What is WIMAX ?

WiMAX is an IP based, wireless broadband access technology that provides performance similar to 802.11/Wi-Fi networks with the coverage and QOS (quality of service) of cellular networks. WiMAX is also an acronym meaning "Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).

What is WIMAX ?

WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a telecommunications protocol that provides fixed and mobile Internet access. The current WiMAX revision provides up to 40 Mbit/s with the IEEE 802.16m update expected to offer up to 1 Gbit/s fixed speeds.

What is WIMAX ?

The name "WiMAX" was created by the WiMAX Forum, which was formed in June 2001 to promote conformity and interoperability of the standard. The forum describes WiMAX as "a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL".

What is last mile operation ?

The "last mile" or "last kilometer" is the final leg of delivering connectivity from a communications provider to a customer. The phrase is therefore often used by the telecommunications and cable television industries. The actual distance of this leg may be considerably more than a mile, especially in rural areas.

What is last mile operation ?

It is typically seen as an expensive challenge because "fanning out" wires and cables is a considerable physical undertaking. Because the last mile of a network to the user is also the first mile from the user to the world, the term "first mile" is sometimes used.

Last mile

To solve the problem of providing enhanced services over the last mile, some firms have been mixing networks for decades. One example is Fixed Wireless Access, where a wireless network is used instead of wires to connect a stationary terminal to the wireline network.

What is Wimax ?

WiMAX is a wireless digital communications system, also known as IEEE 802.16, that is intended for wireless "metropolitan area networks". WiMAX can provide broadband wireless access (BWA) up to 30 miles (50 km) for fixed stations, and 3 - 10 miles (5 - 15 km) for mobile stations. In contrast, the WiFi/802.11 wireless local area network standard is limited in most cases to only 100 - 300 feet (30 - 100m).

Integration with an IP-based network

Integration with an IP-based network

The WiMAX Forum has proposed an architecture that defines how a WiMAX network can be connected with an IP based core network, which is typically chosen by operators that serve as Internet Service Providers (ISP); Nevertheless the WiMAX BS provide seamless integration capabilities with other types of architectures as with packet switched Mobile Networks.

Integration with an IP-based network

The WiMAX forum proposal defines a number of components, plus some of the interconnections (or reference points) between these, labeled R1 to R5 and R8:

SS/MS: the Subscriber Station/Mobile Station ASN: the Access Service Network[19] BS: Base station, part of the ASN ASN-GW: the ASN Gateway, part of the ASN CSN: the Connectivity Service Network HA: Home Agent, part of the CSN AAA: Authentication, Authorization and Accounting Server, part of

the CSN NAP: a Network Access Provider NSP: a Network Service Provider

Integration with an IP-based network

It is important to note that the functional architecture can be designed into various hardware configurations rather than fixed configurations. For example, the architecture is flexible enough to allow remote/mobile stations of varying scale and functionality and Base Stations of varying size - e.g. femto, pico, and mini BS as well as macros.

WiMAX installation

There are numerous devices on the market that provide connectivity to a WiMAX network. These are known as the "subscriber unit" (SU).

There is an increasing focus on portable units. This includes handsets (similar to cellular smartphones); PC peripherals (PC Cards or USB dongles); and embedded devices in laptops, which are now available for Wi-Fi services.

WiMAX installation

In addition, there is much emphasis by operators on consumer electronics devices such as Gaming consoles, MP3 players and similar devices. It is notable that WiMAX is more similar to Wi-Fi than to 3G cellular technologies.

WiMAX installation

The WiMAX Forum website provides a list of certified devices. However, this is not a complete list of devices available as certified modules are embedded into laptops, MIDs (Mobile Internet devices), and other private labeled devices.

WiMAX installation: Gateways

WiMAX gateway devices are available as both indoor and outdoor versions from several manufacturers. Many of the WiMAX gateways that are offered by manufactures such as Airspan, ZyXEL, Huawei, Motorola, and Greenpacket are stand-alone self-install indoor units. Such devices typically sit near the customer's window with the best WiMAX signal, and provide:

WiMAX installation: Gateways

An integrated Wi-Fi access point to provide the WiMAX Internet connectivity to multiple devices throughout the home or business.

Ethernet ports should you wish to connect directly to your computer or DVR instead.

One or two PSTN telephone jacks to connect your land-line phone and take advantage of VoIP.

WiMAX installation: Gateways

Indoor gateways are convenient, but radio losses mean that the subscriber may need to be significantly closer to the WiMAX base station than with professionally-installed external units.

Outdoor units are roughly the size of a laptop PC, and their installation is comparable to the installation of a residential satellite dish. A higher-gain directional outdoor unit will generally result in greatly increased range and throughput but with the obvious loss of practical mobility of the unit.

WiMAX installation: Dongles

There are a variety of USB dongles on the market which provide connectivity to a WiMAX network. Generally these devices are connected to a notebook or netbook whilst on the go. Dongles typically have omnidirectional antennae which are of lower-gain compared to other devices, as such these devices are best used in areas of good coverage.

WiMAX installation: Mobile phones

HTC announced the first WiMAX enabled mobile phone, the Max 4G, on Nov 12th 2008.[12] The device was only available to certain markets in Russia on the Yota network.

WiMAX installation: Mobile phones

HTC and Sprint Nextel released the second WiMAX enabled mobile phone, the EVO 4G, March 23, 2010 at the CTIA conference in Las Vegas. The device, made available on June 4, 2010,[13] is capable of both EV-DO(3G) and WiMAX(4G) as well as simultaneous data & voice sessions. The device also has a front-facing camera enabling the use of video conversations.[14] A number of WiMAX Mobiles are expected to hit the US market in 2011.

WiMAX installation: MAC (data link) layer

The WiMAX MAC uses a scheduling algorithm for which the subscriber station needs to compete only once for initial entry into the network. After network entry is allowed, the subscriber station is allocated an access slot by the base station. The time slot can enlarge and contract, but remains assigned to the subscriber station, which means that other subscribers cannot use it.

WiMAX installation: MAC (data link) layer

In addition to being stable under overload and over-subscription, the scheduling algorithm can also be more bandwidth efficient. The scheduling algorithm also allows the base station to control Quality of service (QoS) parameters by balancing the time-slot assignments among the application needs of the subscriber station.

WiMAX Performance

As a standard intended to satisfy needs of next-generation data networks (4G), WiMAX is distinguished by its dynamic burst algorithm modulation adaptive to the physical environment the RF signal travels through. Modulation is chosen to be more spectrally efficient (more bits per OFDM/SOFDMA symbol).

WiMAX Performance

That is, when the bursts have a high signal strength and a high carrier to noise plus interference ratio (CINR), they can be more easily decoded using digital signal processing (DSP).

WiMAX Performance

In contrast, operating in less favorable environments for RF communication, the system automatically steps down to a more robust mode (burst profile) which means fewer bits per OFDM/SOFDMA symbol; with the advantage that power per bit is higher and therefore simpler accurate signal processing can be performed.

WiMAX vs. LTE

The more recent Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard is a similar term describing a parallel technology to WiMAX that is being developed by vendors and carriers as a counterpoint to WiMAX.

An example of Wireless competition

Korea launched Wimax at 2nd quarter of 2006 and then launched HSPA one quarter after launched Wimax. At the end of 2008 there were 8.4 million HSPA subscribers and 350,000 Wimax subscribers in Korea. Almost all of HSPA subscribers come from 2G and 3G users who have been tempted to upgrade to new devices by high subsidies, whereas Wimax subscribers almost all are newcomers.

An example of wireless competition

Deployment of Wimax is still limited (spotted), whereas there are well over 100 countries where HSPA networks are deployed, and even where there is no HSPA coverage there is backward compatibility (using HSPA devices) to pre-existing networks (GSM and WCDMA) with a roaming infrastructure already in place

WiMAX statistics

As of October 2010, the WiMAX Forum claims there are over 592 WiMAX (fixed and mobile) networks deployed in over 148 countries.

Yota is the largest WiMAX network operator in the world, but has announced that it will move new network deployments to LTE and, subsequently, change its existing networks as well.

What is HSPA ?

High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) is an amalgamation of two mobile telephony protocols, High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), that extends and improves the performance of existing WCDMA protocols. A further standard, Evolved HSPA (also known as HSPA+), was released late in 2008 with subsequent adoption worldwide beginning in 2010.

WiMAX competitors

Within the marketplace, WiMAX's main competition comes from existing, widely deployed wireless systems such as UMTS, CDMA2000, existing Wi-Fi and mesh networking.

WiMAX competitors

Speed vs. Mobility of wireless systems: Wi-Fi, HSPA, UMTS, GSM

The future of wireless networks

In the future, competition will be from the evolution of the major cellular standards to so-called 4G, high-bandwidth, low-latency, all-IP networks with voice services built on top. The worldwide move to 4G for GSM/UMTS and AMPS/TIA (including CDMA2000) is the 3GPP Long Term Evolution effort.