WIMAX the Mobile broadband next generation

Several companies at the Mobile World Congress are showing hardware they think will make up so-called 4th generation or 4G solutions to take the place of the current 3G technology.

The growth of interest in mobile wireless broadband - and consumers' insatiable craving for faster connections - means that this more forward-looking part of the industry is filled with contenders.

In the UK, the fastest mobile wireless broadband speed on hand is 7.2 Megabite per second, and Vodafone has successfully trialled a 3G network in Spain offering 20Megabite per second.

However, just like fixed-line broadband, the upper speed limit that is quoted is rarely reached, with several variables affecting a user's speed limit at a given time. The same is true for these 4G demonstrations.

Two very distinct rivals are on show here, with two very distinct technological pedigrees: WiMAX and LTE.

Driving around Barcelona during the Congress are two vans, showing the truly mobile capabilities of both approaches.

"What you've seen so far, this 2G and 3G, is the end of one road. This is the beginning of the next, the highway," says Noel Kirkaldy, a director of marketing solutions for Motorola.

WiMax is, roughly speaking, an evolved version of the Wi-Fi effort and works at similar frequencies. It is being championed largely by the computer industry.

The communications industry tends to back LTE, short for Long-Term Evolution - and is much more well-represented at the Congress, organised by the wireless industry's umbrella organisation GSMA.

Both are able of offering speeds higher than today's High-Speed Packet Access, or HSPA, that drives current mobile wireless broadband, with upper limits depending on with whom you're speaking.

Both are step changes in the technology, requiring new hardware on the ground to transmit, and new hardware in whatever mobile device you have in your hand to listen.

The demonstrations in the vans are to prove that the technologies can accomplish one of the more difficult aspects of any cellular technology: the "handoff" that occurs as you move further away from one base station and closer to another.

For a call not to drop or a download not to crash, the handoff has to be seamless.

For WiMAX, says Intel's Tim Sweeney, that problem has long since been cracked, and the crucial part of the debate is that WiMAX is here, now. Worldwide, only one commercial contract has been signed to deliver a complete LTE network.

"We're deploying WiMAX networks today," Mr Sweeney told BBC News. "We have the whole city of Portland, Oregon covered - In the US alone, $3 billion in deployments will be invested this year.

"There is no LTE that can be deployed today."

A few commercial speed tests in the van show download speeds around six megabits per second.

In the LTE van, a constant video feed from the Congress show floor is being fed in high-definition.

"That's eight megabits, over the air," says Mr Kirkaldy.

The number of factors in the battle - along with the number of acronyms - is staggering.

The allocation of spectrum, which determines the upper limit of broadband speeds, is a matter still being hashed out for both technologies.

The "digital dividend" debate in the UK has shown how valuable each band of frequencies can be.

Future speeds are, of course, the bottom line. Mr Sweeney says that by this time next year WiMAX2 will be on show, with double the current speeds.

LTE proponents quote numbers up to 100Megabite per second, but because the only thing on offer is demonstration networks, the final hardware and specifications are still up in the air.

What will ultimately make the world of mobile wireless broadband go round is money.

Many industry analysts believe that WiMAX may fill a gap while LTE is developed further, standardised, and deployed. But in the longer term, the telecoms industry's capital and existing customer base will act as the 800-pound gorilla that pushes LTE through as the industry standard.

Motorola has its feet in both camps, with clients for both its WiMAX solutions and LTE development.

Motorola's Ben Ansell says that current economic conditions may give WiMAX more foothold in the market in the longer term.

"It was all reasonably clear until recently, when the economy fell to bits," he says.

"LTE learned from WiMAX, built on that and has all the financial muscle of the Oranges and T-Mobiles. Once it gathers momentum it could steamroller WiMAX.

"But to deploy a full LTE network, you're talking billions of dollars, and that's got to be borrowed from somewhere. So companies put that off for a couple of years, by which time WiMAX has gathered more momentum - because they're quite cheap and quite easy to deploy."

Sylvain Fabre, research director for mobile networks at analysts Gartner, says that things are not incredibly clear because LTE is still in its very early stages.

"A lot of these LTE announcements are to a large extent just PR," he told BBC News. "You ask about deployments and they're much more careful with their language."

Nevertheless, Mr Fabre says that regardless of short-term global economic concerns, WiMAX will "always be a distand second" to LTE.

"As far as where the investment money going to go, it's going to be LTE. WiMAX is going to exist, it has a place in some markets, but it's not going to be a real alternative to LTE."

Enhanced VoIP Services Through WIMAX

India currently has approximately 4.5 million broadband users and there could be a huge demand for broadband connections. Today every household requires a broadband connection. Students, employed individuals, etc.-everyone has to depend on the Internet in some form or the other. There will be a huge demand and technologies such as 3G, WiMAX, and VoIP, are going to be the pioneers in satisfying this demand.

In fact, global trends tend to show that individuals are seeking more connectivity and searching for progressive ways which will make communicating easier - specifically using voice communication. International Telecommunication Union research data shows that more than 1 billion individuals registered for telephony services in the past century. This number has over doubled itselkf within the past 6 years.

Today, nearly 3 billion cellular registered customers are compelling operators to provide enhanced voice, data and video services. Yet, there are many areas where the lack of a developed communications infrastructure is dramatically reducing the chances of achieving or strengthening economic development, improving social well being and impacting effective personal communications; and large population percent still remains without basic communication services.

Robust QoS and low latency make WiMAX especially well suited for real-time applications like VoIP, content streaming, online gaming, and vertical applications such as those for safety and surveillance. Broadcast applications can also be supported through the multicast broadcast service. Indian telecom sector operates in a volume-driven market, which positions India as a country to spur one of the world's largest broadband wireless markets, but also to support an ancillary ecosystem that will generate further employment, enhance development in semi urban & rural areas, and lead towards true sustainability.

Communicating Everywhere

WiMAX solutions enable telecommunication operators to reach larger and unserved areas of coverage and provide affordable service availability with substantially higher bandwidth/capacity that can be utilized for primary voice and data services.

Because voice services running over an IP network require solutions to resolve jitter, latency, and security, WiMAX is an ideal network for supporting this service as QoS is an inherent part of the WiMAX standard. Furthermore, WiMAX supports strict security mechanisms which make it an ideal network to run managed voice services.

WiMAX voice services today

Businesses and residential customers around the world are enjoying voice and data services running on Alvarion's Open WiMAX solution, tailored for the market needs. This enables pre-paid voice and data services and quick integration with existing backend servers support rapid deployment, and an improved ROI.

India can also enjoy similar kind of WiMAX voice services, once the set up for WiMAX deployment falls into place. WiMAX wireless broadband IP-based networks empower operators with high quality, high speed, easily deployed, and cost effective connectivity. By using WiMAX Indian operators can also provide registered customers with reliable and secure services for fixed data and voice while maintaining future service expansion provisions for mobile services over the same network.

Craig Wireless gets a WiMAX license

Craig Wireless Systems Ltd declared on November 28 that it has been given a spectrum license by Industry Canada on for the Canadian Government. The license will enable the Craig Wireless Systems to convert its multi-point distribution service spectrum in the Vancouver area to a WiMAX service.

Following the policies of Industry Canada, Craig Wireless will return a third of its multi-point distribution spectrum in the Vancouver region to Industry Canada. The new spectrum license of 61 MHz has been given on a temporary basis until the completion of a consultation process by Industry Canada. Craig Wireless Systems stated that as a standards-based technology for wireless broadband equipment, WiMAX is expected to bring economies of scale to wireless broadband access equipment, delivering lower cost and higher performance than that achieved historically by proprietary approaches not based on open standards.

Craig Wireless Systems did not release any further details of its bid for the license

Clearwire new brand of WiMax broadband Clear

Clearwire, the Kirkland-based firm that now operates wireless broadband assets from Sprint Nextel, is rolling into the WiMax market with the brand name Clear.

The firm stated Monday it will sell its wireless broadband services under that name, which is replacing the Xohm brand that partner Sprint Nextel has used since September.

Also, Clearwire Chief Executive Ben Wolff stated Monday that if a rival standard to WiMax broadband becomes more popular, Clearwire will be able to switch technologies.
The developments came as Clearwire's merger with Sprint's WiMax network was closed Friday.

WiMax, a technology sometimes described as Wi-Fi on steroids, is considered the next generation — the 4th — of wireless broadband technology, one that provides Internet access covering entire markets and providing faster data speeds than most current third-generation cellular broadband networks.

Sprint began providing WiMax service in Baltimore in September but hasn't disclosed how many customers have signed up. Clearwire plans to begin selling WiMax in Portland in the first quarter of 2009 and already has about 400,000 customers on a pre-WiMax network in 46 cities, Seattle included.

Wolff revealed to analysts and reporters during a conference call Monday that the firm will focus on upgrading that system to WiMax next year, as well as opening commercial service in several other cities.

Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint will own 51 percent of Clearwire, while investors in the original Clearwire, founded by cellular pioneer Craig McCaw, will own about 22 percent. The rest of the firm will be owned by investors including Comcast, Intel, Time Warner Cable, Google and Bright House Networks, which have put in a total of $3.2 billion.

One issue Wolff talked about Monday was how the firm can move from WiMax to a technology called Long Term Evolution, or LTE, if enough customers want it. Clearwire chose WiMax because it may be 4 years before LTE is ready for commercial use, he stated.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless, Sprint's Bigger competitors, have stated they will use LTE to build out so-called 4th-generation networks, which will provide faster Internet access than those used today. Nortel Networks, North America's biggest maker of phone equipment, has also stated it will devote more resources to LTE than WiMax.

"Everyone else in the world is using LTE technology," stated Christopher King, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Co. in Baltimore. He has a hold rating on Clearwire and doesn't own any of its shares. "They need to be flexible, certainly, to the extent that investors are skeptical" about WiMax.

The technologies have a lot in common, and Clearwire's suppliers will be able to deliver equipment for an LTE network if needed, he stated.

Wolff stated Clearwire's service will provide wireless Internet access mostly for laptops at first. Phones probably will catch on later, although a handset made by Nokia designed for Clearwire's service in Baltimore already has sold out, he stated.
4th-generation devices (commonly referred to as 4G) will let customers surf the Web and download files more quickly than they can today on such 3G devices as Apple's iPhone and Research In Motion's BlackBerry Storm.

Clearwire rose 86 cents, or 13 percent, to $7.48 while Sprint declined 47 cents, or 17 percent, to $2.32.

Sprint Nextel affiliate iPCS’s motion to delay WiMAX deal blocked

Progress on Sprint Nextel Corp.’s $14.5 billion WiMAX deal may continue for now without problems from affiliate iPCS Inc.

An Illinois circuit court said Monday that iPCS must withdraw its motion for a temporary restraining order on the deal, though reserving its right to refile, according to documents iPCS filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Schaumburg, Ill.-based iPCS, Sprint’s largest independent wireless affiliate, filed the emergency motion on Nov. 3. It alleges that the deal would violate affiliation agreements by creating competition for iPCS subsidiaries, which resell Sprint products and services.

Sprint plans to merge its WiMAX unit with that of Clearwire Corp., forming the new Clearwire. WiMAX offers ultra-fast, mobile Internet access and its prospects attracted an array of blockbuster investors. A vote by Clearwire shareholders, the last major approval needed before closing, is planned for Thursday.

The Federal Communications Commission approved the WiMAX deal 5-0 on Nov. 4.
The new Clearwire does not intend a commercial launch of WiMAX service in iPCS territory before July 1, and agreed to notify iPCS 60 days before launches. It also agreed not to use the closing of the deal as an argument against any fixes.

A partial summary judgment on liability issues is scheduled for Friday.
Overland Park, Kan-based Sprint is the nation’s No. 3 wireless carrier, with more than 50 million subscribers.

WiMAX between enormous progress and threats

The story of WiMAX is one of two markets: one in which WiMAX, as an emerging technology, has made enormous progress over the past year; and one in which its opportunities are being threatened by developments in the larger converging broadband market, such as the relentless advance of rival mobile broadband system HSDPA and the acceleration of LTE development.

The WiMAX industry has gained significant momentum in the past 12 months, passing a string of key milestones, including product certification; the launch of services by major operators, such as Sprint Nextel; commitments to WiMAX by key Internet players, such as Google; and the long-awaited arrival of WiMAX notebooks and other devices.

WiMAX is also starting to take off in many major emerging markets, where all the pieces are falling into place, including availability of spectrum, huge pent-up demand for broadband, certification of mobile WiMAX equipment and the arrival of lower-cost devices, such as ultraportable notebooks and netbooks.

The second edition of Informa Telecoms & Media report WiMAX Broadband Convergence: Emerging Fixed, Portable & Mobile Internet Markets forecasts that WiMAX will account for 24% of India’s broadband subscriptions in 2013, up from 7% in 2008.

But rival technology HSDPA has become a runaway success in many markets worldwide, and the progress of emerging rival LTE has accelerated and gained the backing of most of the world’s major mobile operators, including Vodafone and China Mobile.
There’s no doubt that mobile WiMAX has come of age in the past year, with the launch of major services, such as Sprint’s Xohm, but it faces a tough fight against HSDPA and eventually LTE in key markets. As a result, many WiMAX vendors and operators need to reshape their strategies.

For example, mobile WiMAX pioneer KT of South Korea had 200,000 WiBro subscriptions at end-May, well below expectations, given that the service launched in June 2006 and had been expanded significantly by May 2007. In contrast, KT’s mobile arm, KTF, launched HSDPA services in March 2007 and had 4.8 million subscriptions a year later.

KT might be a special case, since it launched mobile WiMAX services early, in a competitive broadband market, but the disparity in the performances of mobile WiMAX and HSDPA in South Korea shows the challenges WiMAX faces in some major developed markets. To overcome the challenges and gain traction in fiercely competitive markets, operators will have to use WiMAX as a platform for innovative business models, devices, applications and services.

Mobile WiMAX also faces challenges because it is entering its capital-intensive deployment phase in the midst of the global financial crisis, which will make it harder for operators to secure funding for new deployments. Some operators, such as the new Clearwire, are already well-funded, but it’s a tough time for other WiMAX operators looking for capital. Of course, the credit crisis could also delay investments in rival systems, but HSDPA is already widely deployed, and LTE deployments won’t start until 2010.

There are significant opportunities for WiMAX in many regions and market segments worldwide, but the technology will struggle to compete with HSDPA and other broadband systems in others.

It’s the best of times for WiMAX because it has come of age in the past year and is taking off in some key markets, which is expected to result in a worldwide WiMAX-subscription count of 103 million in 2013. But in the context of the global converging broadband market, it’s the worst of times for WiMAX, because HSPA is booming and is expected to have more than 1 billion subscriptions worldwide in 2013, almost 10 times as many as WiMAX.

Mobile WiMAX still has a significant head start over OFDMA-based LTE. The result is that WiMAX will be the leading next-generation mobile broadband system in 2013, with significantly more subscriptions than LTE.

The bottom line is that WiMAX will take a significant share of the converging broadband market in some regions but will struggle in others, because of competition from HSPA and LTE. WiMAX operators and vendors need to understand the new realities of the market to make sure they’re on the right track.

Alvarion expands Altitude's French Mobile WiMAX Network

The world's leading provider of WiMAX and wireless broadband solutions, Alvarion ltd, ,declared today the expansion of its agreement with the French WiMAX operator Altitude. Alvarion's Mobile WiMAX 4Motion solution will be used by Altitude to expand its coverage and provide voice and data services at 3.5 GHz to corporate, ISP and urban users in the Jura and Deux Sevres districts.

The rollout of this commercial network has started, with plans tocomplete it in the beginning of 2009. The new network will have an improved portfolio of high quality wireless broadband services over Alvarion's Mobile WiMAX solution, including outdoor and indoor CPEs.

"Building on our success throughout the region of Aveyron, we see an increase in demand for WiMAX broadband services," said Fabrice Ballart, Managing Director of Altitude Infrastructure. "As always, we are committed to provide the best services and cost effective solutions to our customers, and therefore growing with Alvarion was the natural choice for moving forward and enabling seamless connectivity to the residents of France. This expansion will allow us to reach more customers and offer them the benefits of WiMAX at competitive rates."

"A pioneer of WiMAX in France, we congratulate Altitude on the expansion of its network and look forward to our long-term partnership," said Tzvika Friedman, President and CEO of Alvarion. "Increasing network capacity with our Mobile WiMAX solution enables Altitude to maintain a competitive position in the challenging market while ensuring quality of service and innovation for future expansions."

Alvarion's end-to-end 4Motion solution is the foundation of the company's OPEN WiMAX ecosystem, which combines BreezeMAX and other best-in-class systems. A complete all-IP Mobile WiMAX solution, 4Motion is designed to enable service providers to offer subscribers fixed and Personal mobile Broadband services anytime, anywhere. The 4Motion solution is comprised of core network elements, IP radio networking elements and end user devices.