- WiMAX Forum cases involved violations copyright on the technology
- Manufacturer chipset is not yet release with cheap patent royalties
- Forum is not yet in acclamation determine the standard
- Designing your own entire series using a chipset that is in certification
- Use design that has been available in the market, based on standard Open Hardware
Background and 802.16
Although the 802.16 project started as far back as 1998, the body of work was done in 2000-2003 in an open consensus process. The aim was to make broadband wireless access more widely and cheaply available through a standard for wireless metropolitan area networks.
The overall vision for 802.16 is that carriers would set up base stations connected to a public network. Each base station would support hundreds of fixed subscriber stations, probably mounted on rooftops. The base stations would then use the standard's medium access control layer (MAC) - a common interface that makes the networks interoperable - to nearly instantaneously allocate uplink and downlink bandwidth to subscribers according to their needs.
802.16 MANs could also anchor 802.11 hotspots, which serve as wireless local area networks (LANs), as well as servicing end users directly. With the mobile standard, users will be able to use the WMAN base station to communicate via handsets as they move within the 50 mile range.
The first version of the standard, 802.16, was published in April 2002 and addressed fixed, line of sight connections for the ‘first mile/last mile’ link. It focused on efficient use of various licensed frequencies in the 10-66GHz bandwidth. 802.16 standards have never taken a lowest common denominator approach. Unlike Wi-Fi, few proprietary vendors of equivalent equipment can outdo the performance of WiMAX. It offers the highest performance broadband , technology except for broadcast and, on the wired side, MMDS, and is on a level with satellite.
Although, even with the upcoming mobile version of standard, WiMAX cannot be as wide area as 2G/3G, it delivers far higher rates and, with sufficiently widespread deployment, could significantly cut into the usage of cellular networks in many areas. The next version of the standard, 802.16a, published in April 2003, is the one that has really kick-started WiMAX into being adopted as the dominant wireless broadband technology. This is also for fixed wireless but extends the range of WiMAX from 31 to 50 miles and operates in the low frequency 2-11GHz spectrum and so can be adopted by unlicensed operators.
It uses point-to-multipoint or (optionally) mesh topologies and does not require line of sight. Specifically, it uses licensed bands at 3.5GHz and 10.5GHz internationally and 2.5-2.7GHz in the US; and unlicensed 2.4GHz and 5.725-5.825GHz. An important aspect of 802.16x is that it defines a MAC (media access control) layer that supports multiple physical layer (PHY) specifications. This is critical to allow equipment makers to differentiate their offerings – for instance with novel approaches to smart antenna use – without becoming non-interoperable; and to customize the equipment for the frequency band in use.
Although the 802.16 project started as far back as 1998, the body of work was done in 2000-2003 in an open consensus process. The aim was to make broadband wireless access more widely and cheaply available through a standard for wireless metropolitan area networks.
The overall vision for 802.16 is that carriers would set up base stations connected to a public network. Each base station would support hundreds of fixed subscriber stations, probably mounted on rooftops. The base stations would then use the standard's medium access control layer (MAC) - a common interface that makes the networks interoperable - to nearly instantaneously allocate uplink and downlink bandwidth to subscribers according to their needs.
802.16 MANs could also anchor 802.11 hotspots, which serve as wireless local area networks (LANs), as well as servicing end users directly. With the mobile standard, users will be able to use the WMAN base station to communicate via handsets as they move within the 50 mile range.
The first version of the standard, 802.16, was published in April 2002 and addressed fixed, line of sight connections for the ‘first mile/last mile’ link. It focused on efficient use of various licensed frequencies in the 10-66GHz bandwidth. 802.16 standards have never taken a lowest common denominator approach. Unlike Wi-Fi, few proprietary vendors of equivalent equipment can outdo the performance of WiMAX. It offers the highest performance broadband , technology except for broadcast and, on the wired side, MMDS, and is on a level with satellite.
Although, even with the upcoming mobile version of standard, WiMAX cannot be as wide area as 2G/3G, it delivers far higher rates and, with sufficiently widespread deployment, could significantly cut into the usage of cellular networks in many areas. The next version of the standard, 802.16a, published in April 2003, is the one that has really kick-started WiMAX into being adopted as the dominant wireless broadband technology. This is also for fixed wireless but extends the range of WiMAX from 31 to 50 miles and operates in the low frequency 2-11GHz spectrum and so can be adopted by unlicensed operators.
It uses point-to-multipoint or (optionally) mesh topologies and does not require line of sight. Specifically, it uses licensed bands at 3.5GHz and 10.5GHz internationally and 2.5-2.7GHz in the US; and unlicensed 2.4GHz and 5.725-5.825GHz. An important aspect of 802.16x is that it defines a MAC (media access control) layer that supports multiple physical layer (PHY) specifications. This is critical to allow equipment makers to differentiate their offerings – for instance with novel approaches to smart antenna use – without becoming non-interoperable; and to customize the equipment for the frequency band in use.
WiMAX certified company :
- E. T. Industries
- Alvarion
- Airspan Networks
- Axxcelera Broadband Wireless
- Siemens AG
- Aperto Networks
- Redline Communications
- SEQUANS Communications
- SR Telecom
- Telsima
- Nokia Siemens Networks
- Proxim Wireless Corporation
- Wavesat Inc
- Selex Communications