White Papers

India is a huge market for broadband wireless services and offers immediate and enormous potential for growth. WiMAX is the only 4G broadband technology compatible with the 2.3 GHz BWA spectrum in India that today enjoys widespread global deployment along with a mature ecosystem of vendors, devices and applications. It offers Indian consumers both fixed and mobile high speed access to all internet services. WiMAX already powers a wide array of terminal devices today, from notebooks, dongles, CPEs, handhelds, and home/business VoIP gateways to the latest Smartphone’s, personal hotspots, and machine to machine devices.

To address the potential WiMAX network capacity constraints, WiMAX equipment and chip vendors, in partnership with WiMAX operators and the WiMAX Forum have launched an initiative to accelerate the adoption of features already supported in IEEE Std 802.16e.

This initiative will give today’s WiMAX operators the opportunity to easily and cost-effectively enhance the performance of their networks and with availability in late 2010 , provides an upgrade path for today’s WiMAX Operators to meet the growing consumer demand for broadband services while ensuring a smooth transition to WiMAX 2 based on the 802.16m standard.

With a focus on existing WiMAX profiles , the majority of WiMAX 16e-Enhanced benefits can be realized with a simple SW upgrade to currently deployed infrastructure.

An earlier WiMAX Forum® white paper provided a very detailed description and performance analysis for WiMAX™ [Ref 1] and a follow-on white paper [Ref 2] provided a comparative analysis of WiMAX with 3G enhancements, EV-DO through Rev B and HSPA through 3GPP Rel-6. For WiMAX™ performance projections, both of those papers assumed a baseline configuration based on the WiMAX Air Interface Release 1.0 profiles. As was described in the earlier white papers, the WiMAX Release 1.0 system profile represented a subset of the features and functionality supported in the IEEE 802.16e-2005 Air Interface Standard. In this paper we consider some of the additional 802.16e-2005 supported features or enhancements for the air interface that have been approved or are being considered by the WiMAX Forum for inclusion in the next step in the backwards compatible WiMAX migration path, WiMAX Air Interface Release 1.5.

Vertical applications present a huge new market opportunity for WiMAX operators. WiMAX is not the only wireless technology that can support vertical applications, but it is particularly well suited to delivering them because of its high capacity, low per-bit cost, and Quality of Service (QoS), and security capabilities.

Roke Manor Research Ltd (Roke) has been tasked by WiMAX Forum to develop interpretations of the results of the Draft ITU-R Report M.2113-1 [Ref 2] that deals with sharing issues in the 2.5 – 2.69 GHz band between the UMTS FDD and WiMAX TDD systems. The goal of the performed work has been to provide an interpretation that would help regulators to define clear coexistence and licensing agreements for their specific situations.  

The Mobile WiMAX™ Release 1.0 Profiles currently cover several frequency bands ranging from 2300 MHz to 3800 MHz. For comparison purposes these bands can be grouped into two categories, 2500 MHz and 3500 MHz. To accommodate the anticipated growth in mobile services and new broadband applications, there is ongoing pressure on regulators to make additional spectrum available for mobile applications. Bands below 1000 MHz are especially interesting due to the improved propagation conditions as compared to 2500 and 3500 MHz.

The frequency band between 470 MHz and 862 MHz has traditionally been allocated worldwide for radio and TV broadcasting and encompasses the UHF TV channels. With the planned transition to digital radio and TV formats, portions of this band will become available for other services and applications. This has been commonly referred to as the “Digital Dividend”.

More and more users want a broadband connection that is exclusive, follows them around and is available 24/7. Welcome to the concept of personal broadband. To realize this concept the chosen broadband network has to be able to deliver users’ expectations. Meanwhile, appropriate user devices must be employed. This paper presents WiMAX as the best technology to fulfill personal broadband and imparts what users expect from their personal broadband device.

With WiMAX indoor traffic taking up more than 80% of total WiMAX traffic, WiMAX Operators are faced with the pressing need to improve indoor coverage. Contrary to common belief that WiMAX Modems are merely variables in the WiMAX subsystem, this whitepaper discusses how WiMAX Modems can play a major role in the subsystem, particularly in improving indoor coverage.

This paper provides an overview of UQ progress so far and
its future expectations, as well as an analysis of its business
model and go‐to‐market approach. A UQ case study
provides deep insights into how mobile broadband services
can be supported using a model that differs fundamentally
from the one adopted by cellular operators, and that
expands the wireline and Wi‐Fi internet model to mobile
usage models.

 - Security and control over infrastructure are top priorities for utilities. Ownership of the wireless network is often the best way to meet these priorities. - WiMAX can support a wide range of applications that include smart metering, asset management and surveillance, mobile workforce and fleet connectivity, and emergency communications.

A new, more varied radio access network (RAN) topology is emerging, driven by the availability of new technologies, more demanding performance, coverage and cost requirements, and innovative business models. The traditional ground-based, multi-sector macro base transceiver station (BTS) is rapidly losing its dominant position to single-sector micro and pico BTSs with a smaller footprint, and to distributed multi-sector BTSs with remote radio heads (RRHs).
 

A new type of base station, the compact BTS, has also entered the market, further reducing footprint and power consumption, while retaining the performance of macro BTSs.
 

This paper introduces the concept and value proposition of WiMAX compact BTSs, compares compact BTSs to other base station form factors, and examines the total cost of ownership (TCO) for compact and distributed BTS configurations.

As WiMAX operators deploy new networks or expand existing ones, they face multiple choices in the selection of base station equipment. How can WiMAX operators choose the hardware solution that is most cost effective and has the faster return on investment (ROI)?
We addressed this question by analyzing the capex and opex requirements for a five-year period, using radio access network (RAN) equipment with multiple input, multiple output (MIMO), beamforming (BF), and a combination of MIMO and BF.

P1 is Malaysia’s first and leading WiMAX telecommunications
company with the country’s widest WiMAX network.
Launched on August 19, 2008, P1 W1MAX™ represents the
first large-scale commercial deployment of Mobile WiMAX in
Southeast Asia, as well as the first large-scale deployment of
an 802.16e 2.3GHz WiMAX network outside Korea. P1’s goal
is to bridge the digital divide by making access to the Internet
universal, ubiquitous, and affordable for every Malaysian.

When wireless systems are deployed in neighbouring countries and especially when using the same frequency bands, some coordination activity is necessary in order to ensure that interference generated and received across a national border does not unduly affect the ability of either party to provide services close to the border. Usually affected countries have bi-lateral (or multi-lateral) agreements with neighbouring countries which may include agreed frequency usage plans along a border (e.g preferred channels) or agreed predicted field strengths to trigger more detailed specific coordination. For some countries the coordination burden can be relatively light. For others (e.g land locked central European countries) the burden increases significantly with the need to coordinate with many neighbours. Therefore the need to set up appropriate guidelines on either trigger levels or mitigation techniques can be important to minimise the impact on close-to-the-border operations.

If technologies in use across a border are the same then it is possible to use specific characteristics to mitigate the impact of cross border operation. Other techniques may need to be considered when technologies with different characteristics are in use or indeed when different frequency band usage is employed (e.g. different duplexing techniques). The WiMAX Forum advocates technology neutral licensing and flexibility in band usage and has commissioned Analysys-Mason to carry out a technical study of this cross border topic to consider multiple technologies and duplexing techniques across a border.

Notice and Disclaimer
Analysys-Mason Limited (A-M) is the author of the Report and the statements and viewpoints are those of A-M as of the issue date noted on the cover page (the Issue Date). The WiMAX Forum has not independently verified the report but believes it to be accurate as of the Issue Date. Nevertheless, neither the WiMAX Forum nor A-M warrants that the information contained in the report is complete and error-free. Nor is there any undertaking to update the report based upon new information and developments. All information is provided on an AS IS basis. The WiMAX Forum and A-M disclaim all express and implied warranties relating to the contents of the report.

Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (P1) is Malaysia’s rst and leading WiMAX telecommunications company, offering the country’s widest WiMAX network, innovating technology, products and services to advance the way people work, live, learn and play. P1 is also the first WiMAX Operator in Southeast Asia to roll out commercial WiMAX services under the 802.16e Mobile WiMAX variant.

Building the CSN is a critical piece of the network deployment that cannot be handled as a "Second Step" matter, nor reduced to the single question of selecting the right AAA server. When building the CSN, the WiMAX operator should properly address a number of possible clear as well as hidden issues, taking into account a number of key requirements.

This paper contains a brief csae study of Freemax, an Italian WiMAX operator.

Towerstream takes security very seriously and treats security as paramount
when building out our Radio Frequency (RF) infrastructure. This whitepaper
describes Towerstream’s physical security and security standards in place at
various hardware levels and the measures that Towerstream takes to ensure
data cannot be compromised at the RF level.

Communications operators across the globe must comply with
a complex array of local, national, and regional lawful intercept
(LI) standards and regulations. Moreover, as communication
technologies and services continue to evolve, these standards
and regulations evolve too, creating an increasingly heavy burden
for operators, and the potential to disrupt quality of service
and derail core business operations.

No matter whether big or small, in a developed market or an emerging one, targeting fixed subscribers or mobile subscribers, all WiMAX™ operators face similar challenges. Subscribers have come to expect the same reliable wireless internet experience that WiMAX promises, regardless of the operator’s size, previous experience, or segment focus.

Despite the lower access barrier, also in the 3.65 GHz Band, building a WiMAX
network is and will remain a complex undertaking and the initial planning stage, where the business case is defined and the budget is allocated, is very critical for setting a solid foundation for the success of the initiative. Misjudgments and mistakes made at this stage will influence heavily the next phases; in particular, the subsequent network planning and design phases.