I guess this is good news for folk in the US but I would like to ask 1 question.......If a 4G network is widely available, do we need newer hardware to be able to take advantage of it or is the n900 capable of handling it? I also speculate that if not then perhaps a firmware update may allow this?
At the moment I see the n900 reach upto 3.5G sometimes.

It is very likely that you will need new hardware for 4G.

Mobile WiMax is working in Russia for about a year already, however there is only one phone from HTC:
http://yota.ru/en/devices/main/

N900 won't support it, WiMax is different from GSM standarts.
some of N810 has support for WiMax (I think it was called WiMax edition)

Yeah, 4G is a whole other signal type, thus requiring different transmit/receive chips. Current 3G chips won't work.

Speaking of which, I would buy the next Maemo/MeeGo device if it had a WiMax radio - no questions asked.

There is a few different "4G" types actually - WiMax mobile \ LTE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4G
Besides you can probably make wimax usb adapters work for n900 if you wanted, but that means you got even less battery life

The thing is that they got the wrong 4G tech. LTE will be the global 4G network and will be the one used in Europe and is already the 4G network in Asia, probally in USA too(Verizons 4G network will be LTE).
North European capitals got LTE networks working since last year and this is the year when the build is on for LTE. Still India, China just to give example and USA with HSDPA networks are still on the build so i don't see too many manufacturers having even fraction of 4G phones coming this year.

Thankfully there is chip made that can use LTE and WIMAX so hopefully we don't again have the America with other and Europe and Asia with other.

I'm sure just like with 3G Nokia will be one of the first with many 4G phones considering it's Nokia Siemens Network that's building by far most of the networks with Ericsson

http://pcworld.about.com/od/networki...ope-Snicke.htm

Tissot: Ain't gonna happen. American companies think they're the **** and refuse to play by the same rules as everyone else, thus you won't see them adopt the same standard as ANYBODY else. Heck, you don't even have similar networks in the US between regions in some cases, and most definitely between carriers. So expecting them to conform to the world is like nearly impossible until someone beats the arrogance out and some commons sense into the suits making all these ******ed decisions.

<sarcasm> Oh wait, that's right, they're not ******ed! They're designed to force carrier/vendor lock-in which American corps seem to love in space. </sarcasm> *groan*

forget all this 4G lol! with 3G O2 i was able to play COD4 PC online with 98 PING much to my supprise and had no lag! I tried this same with voda 3G......300 + ping , i felt like sharing this info lol

edit, actually i aint tired vodafone 3G on pc yet just tested ping on phone using speedtest site. i might give it a try at some point