Intel is planning to start shipping the first WiMax PC cards in the second half of this year, the company's general manager of the mobility group Sean Maloney said at Intel Developer Forum.

The company had previously promised WiMax technology for 2006, but standards around the wireless technology are starting to settle, Maloney noted.

"We are now at the point where there is a clear coalescing around the 2.3-2.5 Ghz, 3.5 Ghz and 5 Ghz bands. It looks likely that the planet is going to be able to be covered using those frequency bands," Maloney told delegates.

WiMax is a high speed, wide range wireless networking technology that is positioned as a DSL replacement. Intel aims for WiMax to replace Wi-Fi in the next three years. Maloney during his keynote gave a first public demonstration of an integrated Wi-Fi and WiMax chip that will allow for a smooth transformation between the wireless technologies.