Evolution of Wireless Access systems

Maria Missiroli

Fondazione Ugo Bordoni

(source: Nokia)

WiMAX: basic aspects

WiMAX is the implementation of standard IEEE802.16 (physical and MAC layers) The standard ensures the interoperability among products of different manufacturers It is more efficient and flexible in spectrum use than basic WiFi (employs OFDM modulation) Can be used for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communications allowing high capacity channels over large distances (many km in rural areas, about 1 km in urban areas) Licensed or unlicensed frequency bands In Europe the frequency band initially identified for WiMAX is the 3.5 GHz band

Fixed and mobile standards (16d, 16e)

WiMAX applications
Countermeasure to Digital Divide many rural or mountain communities have no access to cable wideband the answer to digital divide is an increasingly compelling issue

Broadband Wireless Access in metropolitan areas

possible alternative or complement to ADSL in densely inhabitated areas by new operators avoiding the unbundling (particularly crucial in Italy) user nomadicity (and/or mobility) while maintaining the link to the same operator, if large coverage areas are provided

Architectures
Backhaul
Directive Point-To-Point links to connect base stations

Last mile
Point-To-MultiPoint links to connect business or home subscribers to the base stations

Large areas coverage

WiMAX base station to repeater station link for WiFi subscriber access

Adaptive modulation
A robust scheme of adaptive modulation enables WiMAX to offer high datarate at great distance, with high spectral efficiency and tolerance to NonLine-Of-Sight propagation

WiMax vs WiFi
Coverage and performance WiMax can operate over large distances by using licensed frequency bands (the required Tx power is allowed) WiFi uses unlicenced frequency bands, with strict limits to tx power (hot-spot coverage) Costs User equipment will have similar costs WiMAX networks requires costly infrastructure, while WiFi operates through low cost access-points Time to market WiFi has been present for some years (mature technology) WiMAX is currently unfergoing licence assignment or infrastructure deployment Quality-Of-Service WiFi uses CSMA/CA for radio access with no QoS guarantee WiMax allows QoS management at the MAC level

Mobile WiMax vs HSPA

Costs Equipment cost is lower for WIMAX WiMAX requires new infrastructures while HSPA works on UMTS infrastructure Coverage and performance Grossly equivalent Time to market HSDPA launched in 2006, HSUPA expectedly launched in 2008 WiMAX mobile standardised in 2005, first equipment ready in 2007 Acceptance HSPA is favoured by current mobile operators

Digital Divide in Italy (source: Infratel)

The BWA regulatory situation in Italy

In the band 3.4-3.6 GHz: 150 MHz to be liberated by the Defense Ministry and allocated to BWA services
On 30 May 2005 the Italian Authority for Communication has published the Regulations for Assignment of Right of Use for BWA

systems

The Ministry of Communications will then issue the notice for the auction of the frequency bands

Rules for BWA frequency assignment in Italy

3 rights of use, for each geographic area, of at least 2x21 MHz (one reserved

for newcomers)

geographic areas to be defined as regions or groups of regions some minimum coverage requirements, to be fulfilled within 30 months from the release of the rights of use, defined in terms of covered municipalities, as well as some obligations of actual frequency use, in order to avoid an action of foreclosure the Ministry of Communication could enforce such requirements in order to ensure an effective measure against the digital divide

fulfilling the technology neutrality principle, no limitations on final services

are defined

Flexible use of radio spectrum

New wireless systems offer converging service classes (triple play) To optimise BWA access to the public, the EC (Radio spectrum Policy Group) is considering a process of liberalisation of some spectrum bands to be assigned following the approach of technology neutrality and/or service

neutrality

A common approach among European countries is desirable

Envisaged actions
Open IMT-2000 bands to complementary data-optimized technologies like WiMAX
Permit mobile broadband services in other bands that have common global allocations

Let operators decide which services to offer within their spectrum holdings
Allow spectrum licensees to choose the duplexing scheme whether TDD or FDD Introduce trading in rights of use in the secondary market

Some frequency bands initially candidate to flexible use

470-862 MHz: presently TV broadcasting; digital dividend after digitalisation 880-915 MHz / 925-960 MHz e 1710-1785 MHz / 1805-1880 MHz: currently GSM mobile telephony 1900-1980 MHz / 2010-2025 MHz / 2110-2170 MHz: currently IMT2000/UMTS

2500-2690 MHz (2.6 GHz band): still undergoing concession, intended for 3G mobile service (IMT-2000)
3400-3800 MHz: 3.4-3.6 GHz undergoing licensing for BWA applications. Used for satellite communications in Russia and many African countries.