Ever hear of Xanadoo? I read about them on Information Week earlier today (here). They’re carving out a nice niche for themselves. They’ve partnered with Navini to provide and deploy a Mobile WiMAX solution for rural markets where traditional network connectivity just doesn’t exist. Xanadoo provides the modems and network connectivity and Navini is providing the mobile wireless network infrastructure.

Last week Xanadoo reported 12,000 subscribers in 4 rural markets! It’s easy to see why this is an attractive offer for consumers that are unable to get DSL or Cable. Xanadoo has consumer friendly mobile internet service plans and a dirt simple zero install plug and play wireless modem.

• 5 desktop modem plans (no phone or cable service requirements)
• A PCMCIA plan
• A low end plan that starts at $14.95 per month
• No annual service plan options

Naturally, not all customers are on the $14.95 plan, do the math, these folks are generating some revenue in just 4 markets. They have 2.5GHz licenses in the following markets which covers 8M people.

• Texas
• Arkansas
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Oklahoma
• West Virginia

They’re barely scratching the surface with 12,000 subscribers and have a great opportunity to grow considerably.

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If you’re a mobile broadband geek you might want to check out WiMAX World which is set to kick off later this Month in Chicago. I know some folks that I work with that should be attending this thing but I just found out about the show tonight. It’s being billed as the world’s largest Mobile/Wireless Broadband Event focused on WiMAX.

Though this page indicates 3,700 attendees, it’s actually over 4,300 now according to the graphic on the home page. Here’s the WiMAX World conference schedule and you can pick up a free WiMAX World Expo Pass too.

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According to Ridley Scott it is and he doesn’t like seeing his art form getting commercialized down to the mobile screen. In fact Ridley believes it’s killing cinema.

“Director Ridley Scott has lashed out at technology which allows people to watch films on mobile phones and computer screens, arguing it is killing cinema.

Great films should be watched on a big screen in a movie theatre, he said.”

I think he and the film industry should to find a way to embrace it or they might be drinking from the same cup of regret that the Music Industry guzzled. Go read what Don Dodge has to say about the history of Napster and you’ll quickly realize that the artists and music industry executives may have made one of the biggest blunders of all time by not embracing technology.

You gotta wonder why the guy didn’t see it coming to a certain degree don’t you? I mean Ridley, I hate to bring you more bad news but you live in a time where you can potentially see a major motion picture go straight to something like YouTube.

The possibility also exists that the Theatre Channel collapses all-together eventually doesn’t it? I don’t think it’s mobile that you have to worry about though Ridley, you should be losing sleep over HD and Fiber Optic Networks though. HD and Fiber doesn’t kill cinema, it merely moves it into my living room where I’m not paying 2000% markups on the popcorn and soda.

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Forbes mentioned that Sprint Nextel and Clearwire are building out a mobile broadband network using WiMAX technologies.

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