WIMAX

BY
SHASHI JAKKU

Contents
Introduction Working of WIMAX IEEE 802.16 standard 802.16 Architecture IEEE 802.16 Specifications Features of WIMAX Advantages of WIMAX over WIFI WIMAX vs. 3G ISSUES in WIMAX vs. 3G FUTURE OF WIMAX

What is WIMAX?
WIMAX stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access WiMAX refers to broadband wireless networks that are based on the IEEE 802.16 standard, which ensures compatibility and interoperability between broadband wireless access equipment WiMAX, which will have a range of up to 31 miles, is primarily aimed at making broadband network access widely available without the expense of stringing wires (as in cable-access broadband) or the distance limitations of Digital Subscriber Line.

THINK OF INTERNET
There are three possible ways to access internet.
Broadband access Uses DSL or cable modem at home and T1 or T3 line at office WIFI Uses WIFI routers at home and hotspots on the road Dial Up Connection

NEW TECHNOLOGY
Broadband access is too expensive and WiFi coverage is very sparse. The new technology promises
High speed of broadband service Wireless rather than wired access Broad Coverage

A WIMAX system consists of

1) 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).

2) A

WiMAX receiver - The receiver and antenna could be a small box or Personal Computer Memory card, or they could be built into a laptop the way WiFi access is today

WIMAX TOWER

WIMAX RECEIVER

HOW WIMAX works?

MODES OF OPERATION
Non-Line of sight Uses a lower frequency range. Line of sight Uses a higher frequency range.

WIMAX Scenario
Consider a scenario where a WiMax-enabled computer is 10 miles away from the WiMax base station. A special encryption code is given to computer to gain access to base station The base station would beam data from the Internet required for computer (at speeds potentially higher than today's cable modems)

WIMAX Scenario
The user would pay the provider monthly fee for using the service. The cost for this service could be much lower than current high-speed Internet-subscription fees because the provider never had to run cables The WiMAX protocol is designed to accommodate several different methods of data transmission, one of which is Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) If WiMAX-compatible computers become very common, the use of VoIP could increase dramatically. Almost anyone with a laptop could make VoIP calls

WIMAX CHIPS
WiMAX Mini-PCI Reference Design Intels first WIMAX chip

IEEE 802.16
Range- 30 miles from base station Speed- 70 Megabits per second Frequency bands- 2 to 11 and 10 to 66(licensed and unlicensed bands respectively) Defines both MAC and PHY layer and allows multiple PHY layer specifications

IEEE 802.16 Specifications

802.16a Uses the licensed frequencies from 2 to 11 GHz Supports Mesh network 802.16b Increase spectrum to 5 and 6 GHz Provides QoS( for real time voice and video service) 802.16c Represents a 10 to 66GHz 802.16d Improvement and fixes for 802.16a 802.16e Addresses on Mobile Enable high-speed signal handoffs necessary for communications with users moving at vehicular speeds

802.16 Architecture
IEEE 802.16 Protocol Architecture has 4 layers: Convergence, MAC, Transmission and physical, which can be mapped to two OSI lowest layers: physical and data link.

802.16 Architecture
P2MP Architecture
BS connected to Public Networks BS serves Subscriber Stations (SS) Provides SS with first mile access to Public Networks

Mesh Architecture
Optional architecture for WiMAX

P2MP Architecture

Mesh Architecture

FEATURES OF WIMAX
Scalability
Quality of Service Range

Coverage

Scalability
The 802.16 standard supports flexible radio frequency (RF) channel bandwidths. The standard supports hundreds or even thousands of users within one RF channel As the number of subscribers grow the spectrum can be reallocated with process of sectoring.

Quality of Service
Primary purpose of QoS feature is to define transmission ordering and scheduling on the air interface These features often need to work in conjunction with mechanisms beyond the air interface in order to provide end to end QoS or to police the behaviour or SS.

Requirements for QoS

A configuration and registration function to pre configure SS based QoS service flows and traffic parameters A signalling function for dynamically establishing QoS enabled service flows and traffic parameters Utilization of MAC scheduling and QoS traffic parameters for uplink service flows Utilization of QoS traffic parameters for downlink service flows

RANGE
Optimized for up to 50 Km Designed to handle many users spread out over kilometres Designed to tolerate greater multipath delay spread (signal reflections) up to 10.0 seconds PHY and MAC designed with multimile range in mind

Coverage
Standard supports mesh network topology Optimized for outdoor NLOS performance Standard supports advanced antenna techniques

BENEFITS OF WIMAX
Speed
Faster than broadband service

Wireless
Not having to lay cables reduces cost Easier to extend to suburban and rural areas

Broad Coverage
Much wider coverage than WiFi hotspots

Benefits to Service Providers

Allow service providers to deliver high throughput broadband based services like VoIP, high-speed Internet and Video Facilitate equipment compatibility Reduce the capital expenditures required for network expansion Provide improved performance and extended range

Benefits to Customers
Range of technology and service level choices from both fixed and wireless broadband operators DSL-like services at DSL prices but with portability Rapidly declining fixed broadband prices No more DSL installation fees from incumbent

Why not WIFI

Scalability Relative Performance Quality of Service Range Coverage Security

Scalability
802.11

802.16a
Channel bandwidths can be chosen by operator (e.g. for sectorization) 1.5 MHz to 20 MHz width channels. MAC designed for scalability. independent of channel bandwidth

Wide (20MHz) frequency channels

MAC designed to support 10s of users

MAC designed to support thousands of users.

RELATIVE PERFORMANCE
Channel Bandwidth 802.11 802.16a 20 MHz 1.5 20 MHz Maximum Data Rate 54 Mbps 100 Mbps Maximum bps/Hz 2.7 bps/Hz 5.0 bps/Hz

Quality of Service
802.11

802.16a

Contention-based MAC (CSMA/CA) => no guaranteed QoS Standard cannot currently guarantee latency for Voice, Video

Grant-request MAC

Designed to support Voice and Video from ground up Supports differentiated service levels: e.g. T1 for business customers; best effort for residential. Centrally-enforced QoS

Standard does not allow for differentiated levels of service on a per-user basis

802.11e (proposed) QoS is prioritization only

Range
802.11

802.16a

Optimized for ~100 meters

No near-far compensation

Optimized for up to 50 Km
Designed to handle many users spread out over kilometers Designed to tolerate greater multi-path delay spread (signal reflections) up to 10.0 seconds PHY and MAC designed with multimile range in mind

Designed to handle indoor multipath delay spread of 0.8 seconds Optimization centers around PHY and MAC layer for 100m range

Coverage
802.11

802.16a

Optimized for indoor performance

Optimized for outdoor NLOS performance Standard supports mesh network topology Standard supports advanced antenna techniques

No mesh topology support within ratified standards

Security
802.11 802.16a

Existing standard is WPA + WEP 802.11i in process of addressing security

Existing standard is PKM - EAP

Advantages of WiMax over 3G

Using an assortment of proprietary and standards-based technologies, such as OFDM and W-CDMA ,WiMax has a clear advantage over 3G The advantages include
Higher Throughput Low Cost Lower Latency

Advantages of WiMax over 3G

Advantages of WiMax over 3G

WiMax spectrum is more economical than 3G.
The price paid per Hz is as much as 1000 times lower than for 3G spectrum The low cost is a clear driver for service providers to enter the field of wireless services with WiMax

Advantages of WiMax over 3G

WiMAX is important for mobile broadband wireless, as it completes 3G by providing higher performance for data with more than 1 Mbps downstream to allow connection of laptops and PDAs WiMAX technology is the solution for many types of high-bandwidth applications at the same time across long distances and will enable service carriers to converge the all-IPbased network for triple-play services data, voice, and video

Advantages of WiMax over 3G

WiMAX interoperable solutions enable economies of scale through integration of standard chipsets, making WiMAX Forum Certified products cost-effective at delivering high-capacity broadband services at large coverage distances in Line Of Sight and Non Line Of Sight conditions

USES OF WIMAX

More

FUTURE
WiMax will be deployed in three stages
In the first phase WiMaX technology (based on IEEE 802.16-2004) provides fixed wireless connections In the second phase WiMaX will be available as a cheap and self-installing Subscriber Terminal (ST), linked to PC and to antenna The third phase enables portability, thus WiMAX (based on IEEE 802.16e) will be integrated into commercial laptops

Promises

ISSUES in 3G vs. WIMAX

Deployment of the network
WIMAX deployment is in the planning stages and it might take 3-5 years in providing reasonable coverage in well populated areas WiMax may initially be relegated to college campuses and larger corporate campuses where people are less mobile and costs containment is important

ISSUES in 3G vs. WIMAX

Quality of Service
To provide quality of service by deploying WIMAX networks and to facilitate the continuous availability of service, careful planning is required at the edge of the network to manage network monitoring, availability, failover, routing etc This can actually be done using outsourced services in cheap labor markets like India and China via the public Internet

ISSUES in 3G vs. WIMAX

Cost Issue
The main reason to opt for WIMAX is its low cost. The price paid per Hz for WIMAX spectrum is as much as 1000 times lower than for 3G spectrum The low cost of WIMAX spectrum compared to 3G is a clear driver for service providers to enter the field of wireless services with WIMAX

The WIMAX Forum

Founded in April 2001 No Profit organization comprised of wireless access system manufacturers, component suppliers, software developers and carriers

A wireless industry consortium that supports and promotes WiMAXs commercial usage
Comply with the WiMAX standard and focus on the interoperability Members include Intel, AT&T, Siemens Mobile, British Telecommunications, etc

Conclusion (The Final Issue)

Will WIMAX replace 3G?
Along with the forthcoming standardization, WiMAX has the potential to substitute 3G and become a promising 4G WiMAX has its distinct identity as either a stand-alone solution for incumbent and competitive fixed network operators or as complementary radio access solution for established 2G and 3G cellular network operators Fixed-line operators, on the one hand, may consider WiMAX as a viable alternative to add mobility to the service portfolio, leveraging their huge subscriber base, in particular in countries where 3G licensing is delayed or not affordable

References
www.ewh.ieee.org/r4/chicago/Yu-WiMAX.pdf http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wimax.htm www.wimaxforum.org http://standards.ieee.org/catalog/olis/lanman.html

Questions?