WiMAX! What’s all the buzz about?

I just remembered I had initially thought of frequently including technical articles as part of my Blog, pardon me for being unable to do so. But here I am, with WiMAX!

WiMAX is a new telecommunication technology and it stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. WiMAX is a commonly used term for broadband wireless metropolitan access networks (MANs) that use a point-to-multipoint architecture. WiMAX adheres to the IEEE 802.16 protocol.

Pakistan is the world’s first country to have a countrywide WiMAX coverage.

The name WiMAX was created by the WiMAX Forum, which was formed in June 2001 to promote conformance and interoperability of the standard. It defines WiMAX as:

“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 offers blazing fast download and upload rates from distances of as long as 30 miles!

WiMAX cannot exactly be termed new, WiMAX has been in place and deployed on a limited scale globally for the last couple of years.

Unlike Wi-Fi (define), which operates over the unlicensed communications spectrum and is designed for networking at short distances, WiMAX operates on licensed bandwidths over multiple communications frequencies. It is designed for wide scale broadband deployments.

When it comes to handling signal congestion, Wi-Fi is designed to back off and randomly try again when it bumps into conflicting radio signals, whereas WiMAX bullies its way through such situations.

WiMAX operates a lot like cellular technology, providing every subscriber with a specific set of frequencies instead of time slots. That’s why it’s called frequency division multiplex technology.

What does it mean for the user? It means hassle free communication, telephony, television and stuff all through a single connection and wire free!

Comparison of WiMAX with Wi-Fi:

Possibly due to the fact both WiMAX and Wi-Fi begin with the same two letters, are based upon IEEE standards beginning with “802.”, and both have a connection to wireless connectivity and the Internet, comparisons and confusion between the two are frequent. Despite this, the two standards are aimed at different applications.

• WiMAX is a long-range system, covering many kilometers that typically uses licensed spectrum (although it is also possible to use unlicensed spectrum) to deliver a point-to-point connection to the Internet from an ISP to an end user. Different 802.16 standards provide different types of access, from mobile (analogous to access via a cellphone) to fixed (an alternative to wired access, where the end user’s wireless termination point is fixed in location.)
• Wi-Fi is a shorter range system, typically hundreds of meters, that uses unlicensed spectrum to provide access to a network, typically covering only the network operator’s own property. Typically Wi-Fi is used by an end user to access their own network, which may or may not be connected to the Internet. If WiMAX provides services analogous to a cellphone, Wi-Fi is more analogous to a cordless phone.
• WiMAX and Wi-Fi have quite different Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms. WiMAX uses a mechanism based on setting up connections between the Base Station and the user device. Each connection is based on specific scheduling algorithms, which means that QoS parameters can be guaranteed for each flow. WiFi has introduced a QoS mechanism similar to fixed Ethernet, where packets can receive different priorities based on their tags. This means that QoS is relative between packets/flows, as opposed to guaranteed.

Due to the ease and low cost with which Wi-Fi can be deployed, it is sometimes used to provide Internet access to third parties within a single room or building available to the provider, often informally, and sometimes as part of a business relationship. For example, many coffee shops, hotels, and transportation hubs contain Wi-Fi access points providing access to the Internet for customers. For now, WiMAX is an expensive solution for a normal user as compared to Wi-Fi.

This article has been written with a lot of help from internet articles. So many of those that it won’t be possible for me to list down all the references here.

Click here to visit the official WiMAX forum.

Comments and suggestions from my fellow students and professionals of telecommunication engineering are invited =)