TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. ABSTRACT 2. INTRODUCTION 3. ABOUT WIMAX 4. THE 802.16 STANDARD 5. HOW WIMAX WORKS? 6.

CHARACTERISTICS AND FEATURES 7. WIMAX USAGE SCENARIO IN INDIA 8. WIMAX: A COMMERCIAL VIEWPOINT 9. WIMAX AS OF NOW 10. THE WIMAX DIFFERENCE 11. CONCLUSIONS 12. REFERENCES 13. APPENDIX I - WIMAX PLAYERS 14. APPENDIX II - MEMBERS OF THE WIMAX FORUM 15. APPENDIX III- ACRONYM GLOSSARY 30 32 34 35 36 37 1 2 3 8 10 15 21 24 29

ABSTRACT Abstract. The term WIMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) has become synonymous with the IEEE 802.16 Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) air interface standard. Filling the gap between Wireless LANs and wide area networks, WIMAX-compliant systems will provide a cost-effective fixed wireless alternative to conventional wire-line DSL and cable in areas where those technologies are readily available. The WIMAX technology can provide a cost-effective broadband access solution in areas beyond the reach of DSL and cable. The ongoing evolution of IEEE 802.16 will expand the standard to address mobile applications thus enabling broadband access directly to WIMAX-enabled portable devices ranging from smart phones and PDAs to notebook and laptop computers. Thus WIMAX is going to be a revolution in the world of communications. First of all, it will suppose an explosion of the wireless data networks, being not a substitute but a complement to Wi-Fi, and if technology advances enough to get a good intercity wireless link, these networks could be comparable to the internet. It will mean also revolution in the world of mobile communications, being a serious competitor with UMTS. WIMAX Forum Certified products will extend the range of Wi-Fi networks from the local area to the metropolitan area and beyond. These products will be based upon the 802.16 standard and will support distances of up to 50 kilometers far longer distances than supported by Wi-Fi products. Word Count. 228 Keywords. IEEE 802.16, MAN, NLOS, PDA, UMTS, Wi-Fi.

INTRODUCTION A new metropolitan-area wireless standard will change the economics of Internet accessagain. Its hard to buy a laptop computer today that doesnt come with a Wi-Fi chip: a built-in radio that lets users surf the Web wirelessly from the boardroom, the bedroom, or the coffee bar. People love Wi-Fi because a single base station - a box with a wired connection to the Internet, such as a DSL, cable, or T1 line can broadcast to multiple users across distances as great as 100 meters indoors and 400 meters out-doors. But theres a new technology on the way that will make Wi-Fi look feeble. ITS CALLED WiMAX. AND WiMAX provides wireless broadband Internet connections at speeds similar to Wi-Fi - but over distances of up to 50 kilometers from a central tower. Metropolitan area wireless networking at broadband speeds isnt new, but the specialized equipment that receives the broadband signals has typically been too expensive for everyone but large businesses. Now that U.S. computing and communications firms are gradually reaching consensus on the details of the WiMAX standard, however, those prices could come down significantly. Industry agreement on details such as how to encrypt WiMAX signals, which frequencies to use, and how to provide multiple users with access to those frequencies will finally allow companies like Intel to manufacture mass quantities of WiMAX-enabled chips for use in broadband wireless equipment. And thats expected to eventually bring WiMAX receivers into the $50 to $100 price range of todays DSL and cable modems, meaning that millions of users could eventually drop their current Internet Service Providers - often local phone or cable companies - and simply access the Internet over rooftop antennas at the other end of town.

ABOUT WIMAX WHAT IS WIMAX? WiMAX is a wireless metropolitan-area network technology that provides interoperable broadband wireless connectivity to fixed, portable and nomadic users. It provides up to 50- kilometers of service area, allows users to get broadband connectivity without the need of direct line-of-sight to the base station, and provides total data rates up to 75 Mbps enough bandwidth to simultaneously support hundreds of businesses and homes with a single base station. This white paper discusses wireless metro-access technologies: Wi-Fi with high gain antennas, Wi-Fi meshed networks and WiMAX. It explores how the technologies differ and how they can be combined to provide a total last-mile access solution now and in the future. WiMAX is the moniker used for the IEEE 802.16 wireless interface specifications promoted by the industry trade organization Forum for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. Members of the WiMAX Forum include leading operators, equipment and component makers. The WiMAX Forum ratified the new standard for wireless broadband access at the beginning of 2003. WiMAX continues to be one of the most talked about technologies. WiMAX is a standard-based technology which will serve as a wireless extension or alternative to cable and DSL for broadband access. Particularly for end users in rural, sparsely populated areas or in areas where laying cable is difficult or uneconomical, WiMAX will provide a new broadband access path to the internet. But companies and communities along with owners notebooks will benefit from WiMAX as well if they require mobile networks that cover a larger area than Wi-Fi. As an industry standard, 802.16 enables equipment suppliers to build solutions that can interoperate with each other, leading to lower cost and investment risk. WiMAX is going to bring scale to the market and, ideally, create a larger market along the way. Since wireless technologies are easier to install than wire-based infrastructures, providers can use WiMAX to provide broadband access in previously under-supplied areas quickly and costeffectively. WiMAX is not a new technology, but rather a more innovative and commercially viable adaptation of a proven technology that is delivering broadband

services around the globe today. In fact, wireless broadband access systems from WiMAX Forum members are already deployed in more than 125 countries around the world. These leading equipment providers are on a migration path to WiMAX. THE WiMAX FORUM The WiMAX Forum is an industry body formed in 2003 by WSPs and equipment manufacturers to promote the IEEE 802.16 standard and perform interoperability testing. The WiMAX Forum has adopted certain profiles based on the 802.16 standards for interoperability testing and WiMAX certification. These operate in the 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz and 5.8GHz frequency bands, which typically are licensed by various government authorities. The WiMAX Forum now includes almost 140 member companies. WiMAX Forum Vision is to create a global mass market for deployment of broadband wireless networks that will enable fixed, portable and mobile users to maintain highspeed connectivity wherever they go. To lead the access anywhere revolution supporting delivery of data, voice and video applications at home, in the office and on the go is its motto. WHY WiMAX? WISPs have been striving for wireless technologies that make wireless metro access possible. Access to areas that are too remote, too difficult or too expensive to reach with traditional wired infrastructures (such as fiber) require new technologies and a different approach. The three key deployment types that make up wireless metro access are backhaul, lastmile and large-area coverage (referred to as hot zones). Wireless last-mile coverage typically uses the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard with high-gain antennas, while hot zones use modified IEEE 802.11 equipment in a mesh deployment.

Open standard radio technologiesincluding 802.11, 802.16 and future standards offer advantages to WISPs and users. For the first time, industry-wide support and innovation are driving broadband wireless networking technologies. Network operators, service providers and users benefit from a wide array of high-performance, feature-rich and cost effective products. Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) revolutionized the market for unlicensed client-access radios in a wide variety of applications. Starting in 2005, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) certification of the IEEE 802.16-2004 standard for fixed-position radios will do the same for point-to-point (P2P) and point-to-multi-point (P2MP) wireless broadband equipment in both the licensed and unlicensed bands. In 2006, the IEEE 802.16e standard for portable operation is expected to be ratified, thus standardizing client radios in unlicensed and licensed bands. This certification will provide users with an alternative and allow service providers the benefit of additional tier services. The cost and limited flexibility of wired backhaul limits wireless access growth. In the face of the technical challenges, WISPs have begun to look ahead at WiMAX-certified solutions, which will be available in early 2005. To date, WISPs have capitalized on the cost and complexity associated with traditional high-speed wired broadband infrastructures by applying ingenuity to solve last-mile problems. WISPs modified existing wireless technologies, typically based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, to patch last-mile gaps. Limitations in these deployments surfaced, however. Because wired backhaul solutions can be too expensive for establishing widespread wireless access and because a standard means for deploying IEEE 802.11 into the last mile or within a hot zone has not emerged, each WISP implements longdistance IEEE 802.11 solutions differently. CHALLENGES Typical modified IEEE 802.11 network topologies associated with last-mile and hotzone coverage use either directional antennas or a mesh-network topology. Wi-Fi provides the certification for IEEE 802.11 client-to-access point (AP) communications. However, implementations of AP-to-AP and AP-to-service providers (that is, backhaul

applications) that are typically needed for wireless last-mile and hot-zone coverage are still proprietary, thus providing little or no interoperability. Because the IEEE 802.11 standards were designed for unwiring the local area network (LAN), metro-access applications are facing the following challenges: Non-standard wireless inter-AP communication. Today, wireless links used to connect 802.11 APs for inter-AP communication in mesh networking are vendor-specific. The proposed IEEE 802.11s standard, estimated to be ratified in 2007, will standardize Wi-Fi mesh networking. Providing quality of service (QoS). QoS refers to the ability of the network to provide better service to selected network traffic over various technologies. The goal of QoS technologies is to provide priority (including dedicated bandwidth to control jitter and latency) that is required by some real-time and interactive traffic, while making sure that in so doing the traffic on the other paths does not fail. In general, unlicensed bands can be subject to QoS issues because deployment is open to anyone. Expensive backhaul costs. Backhaul refers both to the connection from the AP back to the provider and to the connection from the provider to the core network. To extend wireless access nodes, providers still rely on wires for long distance coverage. Most providers find wiring large areas too expensive. Limited services. Without QoS, applications such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) may reduce a calls quality, thus limiting the providers ability to tier services and obtain additional revenue streams. Current Wi-Fi last-mile and large-coverage solutions offer excellent data transfers. Some vendors offer proprietary QoS. Despite the challenges, wireless metro-access solutions are continuously sought after for the following reasons:

Wireless metro-access solutions available today, such as mesh networking implementations, are more cost-effective and flexible than their wired counterparts.

These solutions provide a standards-based connection from AP-to-mobile users for hot-zone coverage. WISPs can offer broadband services to geographically challenged areas (such as rural towns). Local governments can provide free access for businesses or emergency services (such as police and fire fighters). Educational institutions can broaden learning through online collaboration between students and faculty on and off campus. Enterprises and large private networks can communicate and monitor supplychain activities in near real time.

THE 802.16 STANDARD THE STANDARD IN DETAIL: 802.16, A, C, D AND E In early December 2001, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) approved the 802.16 standard, which defines radio systems with point-to-multipoint architectures in frequency bands between 10 and 66 GHz, which require a line-of-sight between sender and receiver for transmitting data. Figure 1: Evolution of standards

As the complexity of applications increases, quality of service becomes a critical factor. For example, video streams can be transmitted only when low latency is ensured. The 802.16 standard therefore includes a so-called request/grant scheme that can used to prioritize particular data streams. The transmission priorities are divided into five stages from continuous grant to best effort. In addition, the physical layer in 802.16d will be defined in such a way that it is usable by a multitude of frequency bands. 802.16c provides detailed system profiles for the specification 802.16-2001 for the frequency range between 10 GHz and 66 GHz. To make the 802.16 specification more readable the specifications 802.16- 2001, 802.16a-2003 and 802.16c-2003 have been combined in a 802.16REVd revision now called 802.16-2004. The 802.16-2004 standard will be for fixed wireless services such as delivering broadband to the home, while a new amendment 802.16e will allow

portable WiMAX devices to send and receive data over broadband wireless networks while moving from base station to base station. Most likely 802.16e-capable devices will be mainly used by nomadic users, meaning that like nomads they change locations, but always stay for a while. Without the 802.16e amendment data can only be received in a single cell. As soon as the user leaves the cell, the connection is lost. Therefore, the standards committee has decided to include hand-over functions in 802.16e capable to serve moving notebook or PDA users with a speed of up to 120 km/h. Depending of frequency range and technical implementation details a WiMAX radio cell according to 802.16e may have a diameter of six to seven kilometers This expansion is currently still under development and will most likely be ratified in mid 2005.

HOW WiMAX WORKS? It will not be out of place to have a quick glance at the working of the WiMAX. The WiMAX actually can provide two forms of wireless service: There is the non-line-of-sight, Wi-Fi sort of service, where a small antenna on a computer connects to the tower. In this mode, WiMAX uses a lower frequency range - 2 GHz to 11 GHz (similar to Wi-Fi). Lower-wavelength transmissions are not as easily disrupted by physical obstructions - they are better able to diffract, or bend, around obstacles. Figure 2 : NLOS CPE communication in WiMAX

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. Wi-Fi 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 (3,600 square miles or 9,300 square km of coverage). This is what allows WiMAX to achieve its maximum range.

WiMAX equipment is currently deployed in Scott County. Ft. Wayne, South Bend, and Sullivan County have all established pockets of wide-area data network coverage using equipment which s a forerunner to the WiMAX standard.

Figure 3: How WiMAX works

MESH Mesh Mode is an optional topology for subscriber-to-subscriber communication in nonline 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.

Figure 4 :Mesh networking in WiMAX

Source: Proxicast 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. WIMAX AS A METRO-ACCESS DEPLOYMENT OPTION WiMAX is a worldwide certification addressing interoperability across IEEE 802.16 standards-based products. The IEEE 802.16 standard with specific revisions addresses two usage models: Fixed The IEEE 802.16-2004 standard (which revises and replaces IEEE 802.16a and 802.16REVd versions) is designed for fixed-access usage models. This standard may be referred to as fixed wireless because it uses a mounted antenna at the subscribers site. The antenna is mounted to a roof or mast, similar to a satellite television dish. IEEE 802.16-2004 also addresses indoor installations, in which case it may not be as robust as in outdoor installations. Fixed Portable

The 802.16-2004 standard is a wireless solution for fixed broadband Internet access that provides an interoperable, carrier-class solution for the last mile. The Intel WiMAX solution for fixed access operates in the licensed 2.5-GHz, 3.5-GHz and license-exempt 5.8-GHz bands. This technology provides a wireless alternative to the cable modem, digital subscriber lines of any type (xDSL), transmit/exchange (Tx/Ex) circuits and optical carrier level (OC-x) circuits. Figure 5: WiMAX network topology.

Portable The IEEE 802.16e standard is an amendment to the 802.1fication and targets the mobile market by adding portability and the ability for mobile clients with IEEE 802.16e adapters to connect directly to the WiMAX network to the standard. The 802.16e standard is expected to be ratified in early 2005. The 802.16e standard uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), which is similar to OFDM (see page XXX) in that it divides the carriers into multiple subcarriers. OFDMA (see page XXX), however, goes a step further by then grouping multiple subcarriers into sub-channels. A single client or subscriber station might transmit using all of the sub-channels within the carrier space, or multiple clients might transmit with each using a portion of the total number of sub-channels simultaneously. The IEEE 802.16-2004 standard improves last-mile delivery in several key aspects: Multi-path interference Delay spread

Robustness

Figure 6 : WiMAX Mobility Vision

Multi-path interference and delay spread improve performance in situations where there is not a direct line-of-sight path between the base station and the subscriber station. The portable species may be further divided into two as portable (partial mobility) and full mobility. The difference is quite simple: pretty much the same between a cordless phone and a cellular phone.

CHARACTERISTICS and FEATURES RANGE AND SCALABILITY The 802.16-2004 standard relies upon a grant-request access protocol that, in contrast to the contention-based access used under 802.11, doesnt allow data collisions and, therefore, uses the available bandwidth more efficiently. No collisions means no loss of bandwidth due to data retransmission. All communication is coordinated by the base station. IMPROVED USER CONNECTIVITY The 802.16-2004 standard keeps more users connected by virtue of its flexible channel widths and adaptive modulation. Because it uses channels narrower than the fixed 20MHz channels used in 802.11, the 802.16-2004 standard can serve lower data- rate subscribers without wasting bandwidth. When subscribers encounter noisy conditions or low signal strength, the adaptive modulation scheme keeps them connected when they might otherwise be dropped. HIGHER QUALITY OF SERVICE This standard also enables WISPs to ensure QoS for customers that require it and to tailor service levels to meet different customer requirements. For example, the 802.162004 standard can guarantee high bandwidth to business customers or low latency for voice and video applications, while providing only best-effort and lower-cost service to residential Internet surfers.

FULL SUPPORT FOR WMAN SERVICE From its inception, the 802.16-2004 standard was designed to provide WMAN service. Hence, it is able to support more users and deliver faster data rates at longer distances than last-mile implementation ns based on the 802.11g standard. ROBUST CARRIER-CLASS OPERATION The standard was designed for carrier-class operation. As more users join, they must share the aggregate bandwidth and their individual throughput decreases linearly. The decrease, however, is much less dramatic than what is experienced under 802.11. This capability is termed efficient multiple access. FLEXIBLE CHANNEL BANDWIDTH The IEEE 802.16-2004 and IEEE 802.16e standards have flexible channel bandwidths between 1.5 and 20 MHz to facilitate transmission over longer ranges and to different types of subscriber platforms. With a dedicated antenna, each sector has the potential to reach users with more throughputs over longer ranges than can an omni-directional antenna. WiMAX is considered Wi-Fis big brother. INTER-OPERABILITY WiMAX is a layer 1 (PHY or Physical layer) and layer 2 (MAC or Media Access Control layer) technology that does not define connectivity at the network layer, or layer 3. IEEE leaves 3rd parties to innovate and standardize at the higher layers. The result is that WiMAX is positioned to connect to a wide array of legacy systems, either the IP cores of wire-line carriers, or the IP cores of wireless operators.

BACKWARD AND UPWARD COMPATIBILITY

One of the main areas of debate regarding WiMAX is where it fits in with technologies such as UMTS and Wi-Fi. Is it going to jeopardize the recently made investments in what are now two mainstream wireless standards? The simple answer is NO, because the technologies differ in essential points. Lets look first at UMTS. The point is that WiMAX is built purely for data services not for voice. It was designed predominantly for home and business users who do not have fixed-line access to broadband internet. Voice transmission over WiMAX can only be accomplished in combination with Voice over IP, while UMTS is a technology that offers voice and multimedia services with guaranteed quality even when users are moving at high speed. UMTS is ideal for applications targeted at internet-capable mobile phones. WiMAX provides complementary wireless internet access via a notebook while the user is located in a radio cell. Since WiMAX has been developed primarily for the best-effort transmission of larger data volumes at high speeds, it provides a logical supplement to UMTS. Similarly, Wi-Fi and WiMAX are complementary technologies. Because of its limited range, Wi-Fi is primarily suited for public hotspots and for office and residential use. Covering larger areas is not economically feasible. Thats where WiMAX provides a logical supplement since it provides similar functionalities outside of Wi-Fi hotspots. Siemens therefore believes that future notebooks and similar data devices will contain both Wi-Fi and WiMAX technology. Most likely, operators are going to find a blend of technologies that helps them to optimize their cost position. OFDM 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. OFDM will almost certainly become dominant in all wireless technologies including intelligently manage sectors have been used for a long time in mobile-service base stations. 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. Because of performance and technology, the 802.16-2004 standard supports several adaptive smart antenna types, including: Receive spatial diversity antennas- entails more than one antenna receiving the signal. The antennas need to be placed at least half a wavelength apart to operate effectively. Maintaining this minimum distance ensures that the antennas are incoherent, that is, they will be impacted differently by the additive/subtractive effects of signals arriving by means of multiple paths. Simple diversity antennas- detect the signal strength of the multiple (two or more) antennas attached and switch that antenna into the receiver. The more incoherent antennas to choose from, the higher the likelihood of getting a strong signal. Beam-steering antennas- shape the antenna array pattern to produce high gains in the useful signal direction or notches that reject interference. High antenna gain increases the signal, noise and rate. The directional pattern attenuates the interference out of the main beam. Selective fading can be mitigated if multi-path components arrive with a sufficient angular separation. Beam-forming antennas- allow the area around a base station to be divided into sectors, allowing additional frequency reuse among sectors. The number of sectors can range from as few as four to as many as 24. SPECTRUM

WiMAX uses both licensed and license-exempt spectrum between frequency range 211 GHz. It ensures future support for upto 66 GHz. There is a wider choice of deployment options based on geography, population density. Licensed: 2.5GHz, 3.5Ghz depending upon national rules

Unlicensed: 5.8GHz worldwide Rural deployment Emerging market deployment Large campus private deployment

SECURITY WiMAX introduces a higher range of security for the network .WiMAX when released will be secure. WiMAX introduces enhanced encryption for: Confidentiality Access control Data integrity

802.16 also include 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. ERROR CORRECTION TECHNIQUES Error correction techniques have been incorporated into WiMAX to reduce the system signal to noise ratio requirements. Strong Reed Solomon FEC, convolutional encoding, and interleaving algorithms are used to detect and correct errors to improve throughput. These robust error correction techniques help to recover errored frames that may have

been lost due to frequency selective fading or burst errors. Automatic repeat request (ARQ) is used to correct errors that cannot be corrected by the FEC, by having the errored information resent. This significantly improves the bit error rate (BER) performance for a similar threshold level.

WiMAX USAGE SCENARIO IN INDIA High-speed wireless broadband technology based on WiMAX promises an economically viable solution to accelerating the Internet adoption that can revolutionize lifestyles in India. The TRAI report2 describes how markets such as Korea and Malaysia are already demonstrating the transformative power of ubiquitous broadband connectivity. Let us consider a few usage scenarios where such a broadband service can make a significant difference. EXTENDING THE REACH OF COMMUNICATION AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES In Indian cities, households with Internet access use it to keep in touch with their families and friends who are in other parts of the country or abroad. But dial-up connection, currently the most prevalent method of Internet access, does not provide the service quality or reliability for applications like video chat. Broadband facilities solve these problems and extend the reach and variety of personal communication to include efficient VoIP, video conferencing, instant messaging, and quick access to e-mail. According to the TRAI report, which describes Korea as the poster child for successful broadband rollout and ubiquitous availability, the VoIP market in Korea is actually growing faster than public switched telephone network service, and is expected to replace normal telephony in the near future. Reliable Internet service for the masses can spur growth in e-commerce and increase the number of investors participating in economic activities such as online stock trading. Broadband access can increase the effectiveness of e-Governance initiatives. EGovernance can reduce wait times for service and increase productivity in government offices. In Malaysia, according to the TRAI report, the government has provided village authorities with PCs and Internet connectivity in their administrative offices, and PCs with free Internet access have been set up in post offices, with special government portals created to provide local information and government services. The Malaysian government has also chosen to bring the government completely online and have Internet connection technology as an integral part of their system. They have commenced the building of a private broadband government network, extended by a

virtual private network (VPN). They have also launched the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) as a nurturing ground for local entrepreneurship and industry. The benefits of the MSC on the overall Malaysian economy have already been tremendous. India is already testing the e-Governance idea in pilot programs aimed at bringing local government services to people through Internet access. E-seva is one such initiative, created by the Andhra Pradesh government to provide its citizens with online services such as obtaining birth certificates and various licenses, payment of utility bills and taxes, ticket reservations for transportation services, and listings of government orders and policies. Gramdoot is a similar initiative by the Rajasthan government. The states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala also have several Internet-based services and literacy programs. Broader Internet adoption driven by cost-effective technologies like WiMAX can speed and extend the reach of government services at a reduced cost to both the people and the government. IMPROVED EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE AND ENTERTAINMENT With higher bandwidth and faster speeds, broadband Internet can make education more accessible by delivering interactive distance education at a low cost. TRAI reports that in Korea, the government provided training on PC and Internet usage for low-income and disabled households with children. They also launched programs to provide these families with heavily subsidized and sometimes free PCs. Over 55 percent of all educational documents are electronic at this point. Teachers in schools have access to their own PCs with Internet connections, and are required to leverage information and communication technologies as an integral part of their curriculum. In India, schools and libraries in rural or remote areas without wired infrastructure or broadband services can be cost effectively connected to broadband using WiMAX. Lecture classes from urban schools and top universities can be broadcast to rural students, and the students could use the broadband facilities of WiMAX for communicating with teachers and with their remote classmates. The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is already encouraging state governments and conventional universities to establish distance learning programs, providing financial support and grants for programs and facilitating development of multimedia materials for delivery through distance learning programs.

Agriculture and health care can also benefit from broadband services. High-resolution pictures or real-time images of crop diseases can be transmitted to agricultural experts in a different geographic location for immediate expert advice, thus containing the crop diseases faster. Similarly, doctors can use real-time video conferencing to discuss patient symptoms with faraway experts, thus providing faster and better care to the patients. Videos of this and similar scenarios are available at the Intel Web site. The many social advantages of broadband Internet also include telecasting of entertainment programs, as on-demand movie and infotainment service business models evolve. Entertainment delivered via broadband could be an event for social gatherings in isolated villages. BACKHAUL FOR MESHED WI-FI LOCAL AREA NETWORK India has one of the fastest-growing IT industries in the world, and this growth is expected to continue. Broadband Internet connectivity is critical for many businesses, so IT-dependent industry concentrates in areas where broadband service is available. Wireless last-mile broadband could accelerate the deployment of meshed office wireless LANs (like Wi-Fi), and businesses could then backhaul the LAN traffic to the WiMAX network. Service providers will be able to quickly provide on-demand highspeed connectivity to businesses anywhere within their base station range. This will encourage distributed urban and suburban business development, as broadband services are no longer limited by fixed connectivity resources.

WiMAX: A COMMERCIAL VIEWPOINT WIMAX LEADERSHIP Since the new-look WiMAX Forum was formed in April 2003, the momentum behind 802.16a has gathered force and the standard has progressed with remarkable speed. Strong leadership is vital in the continuing evolution and rapid adoption of WiMAX and will help to set it apart from other mobile standards which are beset by politics. There are significant names missing from WiMAX so far its initial focus on last mile is indicated by the bias of the membership towards fixed wireless, OFDM specialists (the 802.16 specification is built on an implementation of OFDM from Wi-Lan of Canada), rather than enterprise focused suppliers or mobile carriers. Some major vendors will be taking the usual gamble of trying to establish such market presence for their proprietary solutions as to sideline the industry standard Motorola with its Canopy broadband fixed wireless platform springs to mind. But these companies will join Cisco being a critical target and in the meantime, the really impressive aspect of WiMAX has been its clear focus and unity of purpose. So far, perhaps because of its fairly low numbers, with most of these being smaller companies, it has avoided the complex politics and hidden agendas of most industry bodies though this comes at the cost of a direction that is highly dominated by Intel and Nokia. CHIP ADVANCES The main obstacles to long distance wireless are limitations on battery power and power efficiency. Regulations keep power levels low and the range of Wi-Fi signals short to avoid overcrowding of airwaves. But advances in fast digital signal processors mean that weak, jumbled signals can be deciphered, lengthening the distance that is practical for a transmission, as well as improving distance and speed potential. Battery improvements will also be vital to make a WiMAX cell phone a practicality. Nokia is working on battery and handset chip designs to this end, citing two years as the likely timescale, while Intel is increasingly involved in next generation battery and processing power for mobile devices, including digital radios that can intelligently

move to the most efficient available network cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WiMAX or UWB. Currently, it looks as if Intel will entirely dominate the WiMAX chip market. HIPERMAN and ETSI An alternative standard to 802.16a is the European Telecommunication Standards Institutes BRAN HA (Broadband Radio Access Networks Hiper Access) or HiperMAN. This is likely to be subsumed into 802.16a. ETSI has two specifications, Hiperaccess, which operates above 11GHz, and HiperMAN for below 11GHz, which will be harmonized with 802.16a OFDM. This illustrates the advantage WiMAX has derived from its strong and single minded focus, which has enabled it to largely avoid the political upheavals that have disrupted other efforts such as Wi-Fi and Mobile-Fi. OPERATORS For mobile operators, there is a doubled edged sword. WiMAX is particularly disruptive because no physical last mile installation is required and the base stations will cost under $20,000 using commodity standard hardware. As with Wi-Fi hotspots, fixed and mobile operators will have an equal interest in extending their networks through WiMAX, and also ensuring that any revenues lost to 3G and wired services are at least preserved within the company. But WiMAX also gives the opportunity for small, alternative operators to enter the game. WiMAX operates in a mixture of licensed and unlicensed spectrum, and the initial products will be focused on 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz licensed and 5.8GHz unlicensed bands (though the full standard supports a far wider range of bands). The licensed spectrum gives operators the chance to apply for franchises for fixed wireless broadband provision, especially in rural and remote areas, and to build the infrastructure with low cost, commodity hardware - something Intel is promoting assiduously as a means to increase investment in Centrino-enabled PCs (it now has a director of rural broadband access).

The unlicensed aspect means that independents have the chance to provide backhaul services for hotspots, which have the potential to create a nationwide wireless network. If the operators can control this, as they have been trying to do with Wi-Fi, they will be able to offer parallel, integrated services and achieve a stopgap as they struggle towards ubiquitous 3G one with lower margins than cellular perhaps, but swifter ROI on lower upfront investment. They certainly have the power and resource to take control from alternative network suppliers, but they may also be condemning their 3G investments to stillbirth. THE VENDORS Recently, a much publicized article in The Wall Street Journal pointed out how Wi-Fi has already slipped out of the hands of the start-ups. Unlike in other technology booms, none of those start-ups looks set to grow up to be a dominant player; instead, the established giants have sidestepped to take control of the new sector, Intel and Cisco in particular. The same process is likely to happen in WiMAX, certainly at the chip and hardware level. Similarly, as WiMAX becomes a mainstream option for last mile and rural BWA, it is likely to attract the attention of large operators looking for new revenue streams and some of the alternative and niche operators may be pushed out too. As well as Intel, these are some players who are trying to produce some firsts in WiMAX: Flarion, the Cisco-backed last mile player, which has a trial running in South Korea of wireless broadband gear using its smart antenna technology and supporting 802.16a. Korea is seen as the territory where wireless broadband is adopted most rapidly. Fujitsu Microelectronics will be first with silicon. It is developing an 802.16a device that integrates the physical and media access control layers, which will include an ARM9 processor and will be ready later this year. The chip will cost about $300. Taiwan-based Gen-WAN Technology has launched broadband wireless network equipment using 802.16a, offering base stations, fixed and mobile terminals, repeaters and network management systems. It will market its system, called

BWIA, initially for public safety and military purposes, where WiMAX offers more reliable signals than cellular in emergency situations. Wi-Lan, one of the critical start-ups in WiMAX, has come to market with prestandard system-on-chip solutions and will support the full standard soon.Broadcom and Texas Instruments are also making noises about WiMAX and are expected to get into the market alongside Intel and Fujitsu. The first Intel technology partners from the BWA arena, which will use the upcoming Intel products in their previously proprietary base stations, are Alvarion and Aperto Networks. Alvarion has an important contract to supply China Unicom with WiMAX equipment for its initial roll-out in six cities. AirTap Communications is one of the early entrants into the market for WiMAX networks in the US, serving SMEs and large enterprises in a range of metro districts. MARKETS FOR WIMAX The greatest media excitement about WiMAX has been centered on its potential mobility and its role as a backhaul or even replacement for public Wi-Fi. This sector is populated by a horde of mainly American niche players with expensive equipment using various versions of smart antennas, OFDM and sometimes mesh to provide often effective alternatives to wired communications. ArrayComm, Alvarion, IPWireless, Navini and Beamreach are high profile names, though the majority of these specialists will refocus their products around WiMAX in the coming years. Only 5 percent of commercial structures worldwide are served by fibre networks, the main method for the largest enterprises to access broadband, multimedia data services. In the wired world, these networks are extended to the business or residence via cable or DSL, both expensive options because of the infrastructure changes required. DSL typically operates at 128Kbps to 1.5Mbps and slower on the upstream. Enterprises can use WiMAX instead of T1 for about 10 percent of the cost, while SMEs can be offered fractional T1 services. Base stations will cost under $20,000 and support 60 enterprise customers with T1-class connections. Last mile to the home

A low cost alternative could end the wars between the cable and ADSL operators and really make the broadband home revolution happen. Hotspots Wi-Fi hotspot operators may be able to build a spot for a few thousand dollars worth of equipment, but then they need to anchor it to the public network, and this is normally done with expensive T1 or DSL. WiMAX backhaul could significantly reduce hotspot costs, although there is also the potential for Wi-Fi to be bypassed altogether by WiMAX hotzones. Remote regions The most lucrative market for the proprietary BWA vendors has been remote regions, especially in developing countries but also in rural areas of the US, where there is no wired or cellular infrastructure nor the will or cash to invest in building it. The main alternative to BWA in this market is satellite. Still early in its lifecycle and potentially a powerful technology to integrate with WiMAX satellite has severe limitations of upstream bandwidth, spectrum availability and also suffers from high latency.

WiMAX AS OF NOW DEPLOYMENT EXAMPLES Deployments of last-mile wireless solutions during 2004 and 2005 required analysis of immediate service needs and technology investment goals. Here are some examples of how these needs can be balanced. WiMAX Recommended

THE WiMAX DIFFERENCE

Though at nascent stages of development and deployment, its quite clear that WiMAX will be second to none when it comes to proving its might. The following tables show just this in a birds view; how it combats competition from complementing and rivaling technologies with its sheer might and prowess. Figure 7 : The mobile standards compared

Figure 8 : Performance of some common wireless technologies

Initially 802.16e was positioned as providing lightly mobile support for users moving between fixed metro points. But its brief is expanding and early speculation that the two would be aligned to create a single umbrella specification now seems ill-founded. Instead of the two camps coming together, as the IEEE itself would encourage, the big backers of 802.20, Motorola and Cisco, are getting restive and seem determined to try to put their preferred standard in a dominant position, improving their own place in the mobile market at the same time. Such an approach will be disastrous. WiMAX has a huge headstart on Mobile-Fi even its e version is at least a year ahead of its rival, and the industry support behind it is gathering pace rapidly. Also, it is a technology that can

be accommodated relatively easily by the mobile operators. By contrast, Mobile-Fi will be incorporated in products after WiMAX is already adopted the standard will not be ratified until the end of 2004 - and it is seen as deeply threatening by the powerful cellular industry, with several 3G players having taken recent and possibly effective steps to squash it. So why do these two groups not seek to work together on a broad specification for different types of mobile broadband wireless connections, rather than competing? The politics are symbolic of some of the most fundamental clashes going on in todays technology business, with stakes massively high as vendors seek to create a new market for themselves after the buffeting of the recent recession. So we have Intel ranged against Motorola in almost every area in IEEE, in the UWB standards battle, and in the cellular world. Once at arms length from each other, the two chip giants have locked horns this year and are using every weapon, including the important one of standards processes, to try to be the alpha male in mobile communications. The contrasting financial results of the second quarter threw their current positions into painful relief for Motorola the company looks like a wounded giant and is becoming increasingly desperate in its bid to keep Intel away from its smart phone base. The other big names behind the two would-be standards are Nokia, on the WiMAX side, and Cisco, which backs Flarion, the key technology driver behind 802.20. Once again, we see an epic battle represented within the walls of the IEEE. The traditional enterprise networking supplier, moving rapidly into wireless and even smart phones, but finding itself threatened by rivals from the telecoms world; and the upstart, the handset maker daring to fancy itself as a vendor of enterprise mobile solutions and bringing its operator allies along for the ride.

CONCLUSIONS WiMAX is the most important of the host of wireless standards emerging from the IEEE and 3G bodies. Its impact will owe much to Wi-Fi, which has created the interest in and market acceptance of wireless networking to enable WiMAX to flourish in the mainstream, not least by attracting Intel into the sector. But its effect on the world of business and consumer internet and wireless access will be far more profound. Within five years, we expect WiMAX to be the dominant technology for wireless networking. By that time it will be fully mobile as well as providing low cost fixed broadband access that will open up regions where internet access has so far not been practical. As the cellular operators move to IP-based fourth generation systems, they will embrace WiMAX as they are doing with the far more limited Wi-Fi. WiMAX will be the catalyst for a shakeout of operators, with some of the small independents falling to the large players, still hunting for a more profitable revenue stream than 3G. The hype around Wi-Fi will die down and 802.11 will return to its rightful place as a useful but limited local area technology, fully integrated with WiMAX at the backhaul. Intel will be a clear winner from its decision to drive WiMAX. Its next generation Centrino will support WiMAX and therefore have a head start in huge markets, including the rural regions of the major nations. Nokia too will profit from the rise of 802.16, both by adding a new base station business to its ailing equipment unit and by developing two- or three-mode handsets for cellular, Wi-Fi and WiMAX. WiMAX will be the most significant technology to date in making wireless access ubiquitous and, as more free spectrum is opened up, in creating a major shake-up of the traditional shape of the wireless and mobile communications sector.

The emergence of WiMAX thus will give consumers, businesses, and people even in hard-to-reach areas a powerful new way to connect to the Internet seamlessly. Though

it wont happen overnight, WHEN WIMAX COMES OUT, WELL HAVE A WIRELESS BACKBONE IN THE SKY FOR SURE - which sounds great - as long as it really does cost less to use than our earthbound skein of wires, fibers, and cables.

REFERENCES White Papers [1] Intel Corp., IEEE 802.16* and WiMAX: Broadband Wireless Access for Everyone, 2003 www.intel.com/ebusiness/pdf/wireless/intel/80216_WiMAX.pdf [2] [3] WiMAX Forum, IEEE 802.16a Standard and WiMAX-Igniting Broadband Wireless Access WiMAX Forum, WiMAXs Technical Advantage for Coveragein LOS and NLOS Conditions, Aug. 2004 www.WiMAXforum.org/news/downloads/WiMAXNLOSgeneralversionaug04.pdf [4] [5] [6] Paul Sargeant, Senior Manager, Alternative Access Networks, MOTOROLA, The Promise of WiMAX SR TELECOM, Montreal, QC, H4S 1M5, Canada, WHITE PAPER 033100596-001, ISSUE 1. SIEMENS AG 2004, Backgrounder for the Press WiMAX,

General Resources [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] WiMAX Forum: http://www.WiMAXforum.org/ WiMAX technology overview: http://www.intel.com/netcomms/technologies/WiMAX/ WiMAX World Conference & Exposition: http://www.WiMAXworld.com/ Tropos Networks: http://www.tropos.com/ TECHNOLOGY REV IEW Magazine, November 2004 IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Networks: http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/11/index.html [7] What is WiLAN and Why Should I Care? : http://www.sss-mag.com/wlan.html#info