Much of the speculation around WiMAX`s potential as an affordable access technology will fall away with the recent announcement of the WiMAX Forum certification of a limited number of WiMAX products. This is according to Arnoud De Nooy, CEO of RapidCloud, Sub-Saharan distributor of Redline Communications broadband wireless equipment.
Redline Communications, manufacturer of broadband wireless equipment, recently announced it has had both its RedMAX Subscriber Unit (SU-O) and RedMAX Base Station (AN-100U) WiMAX Forum fertified. This makes Redline the first to offer a complete wireless broadband system in the world to be WiMAX Forum certified.
"Certification has certainly been a significant obstacle to broadband adoption," says De Nooy. "Many carriers have WiMAX in trials but deployment requires the peace of mind factor. Knowing that the technology is cost-effective and can provide a viable alternative as an access mechanism is just not enough."
Certification adds the benefits of interoperability and compatibility. "Customers can now buy with confidence knowing that Redline products conform and cooperate in a framework of open standards," says De Nooy.
"WiMAX Forum Certified products have significant advantages over current proprietary solutions, because they create a forward-looking `future-proof` transport and access network platform for the delivery of `triple play` services (ie, voice, video and data)," says De Nooy.
They are also generally Ethernet-based, which is proven to be the most effective infrastructure for data networks, and have the advantage of worldwide support from the WiMAX Forum as well as the IEEE and ETSI.
"Products that have undergone the WiMAX Forum certified process will drive reduced costs for all elements in the access network value chain," says De Nooy.
In current commercial deployments, broadband wireless networks deliver more bandwidth than traditional copper cables. As such, they exhibit a clear economical advantage over wireline alternatives in the last mile. Historically, many operators worldwide have used wireless technologies (namely point-to-point (PTP) radios) as a proven, carrier-class method of connecting long-haul networks.
The `Holy Grail` for service providers is, however, point-to-multipoint (PMP) technologies, because they can provide broadband services over large geographic areas with greater flexibility and improved economies of scale.
There are a number of factors that have kept the broadband wireless market from benefiting from the economies of scale that other open standards technologies enjoy. Deployments to date have been small scale as a result of the high cost and low functionality of early generation broadband wireless systems.
"But the lack of healthy competition and market complexity have also held back standards-based development," says De Nooy.
Varying frequency regulations, for example, have led equipment manufacturers to use only proprietary air interface technologies. This in turn has inevitably led to the evolution of multi-vendor networks over time as networks continue to grow.
"Many of the issues can be resolved through the availability of standards-based products - more specifically WiMAX Forum certified products," says De Nooy.
Redline`s RedMAX products have already been chosen by carriers in international markets for nation-wide deployments and network trials. But the uptake has been slowed by the wait for the standards approval.
RapidCloud Communications had confirmed orders for implementations in Kenya and Mozambique late last year. "Certification will definitely accelerate these to broad-based deployments during 2006," adds De Nooy.
Share
Editorial contacts