WIMAX TECHNOLOGY

ABSTRACT

WiMAX is an IP based, wireless broadband access technology that provides performance similar to 802.11/Wi-Fi networks with the coverage and QOS (quality of service) of cellular networks. WiMAX is also an acronym meaning "Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).

WiMAX is a wireless digital communications system, also known as IEEE 802.16, that is intended for wireless "metropolitan area networks". WiMAX can provide broadband wireless access (BWA) up to 30 miles (50 km) for fixed stations, and 3 - 10 miles (5 - 15 km) for mobile stations. In contrast, the WiFi/802.11 wireless local area network standard is limited in most cases to only 100 - 300 feet (30 - 100m).

With WiMAX, WiFi-like data rates are easily supported, but the issue of interference is lessened. WiMAX operates on both licensed and non-licensed frequencies, providing a regulated environment and viable economic model for wireless carriers.

At its heart, however, WiMAX is a standards initiative. Its purpose is to ensure that the broadband wireless radios manufactured for customer use interoperate from vendor to vendor. The primary advantages of the WiMAX standard are to enable the adoption of advanced radio features in a uniform fashion and reduce costs for all of the radios made by companies, who are part of the WiMAX Forum™ - a standards body formed to ensure interoperability via testing. The more recent Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard is a similar term describing a parallel technology to WiMAX that is being developed by vendors and carriers as a counterpoint to WiMAX.

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Until recently, Internet access basically came in three flavors: broadband, Wi-Fi, and dial-up. 

Broadband — commonly hooked up in your home through either a DSL or cable modem — can be

 expensive and isn't available in many remote regions of the country; Wi-Fi, although wireless, has a 

very limited range; and dial-up is, well, just slow and outdated.

But now a fourth option has entered the online arena that is designed to address some of its 

predecessors shortcomings. It's called WiMax.

What is WiMAX?

Introduction 

What is WiMAX? Simply put WiMAX is, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, a technology standard that enables high speed wireless internet. In other words, WiMAX combines the high speed of a broadband connection with the convenience of mobile internet connectivity. WiMAX provides wireless broadband access up to a radius of 50 kilometers (30 miles) for fixed receivers and 5-15 kilometers (3-10 miles) for mobile receivers.

Along with a competing standard called "LTE," WiMax, short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, represents 4G or the "fourth generation" of wireless Internet. The new technology is similar to Wi-Fi in that it allows users to connect to the Internet without wires. But unlike Wi-Fi, which might be able to cover a whole building or city block, WiMax can cover vast distances (like the cell phone network), and provides high-speed Internet access (like broadband). It is is essentially, wireless broadband. What this means for Internet users is the ability to Tweet, type, or search online using a desktop or laptop computer from almost any geographic location — not just the confines of a local coffee shop or book store.

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2010-09-23/tech/30053061_1_wimax-network-wi-fi-microwave-access#ixzz1ytpKN9LA
How does WiMAX work? 

WiMAX needs setting up of a tower to establish microwave connections with the users. This operates in the same way as a cell phone tower. In the case of WiMAX, the tower is connected to internet through a high speed cable like a T3 line. The difference from broadband is that here the bandwidth does not have to be divided using wires.
WiMAX is in a way an advanced version of WiFi, a similar technology. Whereas WiFi allows a network within a radius of 30-100 meters (100-300 feet), WiMAX connectivity can be extended over a radius of up to 50 kilometers. This high speed data transfer over a much larger area is made possible by lessening interference using the IEEE 802.16 Air Interface Standard. Currently WiMAX operates on both licensed and non-licensed frequencies.

Advantage and Applications 

As it is possible to use WiMAX over longer distances, this technology may come in handy in creating city wide networks. It is also better suited than WiFi for large area public places like airports, college and university campuses and large office set ups. It also provides for greater mobility to users. This way WiMAX may be a good option for people on the move using gadgets like laptops, iPods and PDAs.
As WiMAX follows a point-to-multipoint architecture, it is an ideal solution for delivering broadband to places where it would not be viable to establish wired connections. Rural areas and high rises are examples for this situation. Currently this last mile part of the connectivity is the biggest stumbling block to broadband providers, in terms of cost and manpower requirements. WiMAX can bring down the costs and subsequently make internet connectivity cheaper to the end user. Another advantage over some other wireless technologies is that WiMAX does not need a direct line of sight between the source and the receptor. It also has a comparatively high shared data rate at 70Mbps,which is good enough to reach about a thousand homes.
WiMAX is also an excellent saver of time. As it does not need cables to connect with the receptors, it is possible to establish connection to an entire campus or even city in a matter of a few days. WiMAX also allows for greater convergence of diverse applications such as fixed and mobile telephony, apart from entertainment sectors like television.

Challenges 

That said, WiMAX need not come to eliminate wired connectivity altogether. In areas where wired broadband is already established, DSL still reigns supreme. Thus it is more likely that WiMAX will developas a complementary to wired connectivity. Secondly, the real potential of WiMAX is in the possibility of bringing diverse services such as telephony, mobile television and broadband internet under its umbrella. This requires that players from these different fields work together to provide single point service to the end user. Consumer billing and mutual settlement systems have to be extremely efficient to handle these requirements.

Coverage and Speed

The WiMax network operates similarly to a Wi-Fi connection, but with a few key differences. The 

system has two main components: A WiMax tower and a WiMax receiver. Like Wi-Fi, WiMax can

 connect directly to the Internet by sending a signal from a WiMax tower to a WiMax-enabled 

computer via a wired connection. A WiMax tower, however, can also connect to a second tower — 

this is what allows the network to provide long-range wireless service. WiMax transmiters can cover

 an estimated 30-mile radius whereas Wi-Fi's range is about 100 feet. In other words, WiMax turns 

many small, scattered hot spots into one huge wireless hot spot.

The Future of WiMax

In 2008, a new company called Clearwire — an investment of Google, Intel, Comcast, Time Warner, 

and Sprint  — launched its plan to build a WiMax network across the nation. Today, Clearwire offers 

service in 53 U.S. markets, including Boston, Chicago, and Las Vegas. Clearwire announced a 

soft-lauch of WiMax in New York and Los Angeles in September, with a full roll out expected by the 

end of this year.

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2010-09-23/tech/30053061_1_wimax-network-wi-fi-microwave-access#ixzz1ytpT2r1F