WiMAX Explained
WiMAX, is the commercial designation given to the IEEE 802.16 standard for a next generation wireless technology. A step up from Wifi, WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is able to cover greater distances, at faster speeds.
Delivering a high-speed wireless data connection, WiMAX networks can simultaneously provide wireless access for home and mobile broadband users. Some industry experts hold high hopes for WiMAX to replace traditional broadband services in the same way that mobiles have usurped landline phones.
However, WiMAX is not the only new kid on the block. 4G wireless broadband is around the corner and WiMAX faces stiff competition from Long Term Evolution (LTE) in the next couple of years.
Advantages of WiMAX
WiMAX Tower
Coverage
Unlike WiFi which can extend over an area of a few hundred square feet, a WiMAX tower can cover a radius of up to 50 km. Hence WiMAX could prove very useful in supplying broadband access to remote rural areas without an existing copper or fibre broadband infrastructure. WiMAX technology is also more suitable for creating city-wide wireless networks. A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) using one or two WiMAX base stations could replace the equivalent of hundreds of Wifi hotspots.
Lower Cost
First introduced in 2001, the IEEE WiMAX specification is well established. This standards based approach drives down costs for manufacturers, resulting in cheaper WiMAX products for consumers. WiMAX deployments are also cost effective. Fewer base stations are needed because of their wide coverage.
Fixed or Mobile WiMAX?
WiMAX can be used on the move or like a traditional fixed broadband connection. In 2005, a new revision named Mobile WiMAX™ ( 802.16e) was introduced which improved on the earlier 2004 standard. Confusingly, Mobile WiMAX™ offers both fixed and mobile modes of operation, and is now the preferred technology for new WiMAX deployments.
Fixed WiMAX (802.16 -2004) masts are usually mounted on a rooftop or pole and provide a stable, more robust connection. They’re useful for traversing long distances and providing backhaul to remote areas. Using a line of sight connection between a WiMAX dish and a corresponding receiver, speeds of up to 70Mbps are theoretically achievable. Other applications include CCTV transmission and secure data links in urban areas.
Mobile WiMAX™
Mobile WiMAX™
allows for non line of sight (NLoS) operation. A WiMAX base station acts like a huge Wifi hotspot. A typical Mobile WiMAX™ tower would provide up to 1-4Mbps broadband speeds to end users throughout a 3 mile radius. Like 3G and 3.5G HSDPA networks, Mobile WiMAX™ users can access mobile broadband services on the move, whether on foot, in a car or train.
Licensing and Spectrum Usage
One of the key differences between Wifi and WiMAX technologies is that most WiMAX hardware operates in the licensed spectrum. In practice this means that consumers connect to a WiMAX network via a network operator or ISP, ie you have to be a subscriber. In comparison, Wifi devices can used independently of a broadband connection. Fixed and Mobile WiMAX™ operates in the 2-11 Ghz spectrum range, although the UK is a long way from a nationwide WiMAX rollout.
What’s the Future For WiMAX?
According to the WiMAX Forum, in March 2009 there were 468 WiMAX deployments throughout 139 countries and the number of WiMAX certified products, including PDA’s laptops and other mobile devices is expected to reach 180 in 2009. With a growing user base and products already on the market, why then are so many people touting this new technological development as a ‘failure’ before it has been given time to take off?
One reason could be that WiMAX is more suited to countries with a lower population density and/or a less developed communications infrastructure. In the UK, our mobile phone network covers nearly 100% of the population. While it’s true that some rural areas are poorly resourced in terms of broadband provision, the need for a nationwide WiMAX rollout is debatable.
On the flipside, however, if WiMAX is a success, it could not only take precedence over broadband and WiFi but also potentially the phone companies too, promising to provide different ways of transmitting data including VoIP. VoIP software Skype has proven to be incredibly popular thus far, even securing its own iPhone application – and is set to boom even more if WiMAX lives up to expectations, pushing traditional telecommunication methods further into the background.
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