WiMax

Abstract The IEEE 802.16 standard (now called WiMax) has been proposed to provide last- mile connectivity to fixed locations by radio links. Despite this original objective, we study in this paper the functional parts of a WiMax system and its basic operation and how WiMax can use base stations to provide high speed data connections that can be used for voice, data and video services to distances of over 30 km. We find that seamless connection handoff can be achieved within the 802.16 standard by applying some of the existing functionalities defined for the terminal initialization process. WiMax protocols are designed to allow for point to point (PTP), point to multipoint (PMP) and mesh networks. In WiMax expensive equipment are used as various versions of smart antennas, OFDM and sometimes mesh to provide often effective alternatives to wired communications. I. INTRODUCTION WiMax is short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, and it also goes by the IEEE name 802.16.WiMax has the potential to do to broadband Internet access what cell phones have done to phone access. In the same way that many people have given up their "land lines" in favor of cell phones, WiMax could replace cable and DSL services, providing universal Internet access just about anywhere you go. WiMax will also be as painless as Wi-Fi -- turning your computer on will automatically connect you to the closest available WiMax antenna. WiMax 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. 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" A. Goals of WiMax The goal of WiMax is to provide high-speed Internet access in a coverage range several kilometers in radius. In theory, WiMax provides for speeds around 70 Mbps with a range of 50 kilometers. The WiMax standard has the advantage of allowing wireless connections between a base transceiver station (BTS) and thousands of subscribers without requiring that they be in a direct line of sight (LOS) with that station. This technology is called NLOS for non-line-of-sight. B. Operating principle of WiMax At the heart of WiMax technology is the base transceiver station, a central antenna which communicates with subscribers' antennas. The term point-multipoint link is used for WiMax's method of communication. The revisions of the IEEE 802.16 standard fall into two categories: Fixed WiMax, also called IEEE 802.16-2004, provides for a fixed-line connection with an antenna mounted on a rooftop, like a TV antenna. Fixed WiMax operates in the 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz frequency bands, which require a license, as well as the license-free 5.8 GHz band. Mobile WiMax, also called IEEE 802.16e, allows mobile client machines to be connected to the Internet. Mobile WiMax opens the doors to mobile phone use over IP, and even high-speed mobile services. II. HOW WiMax WORKS In practical terms, WiMax would operate similar to WiFi but at higher speeds, over greater distances and for a greater number of users. WiMax could potentially erase the suburban and rural blackout areas that currently have no broadband Internet access because phone and cable companies have not yet run the necessary wires to those remote locations.

Fig 1 WiMax transmitting tower

A WiMax system consists of two parts: A WiMax tower, similar in concept to a cell-phone tower - A single WiMax tower can provide coverage to a very large area -- as big as 3,000 square miles (~8,000 square km). A WiMax receiver - The receiver and antenna could be a small box or PCMCIA card, or they could be built into a laptop the way WiFi access is today.

A WiMax tower station can connect directly to the Internet using a high-bandwidth, wired connection (for example, a T3 line). It can also connect to another WiMax tower using a line-of-sight, microwave link. This connection to a second tower (often referred to as a backhaul), along with the ability of a single tower to cover up to 3,000 square miles, is what allows WiMax to provide coverage to remote rural areas.

networks, with users across the country and still have access to the network the whole time. This network would have enough bandwidth to offer Internet access comparable to cable modem service, but it would be accessible to mobile, always-connected devices like laptops or next-generation cell phones. III. PROTOCOLS FOR CONNECTION HANDOFF As the quality of an established radio link between a Subscriber Station (SS) (or terminal) and its BS deteriorates due to mobility, the objective of handing off the connection to a neighboring BS is to maintain the Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity between the SS and the corresponding host. A major goal is to minimize packet loss and delay induced by the handoff process. As the 802.16-2004 standard defines only the PHY and MAC layers, without loss of generality, suppose that the network under study employs the Hierarchical Mobile IP (HMIP) algorithm for micromobility management.

Fig 2

What this points out is that WiMax actually can provide two forms of wireless service: There is the non-line-of-sight, WiFi sort of service, where a small antenna on your computer connects to the tower. In this mode, WiMax uses a lower frequency range -- 2 GHz to 11 GHz (similar to WiFi). Lowerwavelength transmissions are not as easily disrupted by physical obstructions -- they are better able to diffract, or bend, around obstacles. There is line-of-sight service, where a fixed dish antenna points straight at the WiMax tower from a rooftop or pole. The line-of-sight connection is stronger and more stable, so it's able to send a lot of data with fewer errors. Line-of-sight transmissions use higher frequencies, with ranges reaching a possible 66 GHz. At higher frequencies, there is less interference and lots more bandwidth.

Fig.3 Hierarchical mobile Internet Protocol for 802.16-2004 network.

WiFi-style access will be limited to a 4-to-6 mile radius (perhaps 25 square miles or 65 square km of coverage, which is similar in range to a cell-phone zone). Through the stronger line-of-sight antennas, the WiMax transmitting station would send data to WiMax-enabled computers or routers set up within the transmitter's 30-mile radius (2,800 square miles or 9,300 square km of coverage). This is what allows WiMax to achieve its maximum range. The final step in the area network scale is the global area network (GAN). The proposal for GAN is IEEE 802.20. A true GAN would work a lot like today's cell phone

IV. WIMAX STANDARDS EVOLUTION 802.16 broadband wireless systems have evolved with different standard over time. This diagram shows that the original 802.16 specification defined fixed broadband wireless service that operates in the 10-66 GHz frequency band. To provide wireless broadband service in lower frequency range, the 802.16A specification was created that operates in the 2-11 GHz frequency band. To provide both fixed and mobile service, the 802.16E

specification

was

developed.

WiMax system that is using multicarrier OFDMA and how some of the subcarriers have been assigned to a specific user.

Fig.4 WiMax standards evolution

.
Fig.6 WiMax Radio Channel Types

A. WiMax Standard Differences:This figure shows a comparison between the original Fixed WiMax standard and the WiMax standard that can be used for fixed, mobile and portable. This table shows that the original 802.16 standard was released in 2004 and it was only capable of providing fixed wireless data services. It used OFDM modulation and could be deployed in both TDD or FDD formats. The 802.16e standard was released in 2005 (now merged into the original 802.16 standard) was designed for fixed, mobile and portable operation. It used OFDMA modulation with TDD and optionally FDD duplexing capability.

V. RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES A. WiFi WiFi was created in Norway in 1991, and was originally designed for commercial cash register systems. Today, it provides wireless broadband access to any user with wireless connectivity technology, or wireless adapter cards, within a small range. Typically, a WiFi signal has a maximum range of 150 feet indoors and 300 feet outdoors . WiMax serves several functions in wireless connectivity, but it was largely created to provide last-mile broadband connection to homes and businesses. Instead of using fixed lines like cable or telephone line to bring Internet access into a building, WiMax uses transmitters, like cell-phone towers, to carry its signal. WiMax technology does not require line-of-sight to the user, so several subscribers can connect to a tower, even if it is blocked by trees or other buildings. This makes WiMax particularly useful and cost-effective for rural homes and other locations set in a geography that would make laying a traditional hardwire difficult and expensive. . WiMax has a much greater range than WiFi, although interpretations of this range vary. While engineers have stated that WiMax could have a range of up to 30 miles, field tests have resulted in a range radius of between four and eight miles. Still, this represents a range far greater than the few hundred foot radius of WiFi. WiMax also has some benefits over WiFi in terms of connection quality. When multiple users are connected to a WiFi access

Fig.5 WiMax standards difference

B. WiMax Radio Channel Types:This figure shows that WiMax radio channels can be single carrier or multiple carriers. This diagram shows that the bandwidth of WiMax radio channels can vary from 1.25 MHz to 28 MHz in steps of 1.75 MHz. This example also shows that a

point, they are effectively in constant battle for connection, and users can experience varying levels of broadband width. WiMax technology, however, secures each user with a constant allotment of broadband access. B. Cellular Technologies:WiMax is a serious threat to 3G because of its broadband capabilities, distance capabilities and ability to support voice effectively with full QoS. This makes it an alternative to cellular in a way that Wi-Fi can never be, so that while operators are integrating Wi-Fi into their offerings with some alacrity, looking to control both the licensed spectrum and the unlicensed hotspots, they will have more problems accommodating WiMax. But as with Wi-Fi, it will be better for them to cannibalize their own networks than let independents do it for them, especially as economics and performance demands force them to incorporate IP into their systems. Handset makers such as Nokia will be banking on this as they develop smart phones that support WiMax as well as 3G. VI. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF 802.16A 802.16 operates at up to 124Mbps in the 28MHz channel (in 1066GHz), 802.16a at 70Mbps in lower frequency, 2-11GHz spectrum. Fundamental technologies in 802.16a A. OFDM: Support for OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing), which can continue to be implemented in various ways by different operators (the precise variant of OFDM can often be their key differentiator).WiMax: The Critical Wireless Standard BluePrint Wi-Fi (ARCchart) 9 OFDM is well established and is incorporated in some new generation carrier services as well as being fundamental to digital TV. It transmits multiple signals simultaneously across one cable or wireless transmission path, within separate frequencies, with the orthogonal element spacing these frequencies to avoid interference. It is also supported in the 802.11a WLAN standard.802.16a has three PHY options: an OFDM with 256 sub-carriers the only option supported in Europe by the ETSI, whose rival HiperMAN standard is likely to be subsumed into WiMax; OFDMA, with 2048 sub-carriers; and a single carrier option for vendors that think they can beat multipath problems in this mode. B. Support for Smart Antenna: Smart antenna mechanisms are one of the most important methods of improving spectral efficiency in non-cellular wireless networks. 802.16 standards allow vendors to support a variety of these mechanisms, which can be a key performance differentiator.

Mesh Mode is an optional topology for subscriber-to-subscriber communication in non-line of sight 802.16a. It is included in the standard to allow overlapping, ad hoc networks in the unlicensed spectrum and extend the edges of the WMANs range at low cost. Mesh support has recently been extended into the licensed bands too.

Fig 7 Mesh networking Although it has highly complex topology and messaging, mesh is a good alternative to the usual NLOS, as it scales well and addresses license exempt interference. It allows a community to be densely seeded with WiMax connections at low cost, with robust communications as there are multiple paths for traffic to take.

D. Spectral efficiency: This is critical to support difficult user environments with hundreds of users per channel at high bandwidth and a mixture of continuous and burst traffic. E. Protocol independent core: WiMax can transport IPv4, IPv6, Ethernet or ATM and others, supporting multiple services simultaneously and with quality of service. F. Quality of Service The b extension to 802.16 is concerned with quality of service (QoS), which enables NLOS operation without severe distortion of the signal from buildings, weather and vehicles. It also supports intelligent prioritization of different forms of traffic according to its urgency. Mechanisms in the Wireless MAN MAC provide for differentiated QoS to support the different needs of different applications. For instance, voice and video require low latency but tolerate some error rate, while most data applications must be error-free, but can cope with latency. The standard accommodates these different transmissions by using appropriate features in the MAC layer, which is more efficient than doing so in layers of control overlaid on the MAC.

C. Mesh

G. Adaptive Modulation

Many systems in the past decade have involved fixed modulation, offering a trade-off between higher order modulation for high data rates, but requiring optimal links, or more robust lower orders that will only operate at low data rates. 802.16a supports adaptive modulation, balancing different data rates and link quality and adjusting the modulation method almost instantaneously for optimum data transfer and to make most efficient use of bandwidth. H. FDD and TDD: The standard also supports both frequency and time division duplexing (FDD and TDD) to enable interoperability with cellular and other wireless systems. FDD, the legacy duplexing method, has been widely deployed in cellular telephony. It requires two channel pairs, one for transmission and one for reception, with some frequency separation between them to mitigate self-interference. In regulatory environments where structured channel pairs do not exist, TDD uses a single channel for both upstream and downstream transmissions, dynamically allocating bandwidth depending on traffic requirements. I. Security 802.16 also includes measures for privacy and encryption: authentication with x.509 certificates and data encryption using DES in CBC (cipher block chaining) mode with hooks defined for stronger algorithms like AES. VII. ADVANTAGES OF WIMAX Broadband wireless access provides more capacity at lower cost than DSL or cable for extending the fiber networks and supporting multimedia and fast internet applications in the enterprise or home. But it has been held back by the lack of a standard, so that solutions have been based on proprietary, singlevendor efforts. Standardization through the IEEE 802.16 specification raises the potential to: Stall wired broadband and make wireless the key platform of the future Extend the range of Wi-Fi so that the myth of ubiquitous wireless can become a reality. Provide an alternative or complement to 3G Provide an economically viable communications infrastructure for developing countries and mobile black spot regions in developed nations.

VIII. APPLICATIONS This figure shows some of the applications that WiMax systems can be used for. This diagram shows that WiMax can provide wireless broadband Internet access, telephone access services, television service access and mobile telephone services.

Fig. 8 In addition to higher-speed Internet access, mobile WiMax can be used to provide voice-over-IP services in the future. The lowlatency design of mobile WiMax makes it possible to deliver

VoIP services effectively. VoIP technologies may also be leveraged to provide innovative new services, such as voice chatting, push-to-talk, and multimedia chatting. New and existing operators may also attempt to use WiMax to offer differentiated personal broadband services, such as mobile entertainment. The flexible channel bandwidths and multiple levels of quality-ofservice (QoS) support may allow WiMax to be used by service providers for differentiated high-bandwidth and low-latency entertainment applications. For example, WiMax could be embedded into a portable gaming device for use in a fixed and mobile environment for interactive gaming. Other examples would be streaming audio services delivered to MP3 players and video services delivered to portable media players. As traditional telephone companies move into the entertainment area with IPTV (Internet Protocol television), portable WiMax could be used as a solution to extend applications and content beyond the home. IX. DEPLOYMENTS 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. 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.[37] As of October 2010, the WiMax Forum claims there are over 592 WiMax (fixed and mobile) networks deployed in over 148 countries.[38] Yota is the largest WiMax network operator in the world[39] but has announced that it will move new network deployments to LTE and, subsequently, change its existing networks as well.[40] A. Deplyoment in India: In the current scenario with respect to the country India. WiMax subscriber base is expected to reach 19 million by 2012 and WiMax equipment market value to top US$600 million eventually following the auction of 2.3GHz and 2.5GHz licenses in the first quarter of 2010. This report seeks to provide a comprehensive picture of WiMax development in India, focusing on the three aspects of policy, industry, and market. X. CONCLUSION WiMax and the IEEE 802.16 standard will revolutionize the broadband wireless access industry and open many opportunities to deploy systems in applications that was previously cost prohibitive. WiMax provides a viable competitive alternative to many applications currently serviced with copper, coax, and fibre connections. WiMax is intended complement other wireless standards such as WLAN and cellular based data networks.

Together these provide many options to meet customer needs and grow the overall opportunity for wireless systems. WiFi, on the other hand, has already saturated a significant percentage of the wireless market, and it has proved both easy to use and cheap. While businesses with large physical space might want to move to WiMax to avoid buying the many repeater access points required with WiFi, it will be several years before WiMax becomes cheap enough to enter the residential and small commercial market.
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