What is WiBro?  WiBro stands for “Wireless Broadband”. It was developed in South Korea, to allow people to access the Internet from anywhere in the country. On top of that, even if you are in a moving vehicle, you can still access the Internet because the WiBro continues to transmit the signal regardless of whether you are moving or sitting still. Currently, WiBro is covering nearly 85 percent of the country.

Similar to the WiMax–an American attempt to create wireless broadband in cities–the WiBro uses the IEEE 802.16 standards. The major difference between WiBro and WiMax is that WiBro was designed to maintain a connection up to speed of 74 MPH. The WiMax, on the other hand, can offer connectivity at 31 miles, but the user has to sit still. The only problem is that although the WiBro was designed for 74 MPH, it was only able to achieve 37 MPH before the connection  gets lost.

The top two companies in South Korea that are offering WiBro service are Korea Telecom and South Korea Telecom. Similar to a mobile phone plan, the user has to pay a certain monthly fee–it depends on the company as well as the plan. There are unlimited plans that make it easier to download and upload without fear of going over the limit.

In the United States, WiMax has gained more recognition due to increasing needs for the Internet, especially in big cities. As long as the costs remain relatively low, more companies will be trying to step into the wireless broadband market.

However, in South Korea, many companies felt that the investment would be far more expensive than the money they’d make in return. This may change, but it is still uncertain.