One of the fundamental drivers for next-generation services is consumer demand for ongoing reduction in service costs.
Despite this demand for reduced costs, the consumer also still expects an equal level of quality of service, if not better. This presents a significant challenge for operators to deliver feature-rich services at above average service levels.
Furthermore, the huge global success of mobile voice services has sparked an evolution in end-user service requirements from location-based services to person-based services - hence the new industry catchphrase, personal broadband.
Personal broadband effectively refers to the delivery of any type of service to users, irrespective of bandwidth, location or time.
The delivery of personal broadband services at reduced costs presents further challenges for operators. In order to achieve this objective, operators need to be able find a technology solution that will be able to reduce deployment and network costs, while still being able to deliver superior traditional and feature-rich services agnostically. In other words, users expect to be able to watch a video, make a voice call and surf the Web while at any location, mobile or fixed.
Based on an open standard architecture, WiMax (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) has started to present a solution as a next-generation access network. It is the result of the efforts of the WiMax Forum, which is a neutral body consisting of an ecosystem of operators, equipment manufacturers and chip manufacturers.
The open standards architecture is aimed at removing exorbitant middle man patent royalty costs. Consequently it promises reduced network and terminal equipment costs for both operators and end-users. It also allows for full interoperability between multi-vendor equipment, allowing operators to freely select various vendors' equipment for various parts of the network. This type of open standard architectures is typical in next-generation networks to create cost effective business models.
The first release of WiMax equipment based on the fixed IEEE 802.16d standard has already demonstrated significant performance benefits creating the platform for its mobile counterpart, viz IEEE 802.16e.
Also known as mobile WiMax, it is effectively a broadband IP-based open standards mobile solution. Mobile WiMax will be able to provide secure true broadband services, along with various qualities of service levels, enabling operators to offer varying service level agreements to end-users from guaranteed bandwidth to best effort.
WiMax is based on OFDM/A technology enabling nonline-of-sight transmission and superior reliability compared to other wireless access technologies. In addition, OFDMA enables enhanced radio performance efficiency by means of sub-channelisation.
Furthermore, advanced antennae systems like MIMO and beam forming are all part of the technology roadmap to ensure significantly enhanced radio performance over traditional fixed and mobile wireless access technologies.
Mobile WiMax based on an all-IP, OFDMA architecture and AAS (Advanced Antennae Systems) features is expected to set the platform for 4G networks.
Planning ahead for the future, the WiMax Forum has already initiated work toward the development of a next-generation WiMax, which is referred to as IEEE802.16m. 802.16m. It is aimed at providing full 4G services providing significantly improved bandwidth capabilities over its predecessors.
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