While a lot of consumers still haven't heard of WiMax, it's gotten one step closer to reality according to TomsNetworking.com:

Vancouver - The WiMax Forum, an industry consortium that was created to ensure standard compliance and interoperability of WiMax products, announced that it has opened the certification process of first generation WiMax products. First WiMax products are expect to hit the market at the end of this year.

The article concludes:

WiMax services are expected to offer a Bandwidth of about 75 Mbps and a range of about 31 miles. Commercial services are expected to be become available in 2006. According to the WiMax Forum, first WiMax product may become available as early as late this year.

In short, Wimax should offer faster internet that's cheaper and more accessible to more people. Heck, even Walmart's is supposedly getting into the game with Wimax base stations located in their stores.

Read WiMax certification process launched

More about WiMax at The WimaxForum.com