Differentiating the IEEE 802.16a and 802.11 Standards - WiFi versus WiMAX Scalability
At the PHY layer the standard supports flexible RF channel bandwidths and reuse of these channels (frequency reuse) as a way to increase cell capacity as the network grows. The standard also specifies support for automatic transmit power control and channel quality measurements as additional PHY layer tools to support cell planning/deployment and efficient spectrum use. Operators can re-allocate spectrum through sectorization and cell splitting as the number of subscribers grows. Also, support for multiple channel bandwidths enables equipment makers to provide a means to address the unique government spectrum use and allocation regulations faced by operators in diverse international markets. The IEEE 802.16a standard specifies channel sizes ranging form 1.75MHz up to 20MHz with many options in between.
WiFi based products on the other hand require at least 20MHz for each channel (22MHz in the 2.4GHz band for 802.11b), and have specified only the license exempt bands 2.4GHz ISM, 5GHz ISM and 5GHz UNII for operation. In the MAC layer, the CSMA/CA foundation of 802.11, basically a wireless Ethernet protocol, scales about as well as does Ethernet. That is to say - poorly. Just as in an Ethernet LAN, more users results in a geometric reduction of throughput, so does the CSMA/CA MAC for WLANs. In contrast the MAC layer in the 802.16 standard has been designed to scale from one up to 100's of users within one RF channel, a feat the 802.11 MAC was never designed for and is incapable of supporting.
At the PHY layer the standard supports flexible RF channel bandwidths and reuse of these channels (frequency reuse) as a way to increase cell capacity as the network grows. The standard also specifies support for automatic transmit power control and channel quality measurements as additional PHY layer tools to support cell planning/deployment and efficient spectrum use. Operators can re-allocate spectrum through sectorization and cell splitting as the number of subscribers grows. Also, support for multiple channel bandwidths enables equipment makers to provide a means to address the unique government spectrum use and allocation regulations faced by operators in diverse international markets. The IEEE 802.16a standard specifies channel sizes ranging form 1.75MHz up to 20MHz with many options in between.
WiFi based products on the other hand require at least 20MHz for each channel (22MHz in the 2.4GHz band for 802.11b), and have specified only the license exempt bands 2.4GHz ISM, 5GHz ISM and 5GHz UNII for operation. In the MAC layer, the CSMA/CA foundation of 802.11, basically a wireless Ethernet protocol, scales about as well as does Ethernet. That is to say - poorly. Just as in an Ethernet LAN, more users results in a geometric reduction of throughput, so does the CSMA/CA MAC for WLANs. In contrast the MAC layer in the 802.16 standard has been designed to scale from one up to 100's of users within one RF channel, a feat the 802.11 MAC was never designed for and is incapable of supporting.