. said on Tuesday it has moved up to this year its expected roll-out of cards that will let computers access the Internet using Wi-Max, a new long-range, high-speed wireless technology.

Wi-Max is seen by many in the field as a successor to Wi-Fi, which provides fast wireless Internet connections in homes and businesses but has a limited range of a few dozen yards.

Wi-Max has a much longer range, varying from a couple of miles in an urban area to 10 miles or more in open country.

Intel, which had previously said it expected to have Wi-Max products in 2007, now plans to have Wi-Max cards for laptops in the second half of this year, Sean Maloney, vice president of Intel's mobility group, told a company conference.