Not sure why you keep saying that. I have two WAN connections in house, one through cable, the other through WiFi to a regional WiFi network. I have a dinner plate sized antenna for that link (9 miles). WiMax is cheap compared to stringing cable but the big telecoms will make sure it is regulated (they'll move it into licensed spectrum and push for state taxation and regulation). So my provider's WiFi network is virtually free compared to that.
The real fight is between the big providers trying to keep customers and small providers giving customers more choices but eventually selling out like the dialup ISP's did.
You will be stuck with cable for now because all your wifi access is connected at some point to cable, whether in your own digs or your provider's digs or your provider's provider's digs, etc..
What I mean is without cable, your wifi whether local or regional is dead.
Don't believe telecoms will have so much power. As long as the bandwidth licensing is by lottery, they can't foreclose on upstarts. Otherwise why have they not put Comcast out of biz?
But bandwidth lotteries are not even necessary with WIMAX technology. The beauty of WIMAX is that it allows small and large operators to use technology that packets and scrambles data in unregulated and unused bands like a HAM radio operator. WIMAX speed is phenomenal. So there can't be dialup obsolescence comparisons.