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 cableaccess 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)

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

Wireless

Faster than broadband service

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

Wide (20MHz) frequency

channels

MAC designed to support 10s

of users

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

MAC designed to support

thousands of users.

RELATIVE PERFORMANCE
Channel
Bandwidth

Maximum
Data Rate

Maximum
bps/Hz

802.11

20 MHz

54 Mbps

2.7 bps/Hz

802.16a

1.5 20 MHz

100 Mbps

5.0 bps/Hz

Quality of Service
802.11

Contention-based MAC
(CSMA/CA) => no guaranteed QoS
Standard cannot currently
guarantee latency for Voice, Video
Standard does not allow for
differentiated levels of service on a
per-user basis

802.11e (proposed) QoS is

prioritization only

802.16a

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

Range
802.11

802.16a

Optimized for ~100 meters

No near-far compensation

Designed to handle indoor multipath delay spread of 0.8 seconds

Optimization centers around PHY
and MAC layer for 100m range

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

Coverage
802.11

Optimized for indoor

performance

802.16a

No mesh topology support within

ratified standards

Optimized for outdoor NLOS

performance
Standard supports mesh network
topology
Standard supports advanced
antenna techniques

Security
802.11

Existing standard is WPA +

WEP
802.11i in process of addressing
security

802.16a

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?