Dell Offers WiMax Option on Three Laptops

Dell is offering WiMax support as an option on three laptop models sold in the U.S., the company said Tuesday.

Customers can add an Intel wireless module that supports Wi-Fi and WiMax to Dell's Studio 15, Studio 17 and Studio XPS 16 for US$60, according to Dell's Direct2Dell blog.

Wireless broadband networks based on WiMax are only available in three U.S. cities: Atlanta, Baltimore and Portland, Oregon. That means most users won't get any benefit from adding WiMax cards to their Dell laptops unless they live in one of these three cities. Over time, more U.S. users will get access to WiMax networks as operator Clearwire expands coverage to more cities.

Besides WiMax, Dell also said it's also considering support for Long-Term Evolution (LTE), a more advanced cellular technology now under development that will offer faster data speeds than current 3G networks. The company did not say when it expects to make this option available.

AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all plan to roll out LTE services, with Verizon's service scheduled to start later this year.