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1. Introduction
There is no doubt the world is going wireless – faster and more broadly than
anyone might have expected. The premise for this vision is clear: all high speed wireless
technologies (Bluetooth, WI-Fi, WiMAX etc) will coexist, working in tandem to meet
service provider and customer needs for truly mobile computing and communications
across the globe. The transition to wireless really started during the Internet revolution.
What began as an exchange mechanism for electronic data has sparked worldwide
demand for anytime /anywhere computing and communications. The advent of Wi-Fi
technology and hotspots is only beginning to meet this need. Offering portable Internet
access, hotspots provide connections to users within a limited range of an access point.
Although hotspots extend the reach of the Internet, they still bind users at a fixed
location. Meanwhile, many users want mobile access-the ability to gain their high-
bandwidth Internet connection even as they freely move about their lives .While Wi-Fi is
ideal for isolated “islands” of connectivity, WiMAX and 3G are both needed for long
distance wireless access. Meanwhile, WiMAX and 3G are both required because their
optimum platforms differ: WiMAX works best for computing platforms, such as laptops,
while 3G is best for mobile devices like PDA and cell phones.

WiMAX is a credible solution to a number of problems that have plagued the

fixed wireless industry since its inception- namely, the lack of an open standard and the
absence of major silicon vendors and equipment suppliers. Once WiMAX certified
equipment is available from a number of suppliers, increased competition can occur, and
with the volumes shipped, more attractive price points can be reached. If WiMAX
continues to gain more support from industry, it can also provide broadband access in
remote regions and developing parts of the world where basic broadband access using
fixed line is not feasible. Additionally, WiMAX can potentially be used to provide
backhaul in cellular networks or it can be used to significantly enhance the performance
of public Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) hot spots by increasing the capability in the network
and by making it easier and by making it easier and more economical to deploy Wi-Fi
access points.
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2. What is WiMAX
WiMAX is the short form of Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
WiMAX is based upon the IEEE 802.16 standard enabling the delivery of wireless
broadband services anytime, anywhere. WiMAX products can accommodate fixed and
mobile usage models. The IEEE 802.16 standard was developed to deliver non-line-of-
sight (NLOS) connectivity between a subscriber station and base station with typical cell
radius of three to ten kilometers.

WiMAX is a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile

wireless broadband access as an alternative to wired broadband like cable and DSL.
WiMAX provides fixed , nomadic, portable and, soon, mobile wireless broadband
connectivity without the need for direct line-of-sight with a base station. In a typical cell
radius deployment of three to ten kilometers, WiMAX Forum Certified systems can
deliver capacity of up to 40 Mbps per channel, for fixed and portable access
applications. This is enough bandwidth to simultaneously support hundreds of
businesses with T-1 speed connectivity and thousands of residences with DSL speed
connectivity. Mobile network deployments are expected to provide up to 15 Mbps of
capacity within a typical cell radius deployment of up to three kilometers.

2.1 USES:

The bandwidth and range of WiMAX make it suitable for the following potential
applications:
• Connecting Wi-Fi hotspots with other parts of the Internet.
• Providing a wireless alternative to cable and DSL for "last mile” broadband
access.
• Providing data and telecommunications services.
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• Providing a source of Internet connectivity as part of a business continuity plan. That

is, a business has a fixed and a wireless Internet connection, especially from unrelated
providers, they are unlikely to be affected by the same service outage.

2.2. WiMAX vs. WLAN

Unlike WLAN, WiMAX provides a media access control (MAC) layer that uses a
grant-request mechanism to authorize the exchange of data. This feature allows better
exploitation of the radio resources, in particular with smart antennas, and independent
management of the traffic of every user. This simplifies the support of real-time and
voice applications. One of the inhibitors to widespread deployment of WLAN was the
poor security feature of the first releases. WiMAX proposes the full range of security
features to ensure secured data exchange:
- Terminal authentication by exchanging certificates to prevent rogue devices,
- User authentication using the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP),
- Data encryption using the Data Encryption Standard (DES) or Advanced
Encryption Standard (AES), both much more robust than the Wireless Equivalent Privacy
(WEP) initially used by WLAN. Furthermore, each service is encrypted with its own
security association and private keys.

2.3. WiMAX- vs. Wi-Fi

WiMAX operates on the same general principles as WiFi -- it sends data from one
computer to another via radio signals. A computer (either a desktop or a laptop) equipped
with WiMAX would receive data from the WiMAX transmitting station, probably using
encrypted data keys to prevent unauthorized users from stealing access. The fastest WiFi
connection can transmit up to 54 megabits per second under optimal conditions. WiMAX
should be able to handle up to 70 megabits per second. Even once that70 megabits is split up
between several dozen businesses or a few hundred home users, it will provide at least the
equivalent of cable-modem transfer rates to each user.

The biggest difference isn't speed; it's distance. WiMAX outdistances Wi-Fi
by miles. Wi-Fi’s range is about 100 feet (30 m). WiMAX will blanket a radius of 30
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miles (50 km) with wireless access. The increased range is due to the frequencies used
and the power of the transmitter. Of course, at that distance, terrain, weather and large
buildings will act to reduce the maximum range in some circumstances, but the potential
is there to cover huge tracts of land.

WiMax is not designed to clash with Wi-Fi, but to coexist with it. WiMax coverage is
measured in square kilometers, while that of Wi-Fi is measured in square meters. The
original WiMax standard (IEEE 802.16) proposes the usage of 10-66 GHz frequency
spectrum for the WiMax transmission, which is well above the Wi-Fi range (up to 5GHz
maximum). But 802.16a added support for 2-11 GHz frequency also. One WiMax base
station can be accessed by more than 60 users. WiMax can also provide broadcasting services
also.

WiMax specifications also provides much better facilities than Wi-Fi, providing
higher bandwidth and high data security by the use of enhanced encryption schemes. WiMax
can also provide service in both Line Of Sight (LOS) and Non-Line Of Sight (NLOS)
locations, but the range will vary accordingly. WiMax will allow the interpenetration for
broadband service provision of VoIP, video, and internet access – simultaneously. WiMax
can also work with existing mobile networks. WiMax antennas can "share" a cell tower
without compromising the function of cellular arrays already in place.

2.4. WiMAX Design

The design of the WiMAX is ideal for challenges related with earlier versions of
wired and wireless access networks. At the same time the backhaul connects the
WiMAX system to the network, it is not an integrated part of WiMAX system.
Normally a WiMAX network consists of two parts, a WiMAX Base Station (BS) and a
WiMAX receiver also referred as Customer Premise Equipment (CPE).

2.4.1. Backhaul

Backhaul is actually a connection system from the Access Point (AP) back to the
provider and to the connection from the provider to the network. A backhaul can set out
any technology and media provided; it connects the system to the backbone. In most of
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the WiMAX deployments circumstances, it is also possible to connect several base

stations with one another by use of high speed backhaul microware links. This would
also allow for roaming by a WiMAX subscriber from one base station coverage area to
another, similar to roaming enabled by cellular phone.

2.4.2. Receiver
A WiMAX receiver, which is also referred as Customer Premise Equipment
(CPE), may have a separate antenna or could be a stand-alone box or a PCMCIA card
that inserted in a laptop or a desktop computer. Access to a WiMAX base station is
similar to accessing a wireless access point (AP) in a Wi-Fi network, but the coverage is
more. So far one of the biggest restrictions to the widespread acceptance of WiMAX
has been the cost of CPE. This is not only the cost of CPE itself, but also that of
installation. In the past, Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) have been predominantly
Line Of Sight (LOS), requiring highly skilled labour and a truck role to install and
provide a service to customer. The concept of a self-installed CPE has been difficult for
BWA from the beginning, but with the advent of WiMAX, this issue seems to be
getting resolved Base Station (BS).

A WiMAX base station comprises of internal devices and a WiMAX tower. A

base station can normally covers the area of about 50 kilometers or 30 miles radius, but
some other and environmental issues bound the limits of WiMAX range to 10 km or 6
miles. Any wireless user within the coverage area would be able to access the WiMAX
services. The WiMAX base stations would use the media access control layer defines in
the standard and would allocate uplink and downlink bandwidth to subscribers
according to their requirements on real time basis.

2.5. Types of WiMAX

The WiMAX families of standards concentrate on two types of usage models a
fixed usage model and a mobile usage model. The basic element that differentiates
these systems is the ground speed at which the systems are designed to manage. Based
on mobility, wireless access systems are designed to operate on the move without any
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disruption of service; wireless access can be divided into three classes; stationary,
pedestrian and vehicular. A mobile wireless access system is one that can address the
vehicular class, whereas the fixed serves the stationary and pedestrian classes. This
raises a question about the nomadic wireless access system, which is referred to as a
system that works as a fixed wireless access system but can change its location.

2.5.1. Fixed WiMAX

Service and consumer usage of WiMAX for fixed access is expected to reflect that
of fixed wire-line service, with many of the standards-based requirements being confined
to the air interface. Because communications takes place via wireless links from
Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) to a remote Non Line-of-sight (NLOS) base station,
requirements for link security are greater than those needed for a wireless service. The
security mechanisms within the IEEE 802.16 standards are sufficient for fixed access
service.

Another challenge for the fixed access air interface is the need to set up high
performance radio links capable of data rates comparable to wired broadband service,
using equipment that can be self installed indoors by users, as is the case for Digital
Subscriber Line (DSL) and cable modems. IEEE 802.16 standards provide advanced
physical (PHY) layer techniques to achieve link margins capable of supporting high
throughput in NLOS environments.

2.5.2 Mobile WiMAX

The 802.16a extension, refined in January 2003, uses a lower frequency of 2 to 11
GHz, enabling NLOS connections. The latest 802.16e task group is capitalizing on the
new capabilities this provides by working on developing a specification to enable mobile
WiMAX clients. These clients will be able to hand off between WiMAX base stations,
enabling users to roam between service areas.
Mobile WiMAX is a broadband wireless solution that enables convergence of
mobile and fixed broadband networks through a common wide area broadband radio
access technology and flexible network architecture. The Mobile WiMAX Air Interface
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adopts Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) for improved multi-
path performance in non-line-of-sight environments. Scalable OFDMA (SOFDMA) is
introduced in the IEEE 802.16e Amendment to support scalable channel bandwidths from
1.25 to 20 MHz. The Mobile Technical Group (MTG) in the WiMAX Forum is
developing the Mobile WiMAX system profiles that will define the mandatory and
optional features of the IEEE standard that are necessary to build a Mobile WiMAX
compliant air interface that can be certified by the WiMAX Forum. The Mobile WiMAX
System Profile enables mobile systems to be configured based on a common base feature
set thus ensuring baseline functionality for terminals and base stations that are fully
interoperable. Some elements of the base station profiles are specified as optional to
provide additional flexibility for deployment based on specific deployment scenarios that
may require different configurations that are either capacity-optimized or coverage-
optimized. Release-1 Mobile WiMAX profiles will cover 5, 7, 8.75, and 10 MHz channel
bandwidths for licensed worldwide spectrum allocations in the 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz, and
3.5 GHz frequency bands.

3. History of WiMAX

The IEEE 802.16 Working Group is the IEEE group for wireless metropolitan area
network. The IEEE 802.16 standard defines the Wireless MAN (metropolitan area
network) air interface specification (officially known as the IEEE Wireless MAN
standard). This wireless broadband access standard could supply the missing link for the
“last mile” connection in wireless metropolitan area networks.
Wireless broadband access is set up like cellular systems, using base stations that
service a radius of several miles/kilometers. Base stations do not necessarily have to
reside on a tower. More often than not, the base station antenna will be located on a
rooftop of a tall building or other elevated structure such as a grain silo or water tower. A
customer premise unit, similar to a satellite TV setup, is all it takes to connect the base
station to a customer. The signal is then routed via standard Ethernet cable either directly
to a single computer, or to an 802.11 hot spot or a wired Ethernet LAN.
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The IEEE 802.16 designed to operate in the 10-66 GHz spectrum and it specifies
the physical layer (PHY) and medium access control layer (MAC) of the air interface
BWA systems. At 10-66 GHz range, transmission requires Line-of-Sight (LOS). IEEE
802.16 is working group number 16 of IEEE 802, specializing in point-to-multipoint
broadband wireless access. The IEEE 802.16 standard provides the foundation for a
wireless MAN industry. However, the physical layer is not suitable for lower frequency
applications where non-line-of-sight (NLOS) operation is required. For this reason, the
IEEE published 802.16a standard to accommodate NLOS requirement in April 2003. The
standard operates in licensed and unlicensed frequencies between 2 GHz and 11 GHz,
and it is an extension of the IEEE 802.16 standard.
The IEEE 802.16 Working Group created a new standard, commonly known as
WiMax, for broadband wireless access at high speed and low cost, which is easy to
deploy, and which provides a scalable solution for extension of a fiber-optic backbone.
WiMax base stations can offer greater wireless coverage of about 5 miles, with LOS (line
of sight) transmission within bandwidth of up to 70 Mbps.

WiMax is supported by the industry itself, including Intel, Dell, Motorola, Fujitsu,
AT&T, British Telecom, France Telecom, Reliance Infocomm, Siemens, Sify, Price
Watehouse Coopers and Tata Teleservices – forming an alliance called WiMax Forum. It
represents the next generation of wireless networking. WiMAX original release the
802.16 standard addressed applications in licensed bands in the 10 to 66 GHz frequency
range. Subsequent amendments have extended the 802.16 air interface standard to cover
non-line of sight (NLOS) applications in licensed and unlicensed bands in the sub 11
GHz frequency range. Filling the gap between Wireless LANs and wide area networks,
WiMAX-compliant systems will provide a cost-effective fixed wireless alternative to
conventional wire-line DSL and cable in areas where those technologies are readily
available. And more importantly the WiMAX technology can provide a cost-effective
broadband access solution in areas beyond the reach of DSL and cable. The ongoing
evolution of IEEE 802.16 will expand the standard to address mobile applications thus
enabling broadband access directly to WiMAX-enabled portable devices ranging from
smart phones and PDAs to notebook and laptop computers. Figure. below summarizes
the 802.16 standards.
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IEEE 802.16 standardizes the air interface and related functions associated with
wireless local loop. The charter originally envisioned that three working groups would
each to produce a standalone standard referred to as 802.16.1, 802.16.2 and 802.16.3.
During development a decision was made the first and third tasks were significantly
related; the result was two standards and an amendment was released.

• IEEE 802.16 (formerly 802.16.1) - Air interface for 10 to 66 GHz, also known as
Local Multipoint Distribution Service. It was approved in December 2001. It
delivered a standard for point to multipoint Broadband Wireless transmission in
the 10-66 GHz band, with only a line-of-sight (LOS) capability. It uses a single
carrier (SC) physical (PHY) standard.
• IEEE 802.16.2 - Coexistence of broadband wireless access system
• IEEE 802.16a (the former 802.16.3) was an amendment to 802.16 and delivered a
point to multipoint capability in the 2-11 GHz band. For this to be of use, it also
required a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) capability, and the PHY standard was
therefore extended to include Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex (OFDM)
and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). 802.16a was
ratified in January 2003 and was intended to provide "last mile" fixed broadband
access.

802.16c a further amendment to 802.16, delivered a system profile for the 10-66 GHz
802.16 standard. In September 2003, a revision project called 802.16d commenced
aiming to align the standard with aspects of the European Telecommunications Standards
Institute (ETSI) HIPERMAN standard as well as lay down conformance and test
specifications. This project concluded in 2004 with the release of 802.16-2004 which
superseded the earlier 802.16 documents, including the a & c amendments.
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IEEE 802.16 projects and standards

Standard Description Status

802.16-2001 Fixed Broadband Wireless Access (10–63 GHz) Superseded
802.16.2-2001 Recommended practice for coexistence Superseded
802.16c-2002 System profiles for 10–63 GHz Superseded
802.16a-2003 Physical layer and MAC definitions for 2–11 GHz Superseded
License-exempt frequencies
P802.16b Withdrawn
(Project withdrawn)
Maintenance and System profiles for 2–11 GHz
P802.16d Merged
(Project merged into 802.16-2004)
Air Interface for Fixed Broadband Wireless Access
802.16-2004 System Superseded
(rollup of 802.16-2001, 802.16a, 802.16c and P802.16d)
Coexistence with 2–11 GHz and 23.5–43.5 GHz
P802.16.2a Merged
(Project merged into 802.16.2-2004)
Recommended practice for coexistence
802.16.2-2004 (Maintenance and rollup of 802.16.2-2001 and Current
P802.16.2a)
802.16f-2005 Management Information Base (MIB) for 802.16-2004 Superseded
802.16-2004/Cor Corrections for fixed operations
Superseded
1-2005 (co-published with 802.16e-2005)
802.16e-2005 Mobile Broadband Wireless Access System Superseded
Bridging of 802.16
802.16k-2007 Current
(an amendment to IEEE 802.1D)
802.16g-2007 Management Plane Procedures and Services Superseded
Mobile Management Information Base
P802.16i Merged
(Project merged into 802.16-2009)
Air Interface for Fixed and Mobile Broadband Wireless
Access System
802.16-2009 Current
(rollup of 802.16-2004, 802.16-2004/Cor 1, 802.16e,
802.16f, 802.16g and P802.16i)
802.16j-2009 Multichip relay Current
Improved Coexistence Mechanisms for License-Exempt
P802.16h in progress
Operation

Advanced Air Interface with data rates of 100 Mbit/s

P802.16m in progress
mobile & 1 Gbit/s fixed
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An amendment to 802.16-2004, IEEE 802.16e-2005 (formerly known as IEEE

802.16e), addressing mobility, was concluded in 2005. This implemented a number of
enhancements to 802.16-2004, including better support for Quality of Service and the use
of Scalable OFDMA, and is sometimes called “Mobile WiMAX”, after the WiMAX
forum for interoperability.

3.1. WiMax Forum

WiMAX Forum is a non-profit corporation that was formed in April 2001 by
equipment and component suppliers to help to promote and certify the compatibility and
interoperability of Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) equipment. As of May 2004, there
are over 100 members of WiMAX Forum. WiMAX’s members, which include Airspan,
Alcatel, Alvarion, Fujitsu, Intel, OFDM Forum, Proxim, Siemens, account for over 75
percent of sales in the 2 to 11 GHz BWA market.
The WiMAX Forum (the Forum) is a coalition of wireless and computer industry
companies that has endorsed and is aggressively marketing the WiMAX standard. A
principal purpose of the organization is to promote and certify compatibility and
interoperability of devices based on the various 802.16 specifications and to develop such
devices for the global marketplace.

The Forum believes that the adoption of industry standards will be a key factor in
any successful deployment of WiMAX technology. For example, one of the most
significant problems with Wi-Fi initial deployment, was the lack of any early industry
standards. In the early days of Wi-Fi deployment, the marketplace was saturated with
equipment well before industry standards were adopted. As a result, equipment often
lacked interoperability and was expensive. One of the purposes of the WiMAX Forum is
to create a single interoperable standard from the IEEE and ET the WiMAX Forum
anticipates rollout of its technology in three phases.

Phase I (2004 - 2005): Fixed Location, Private Line Services, Hot Spot Back- Haul.
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Using the initial 802.16 standard as its cornerstone, Phase I of WiMAX deployment
has already begun with the provision of traditional dedicated-line services to carriers and
enterprises. Companies such as Tower stream Wireless are offering wireless Internet
access to more than 600 customers in six major markets, including New York, Boston
and Chicago.14 Phase I also will include such operations as aggregating public Wi-Fi hot
spots to a central, high-capacity internet connection.

Phase II -(2005 - 2006): Broadband Wireless Access/Wireless DSL.

Phase II of the rollout will entail the first mass-market application of WiMAX
technology. With the backing of computer industry heavyweights such as Intel
Corporation and Dell, this phase will involve the delivery of low-cost, user installable
premises equipment that will not have to be pointed at a base station. In conjunction with
the equipment rollout, the Forum anticipates that the number of wireless internet service
providers (WISPs) utilizing WiMAX compatible technology will increase exponentially.

Phase III (2007): Mobile/Nomadic Users.

Phase III of the rollout will focus on the development of a mobile-broadband
market. In this final phase, laptops and other mobile computing devices will be fully
integrated with WiMAX chips and antennas, allowing mobile workers to send and
receive high-bandwidth files such as schematics, videos, and multimedia presentations in
real time over a wireless broadband connection. The WiMAX Forum anticipates that the
technology will be deployed for the offering of other products and services, as well SI
BWA standards.
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4. Why WiMAX
WiMAX stands for wireless interoperatibility for microwave access. WiMAX
is expected to do more for Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) and what Wi-Fi has
done for local area networks (LANs)? WiMAX is not projected to replace Wi-Fi, but to
complement it by connecting Wi-Fi networks to each other or the Internet through high-
speed wireless links. You can therefore use WiMAX technology to extend the power
and range of Wi-Fi and cellular networks. However, in developing countries, WiMAX
may become the only wireless technology because Wi-Fi and cellular have not
penetrated areas that can be reached with WiMAX technology.

4.1 Range
The wide range of the WiMAX technology depends on the height of the antennas,
if they are installed at the suitable position from where there is no barrier between the
transmitter and receiver, and then we can get better range and service from it. Even
though the frequency for operation of WiMAX is not definite, the most likely band at
3.5GHz is higher in frequency than the 3G bands at around 2.1 GHz. Range will, as a
result, be lower, perhaps somewhere between 50% and 75% of the range of 3G.
WiMAX can therefore support 30 to 50 kilometers distance with Line-of-Sight (LOS)
links. As far as Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) links in concerned WiMAX can support the
broad range from 3 to 10 kilometers using advanced modulation algorithm that can
overcome many interfering objects that Wi-Fi systems cannot pass through.

4.2 Data Rates

The technology used for WiMAX is Orthogonal Frequency Division

Multiplexing (OFDM), it is not appreciably more supernaturally efficient then the
technology commonly used for 3G that is Wideband Code Division Multiple Access
(WCDMA). However OFDM is coupled with a high channel bandwidth, that allows
greater data rates. So, on average, for an equivalent spectrum allocation, users will see
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similar data rates. In specific simulations, where there are few users, it is possible that
WiMAX will provide a higher data rate than 3G. However, in commercial systems, such
simulations are likely rare.

Data Rates

4.3 Quality of Service (QoS)

Excellent Quality Of service management donates from variety of WiMAX features. Just as
on a Wi-Fi network, WiMAX users share a data pipe and QoS can degrade as more users are
added to the network. Using the QoS features of WiMAX service providers can guarantee
certain users specific bandwidth amounts by limiting the bandwidth consumption of other
users. Grant request mechanism for accessing to network is the first aspect of Quality of
Service. The WiMAX functioning of disagreement allocates only a fixed amount of time to
be given to these grant requests. Disagreement refers to the act of competing for access to
the network. Because of the limited amount of time available, bandwidth cannot be
consumed by contention requests. When a disagreement request comes into the network, the
system compares the request with a service level agreement for the user making the request,
and they are granted, or denied, access accordingly.
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Link by link modulation schemes is another benefit of WiMAX Quality of Service. In

other words, the base station can use different modulation schemes for different links.
The modulation scheme used is related directly to the distance of the link. Rather than all
users' links being downgraded by the user farthest away, link by link modulation enables
closer users to use higher data-rate modulation schemes.

Relationship with different wireless technologies

3G Wi-Fi WiMax802.16 Mobile-Fi

802.11 802.20

Max Speed 2 Mbps 54 Mbps 100 Mbps 16 Mbps

Coverage Several miles 300 feet 50 miles Several

miles

Airwave Licensed Unlicensed Either Licensed

Advantage Range Speed Speed ,range Speed

,mobility ,price ,mobility

Disadvantag Slow Short Interference High price

es ,expensive range issues
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5. How WiMAX Works

Typically, a WiMAX system consists of two parts.

5.1. A WiMAX Base Station

Base station consists of indoor electronics and a WiMAX tower. Typically, a base
station can cover up to 10 km radius (Theoretically, a base station can cover up to 50 kilo
meter radius or 30 miles, however practical considerations limit it to about 10 km or 6
miles). Any wireless node within the coverage area would be able to access the Internet.

5.2. A WiMAX receiver

The receiver and antenna could be a stand-alone box or a PC card that sits in your
laptop or computer. Access to WiMAX base station is similar to accessing a Wireless
Access Point in a Wi-Fi network, but the coverage is more. Several base stations can be
connected with one another by use of high-speed backhaul microwave links. This would
allow for roaming by a WiMAX subscriber from one base station to another base station
area, similar to roaming enabled by Cellular phone companies.

Several topology and backhauling options are to be supported on the WiMAX base
stations: wire line backhauling (typically over Ethernet), microwave Point-to-Point
connection, as well as WiMAX backhaul. With the latter option, the base station has the
capability to backhaul itself. This can be achieved by reserving part of the bandwidth
normally used for the end-user traffic and using it for backhauling purposes.

WiMAX actually can provide two forms of wireless service:

There is the non-line-of-sight, Wi-Fi sort of service, where a small antenna on subscriber
computer connects to the tower. In this mode, WiMAX uses a lower frequency range - 2
GHz to 11 GHz (similar to Wi-Fi). Lower-wavelength transmissions are not as easily
disrupted by physical obstructions -- they are better able to diffract, or bend, around
obstacles.
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There is line-of-sight service, where a fixed dish antenna points straight at the WiMAX
tower from a rooftop or pole. The line-of-sight connection is stronger and more stable, so
it's able to send a lot of data with fewer errors. Line-of-sight transmissions use higher
frequencies, with ranges reaching a possible 66 GHz. At higher frequencies, there is less
interference and lots more bandwidth.

Wi-Fi-style access will be limited to a 4-to-6 mile radius (perhaps 25 square miles or
65 square km of coverage, which is similar in range to a cell-phone zone). Through the
stronger line-of-sight antennas, the WiMAX transmitting station would send data to
WiMAX-enabled computers or routers set up within the transmitter's 30-mile radius
(2,800 square miles or 9,300 square km of coverage). This is what allows WiMAX to
achieve its maximum range. Below, at figure, we can see how WiMAX works

Fig: How WiMAX works

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5.3. WiMAX Technology in LOS and NLOS Environments.

The radio channel of a wireless communication system is often described as

being either LOS or NLOS. In a LOS link, a signal travels over a direct and unobstructed
path from the transmitter to the receiver. In a NLOS link, a signal reaches the receiver
through reflections, scattering, and diffractions. The signals arriving at the receiver
consists of components from the direct path, multiple reflected paths, scattered energy,
and diffracted propagation paths. These signals have different delay spreads, attenuation,
polarizations, and stability relative to the direct path.
The multi path phenomena can also cause the polarization of the signal to be
changed. Thus using polarization as a means of frequency re-use, as is normally done in
LOS deployments can be problematic in NLOS applications. How a radio system uses
these multi path signals to an advantage is the key to providing service in NLOS
conditions. A product that merely increases power to penetrate obstructions (sometimes
called “near line of sight”) is not NLOS technology because this approach still relies on a
strong direct path without using energy present in the indirect signals. Both LOS and
NLOS coverage conditions are governed by the propagation characteristics of their
environment, path loss, and radio link budget. There are several advantages that make
NLOS deployments desirable. For instance, strict planning requirements and antenna
height restrictions often do not allow the antenna to be positioned for LOS. For large-
scale contiguous cellular deployments, where frequency re-use is critical, lowering the
antenna is advantageous to reduce the co channel interference between adjacent cell sites.
This often forces the base stations to operate in NLOS conditions. LOS systems cannot
reduce antenna heights because doing so would impact the required direct view path from
the CPE to the Base Station.
NLOS technology also reduces installation expenses by making under-the-eaves
CPE installation a reality and easing the difficulty of locating adequate CPE mounting
locations. The technology also reduces the need for pre installation site surveys and
improves the accuracy of NLOS planning tools. The NLOS technology and the enhanced
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features in WiMAX make it possible to use indoor customer premise equipment (CPE).
This has two main challenges; firstly overcoming the building penetration losses and
secondly, covering reasonable distances with the lower transmit powers and antenna
gains that are usually associated with indoor CPEs. WiMAX makes this possible, and the
NLOS coverage can be further improved by leveraging some of WiMAX’s optional
capabilities.

5.4. Advanced Features of WiMAX

An important and very challenging function of the WiMAX system is the support
of various advanced antenna techniques, which are essential to provide high spectral
efficiency, capacity, system performance, and reliability:
- Beam forming using smart antennas provides additional gain to bridge long distances
or to increase indoor coverage; it reduces inter-cell interference and improves frequency
reuse,
- Transmit diversity and MIMO techniques using multiple antennas take advantage of
multipath reflections to improve reliability and capacity.

5.4.1 Smart Antenna Technologies

Smart antenna technologies typically involve complex vector or matrix operations on

signals due to multiple antennas. OFDMA allows smart antenna operations to be
performed on vector-flat sub-carriers. Complex equalizers are not required to compensate
for frequency selective fading. OFDMA therefore, is very well-suited to support smart
antenna technologies. In fact, MIMO-OFDM/OFDMA is envisioned as the corner-stone
for next generation broadband communication systems. Mobile WiMAX supports a full
range of smart antenna technologies to enhance system performance. The smart antenna
technologies supported include:
Beam forming: With beam forming, the system uses multiple-antennas to transmit
weighted signals to improve coverage and capacity of the system and reduce outage
probability.
 20

Space-Time Code (STC): Transmit diversity such as Alamouti code is supported to

provide spatial diversity and reduce fade margin.
Spatial Multiplexing (SM): Spatial multiplexing is supported to take advantage of
higher peak rates and increased throughput. With spatial multiplexing, multiple streams
are transmitted over multiple antennas. If the receiver also has multiple antennas, it can
separate the different streams to achieve higher throughput compared to single antenna
systems. With 2x2 MIMO, SM increases the peak data rate two-fold by transmitting two
data streams. In UL, each user has only one transmit antenna, two users can transmit
collaboratively in the same slot as if two streams are spatially multiplexed from two
antennas of the same user. This is called UL collaborative SM.

5.4.2. Fractional Frequency Reuse

WiMAX supports frequency reuse of one, i.e. all cells/sectors operate on the
same frequency channel to maximize spectral efficiency. However, due to heavy co
channel interference (CCI) in frequency reuse one deployment, users at the cell edge may
suffer degradation in connection quality. Users can operate on sub channels, which only
occupy a small fraction of the whole channel bandwidth; the cell edge interference
problem can be easily addressed by appropriately configuring sub channel usage without
resorting to traditional frequency planning. The flexible sub-channel reuse is facilitated
by sub-channel segmentation and permutation zone. A segment is a subdivision of the
available OFDMA sub-channels (one segment may include all sub-channels). One
segment is used for deploying a single instance of MAC. Permutation Zone is a number
of contiguous OFDMA symbols in DL or UL that use the same permutation. The DL or
UL sub-frame may contain more than one permutation zone as shown in the following
figure.
In Figure 10.2, F1, F2, and F3 represent different sets of sub-channels in the same
frequency channel. With this configuration, the full load frequency reuse one is
maintained for center users to maximize spectral efficiency and fractional frequency
reuse is implemented for edge users to assure edge-user connection quality and
throughput. The sub-channel reuse planning can be dynamically optimized across sectors
or cells based on network load and interference conditions on a frame by frame basis. All
 21

the cells and sectors therefore, can operate on the same frequency channel without the
need for frequency planning.

Fig: Fractional Frequency Reuse

5.4.3. Multicast and Broadcast Service (MBS)

Multicast and Broadcast Service (MBS) supported by WiMAX satisfies the

following requirements:
- High data rate and coverage using a Single Frequency Network (SFN)
- Flexible allocation of radio resources
- Low MS power consumption
- Support of data-casting in addition to audio and video streams
- Low channel switching time
The WiMAX Release-1 profile defines a toolbox for initial MBS service delivery. The
MBS service can be supported by either constructing a separate MBS zone in the DL
 22

frame along with unicast service (embedded MBS) or the whole frame can be dedicated
to MB (DL only) for standalone broadcast service.

5.4.4. OFDM Technology

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technology provides operators

with an efficient means to overcome the challenges of NLOS propagation. The WiMAX
OFDM waveform offers the advantage of being able to operate with the larger delay
spread of the NLOS environment. By virtue of the OFDM symbol time and use of a
cyclic prefix, the OFDM waveform eliminates the inter-symbol interference (ISI)
problems and the complexities of adaptive equalization. Because the OFDM waveform is
composed of multiple narrow band orthogonal carriers, selective fading is localized to a
subset of carriers that are relatively easy to equalize. An example is shown below as a
comparison between an OFDM signal and a single carrier signal, with the information
being sent in parallel for OFDM and in series for single carrier. The ability to overcome
delay spread, multi-path, and ISI in an efficient manner allows for higher data rate
throughput. As an example it is easier to equalize the individual OFDM carriers than it is
to equalize the broader single carrier signal. For all of these reasons recent international
standards such as those set by IEEE 802.16, ETSI BRAN, and ETRI, have established
OFDM as the preferred technology of choice.
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a multiplexing technique
that subdivides the bandwidth into multiple frequency sub-carriers as shown in Figure
9.3.1. In an OFDM system, the input data stream is divided into several parallel sub-
streams of reduced data rate (thus increased symbol duration) and each sub-stream is
modulated and transmitted on a separate orthogonal sub-carrier. The increased symbol
duration improves the robustness of OFDM to delay spread. Furthermore, the
introduction of the cyclic prefix (CP) can completely eliminate Inter-Symbol Interference
(ISI) as long as the CP duration is longer than the channel delay spread. The CP is
typically a repetition of the last samples of data portion of the block that is appended to
the beginning of the data payload as shown in Figure 9.3.2. The CP prevents inter-block
interference and makes the channel appear circular and permits low-complexity
 23

frequency domain equalization. A perceived drawback of CP is that it introduces

overhead, which effectively reduces bandwidth efficiency. While the CP does reduce
bandwidth efficiency somewhat, the impact of the CP is similar to the “roll-off factor” in
raised-cosine filtered single-carrier systems. Since OFDM has a very sharp, almost
“brick-wall” spectrum, a large fraction of the allocated channel bandwidth can be utilized
for data transmission, which helps to moderate the loss in efficiency due to the cyclic prefix.

OFDM exploits the frequency diversity of the multipath channel by coding and
interleaving the information across the sub-carriers prior to transmissions. OFDM
modulation can be realized with efficient Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), which
enables a large number of sub-carriers (up to 2048) with low complexity. In an OFDM
system, resources are available in the time domain by means of OFDM symbols and in
the frequency domain by means of sub-carriers. The time and frequency resources can be
organized into sub-channels for allocation to individual users. Orthogonal Frequency
Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) is a multiple-access/multiplexing scheme that
 24

provides multiplexing operation of data streams from multiple users onto the downlink
sub-channels and uplink multiple access by means of uplink sub-channels.
 25

6. Advantages and Applications of WiMAX

6.1 Key Benefits of Mobile WiMAX

Improved Air Interface: - The Mobile WiMAX air interface utilizes Orthogonal
Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) for improved multipath performance in
non-line-of-sight environments and high flexibility in allocating resources to users with
different data rate requirements

High Data Rates: - A variety of antenna techniques are supported by Mobile WiMAX
to increase throughput, especially at the cell edge. For example, the use of multiple-input
multiple-output (MIMO) antenna techniques combined with flexible sub-channelization
schemes, adaptive modulation and variable coding rates enable Mobile WiMAX
technology to support peak downlink (DL) data rates up to 46 Mbps per sector and peak
uplink (UL) data rates up to 14 Mbps per sector in a 10 MHz channel (DL 2x2 MIMO,
3:1DL/UL ratio; UL 1x2 collaborative MIMO; 1:1 ratio).

Quality of Service (QoS): -The fundamental premise of the IEEE802.16e media

access control (MAC) architecture is QoS. Mobile WiMAX QoS features enable
operators to optimize network performance depending on the service type (e.g., voice,
video gaming) and the user’s service level. The standard defines service flows which can
be mapped to fine, granular IP sessions or coarsely differentiated services code points to
enable end-to-end IP based QoS. Additionally, sub-channelization and media access
protocol (MAP) based signaling schemes provide a flexible mechanism for optimal
scheduling of broadcast and unicast traffic on a frame-by-frame basis.

Scalability:- Mobile WiMAX technology utilizes scalable OFDMA(SOFDMA) and,

according to the initial Mobile WiMAX system profiles, has the capability to operate in
channel sizes of 5, 7,8.75, and 10 MHz to comply with various spectrum allocations
worldwide
 26

.
Security: - Mobile WiMAX technology incorporates the most advanced security
features currently used in IEEE 802 wireless access systems. These include Extensible
Authentication Protocol (EAP)-based authentication, Advanced Encryption Standard
(AES)-based authenticated encryption, Cipher-based Message Authentication Code
(CMAC) and Hashed Message Authentication Code (HMAC)-based control message
protection schemes. WiMAX supports best in class security features by adopting the best
technologies available today. Support exists for mutual device/user authentication, flexible
key management protocol, strong traffic encryption, control and management plane message
protection and security protocol optimizations for fast handovers. The usage aspects of the
security features are:
Key Management Protocol: Privacy and Key Management Protocol Version 2
(PKMv2) is the basis of Mobile WiMAX security as defined in 802.16e. This protocol
manages the MAC security using Traffic Encryption Control, Handover Key Exchange and
Multicast/Broadcast security messages all are based on this protocol.
Device/User Authentication: Mobile WiMAX supports Device and User
Authentication using IETF EAP (Internet Engineering Task Force Extensible Authentication
Protocol) by providing support for credentials that are SIM-based, USIM-based or Digital
Certificate or User Name/Password-based.
Traffic Encryption: Cipher used techniques for protecting all the user data over the
Mobile WiMAX MAC interface. The keys used for driving the cipher are generated from the
EAP authentication. A Traffic Encryption State machine that has a periodic key (TEK)
refresh mechanism enables sustained transition of keys to further improve protection.
Fast Handover Support: A 3-way Handshake scheme is supported by Mobile WiMAX
to optimize the re-authentication mechanisms for supporting fast handovers. This mechanism
is also useful to prevent any man-in-the-middle-attacks.

Mobility: Mobile WiMAX technology supports optimized handover schemes with

latencies less than 50 ms to help ensure real-time applications such as Voice over Internet
Protocol (VoIP) are efficiently supported without service degradation. Flexible key
management schemes help assure security is maintained during handover. Access to the
WiMAX Network Access to the Mobile WiMAX network is possible through a wide
 27

selection of devices and form factors which support varying degrees of mobility such as:
• Indoor units, also called CPE or Customer Premise Equipment
• Outdoor units which are mounted outside a building and use high-gain antennas
• PC cards that fit into slots in a notebook/ laptop
• Embedded WiMAX network modules integrated into a notebook / laptop
• Handhelds and PDAs with WiMAX interfaces integrated on the system board.

6.2 Performance Advantages of Mobile WiMAX

Mobile WiMAX is expected to deliver significant improvements over Fixed
WiMAX which makes it even more attractive for fixed deployments. In wireless
environments, link budget (measured in dB) and spectral efficiency are the two primary
parameters used for evaluating system performance. Listed below are some of
the improvements in link budget and/or spectral efficiency achievable by Mobile
WiMAX which are equally applicable to fixed deployments:

• Convolutional Turbo Coding, Hybrid-Automatic Repeat Request(HARQ) and

Frequency- as well as Time-Selective Scheduling adds up to 10 dB to the link margin,
significantly increasing cell radius and spectral efficiency (bits per second per Hertz).
• Antenna techniques such as MIMO and AAS2 can deliver almost a 50% improvement3
in spectral efficiency over SISO/SIMO implementations as well as link budget
improvements.

• Additional improvements to spectral efficiency and the support of users with different
QoS come from the use of a two-dimensional (frequency and time) channel aware
resource scheduling as well as interference cancellation at the devices.

• Additional reduction of the control overhead is enabled by the use of compressed MAP
info.

• Use of sub-MAPs enables the base station to optimize the link to subscribers based
upon their location, e.g., whether they’re at the cell edge or close-in.
 28

• Mobile WiMAX uses TDD (Time Division Duplex) as its duplexing mechanism which
provides significant benefits for asymmetric data flows:
i. By their nature, FDD systems have symmetric DL and UL channel allocations. TDD
allows the operator to vary DL vs. UL allocations. For example, by using a 3:1 DL to UL
ratio instead of a symmetric, 1:1 ratio, the DL data rate can be increased by more than
50%.
ii. Because the same channel is used for UL and DL for TDD, it allows for more
efficient channel estimation which aids MIMO &AAS techniques.

• Efficient utilization of bandwidth for multicast/broadcast services, and power savings

by implementing sleep/idle modes.

• The OFDMA-based air interface is designed to combat inter-cell interference by

appropriate resource allocation in different cells. Note that typical multi-cell deployments
can use a frequency-use scheme of one: 1 (cluster) x 3 (number of sectors) x 1(number of
frequencies in the cell). This scheme results in the most efficient use of spectrum. In
summary, the significant performance gains of Mobile WiMAX enabled by the
combination of advanced antenna techniques and other performance optimizations can
not only improve the end user experience, but also significantly reduce the number of
base stations required — and corresponding Cap Ex — for both capacity and coverage-
challenged networks.
6.3. Applications of WiMAX
The bandwidth, reach and IP based topology of WiMAX make it suitable for large
number of potential applications. Some of the possible applications of WiMAX which
stand to transform the way the whole information and communication business operators
globally are:
• Shifting telephony to VoIP: Globally fixed line telecom operators are losing
their market share to mobile operators. WiMAX provides an opportunity to
transform their cable based system into IP based VoIP system and provide
additional high –speed data services.
 29

• Last mile broadband connectivity: WiMAX is the ideal technology for

providing wireless alternative to cable and DSL for last mile broadband access to
direct customers.
• Connecting remote locations: Remote locations with limited telecom
infrastructures and sparse population can be financially infeasible when
connected through physical wire based infrastructure. WiMAX provide a viable
option to provide connectivity in these areas.
• Connecting Wi-Fi hotspots: WiMAX can be used to connect various W i-Fi
hotspots with each other and to the parts of the internet.
• High speed data and telecom services: WiMAX specifications can be used by
telecom operators to design high speed communication and data services for
consumers.
• Providing nomadic connectivity: Mobile WiMAX would make it possible to
provide good connectivity to communication devices in motion.
• Connectivity systems for disaster situations: During disasters and calamities
physical infrastructure can become damaged limiting connectivity in critical
situations. WiMAX connectivity can be vital in such situation.
• Physical infrastructure substitution: High speed data backhaul through
WiMAX can lead to the transformation of many data intensive services by the
substitution if the wireless connectivity.
Devices
(Laptops, Handhelds, PDAs, Add-on cards,
Indoor and Outdoor CPEs)
(802.16d OFDM)
Fixed Devices
 30

7. CONCLUSION
WiMAX offers benefits for wire line operators who want to provide last mile
access to residences and businesses, either to reduce costs in their own operating areas, or
as a way to enter new markets. 802.16e offers cost reductions to mobile operators who
wish to offer broadband IP services in addition to 2G or 3G voice services, and allows
operators to enter new markets with competitive services, despite owning disadvantaged
spectrum. The capital outlay for WiMAX equipment will be less than for traditional 2G
and 3G wireless networks, although the supporting infrastructure of cell sites, civil
works, towers and so on will still be needed. WiMAX’s all-IP architecture lends itself
well to high bandwidth multi-media applications, and with QoS will also support mobile
voice and messaging services, re-using the mobile networks IP core systems.
The latest developments in the IEEE 802.16 group are driving a broadband
wireless access (r) evolution thanks to a standard with unique technical characteristics. In
parallel, the WiMAX forum, backed by industry leaders, helps the widespread adoption
of broadband wireless access by establishing a brand for the technology. Initially,
WiMAX will bridge the digital divide and thanks to competitive equipment prices, the
scope of WiMAX deployment will broaden to cover markets with high DSL unbundling
costs or poor copper quality which have acted as a brake on extensive high-speed Internet
and voice over broadband. WiMAX will reach its peak by making Portable Internet a
reality. When WiMAX chipsets are integrated into laptops and other portable devices, it
will provide high-speed data services on the move, extending today's limited coverage of
public WLAN to metropolitan areas. Integrated into new generation networks with
seamless roaming between various accesses, it will enable end users to enjoy an "Always
Best Connected" experience. The combination of these capabilities makes WiMAX
attractive for a wide diversity of people: fixed operators, mobile operators and wireless
ISPs (Internet Service Provider), but also for many vertical markets and local authorities.
Alcatel, the worldwide broadband market leader with a market share in excess of 37%, is
committed to offer complete support across the entire investment and operational cycle
required for successful deployment of WiMAX services.
 31

8. References

Ref.1 J.W. Porter and J.A. Thweatt, “Microwave Propagation Characteristics in the
MMDS Frequency Band,” 2000 IEEE International Conference on Communications,
Volume 3, pp 1578-1582.

Ref.2 IEEE 802.16.3c-01/29r4, “Channel Models for Fixed Wireless Applications,”

http://www.ieee802.org/16.

Ref.3 The Promise of WiMAX Broadband Access to the Last Mile

http://www.motorola.com/networkoperators/pdfs/Wi4-the-promise-article.pdf

Ref.4 IEEE 802.16* Wireless MAN* Specification Accelerates Wireless Broadband

Access http://www.intel.com/technology/magazine/standards/st08031.pdf.

Ref.5 Technology@Intel Magazine, IEEE 802.16* Wireless MAN* Specification

Accelerates Wireless, Broadband Access, D.J. Johnston, Intel Corporation.

Ref.6 IEEE, http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/16/published.html.

Ref.7 INTEL, http://www.intel.com/ebusiness/pdf/wireless/intel/80216_wimax.pdf: