The Promise Of WiMAX: Complexity And Opportunity

Mobile WiMAX (known in the industry as IEEE 802.16e) is gaining attention among carriers and network equipment manufacturers due to its potential for success as a step toward 4G mobile technology. WiMAX offers a cost-effective path toward mass-market adoption of wireless broadband services.

Mobile WiMAX combines the promise of a true wireless broadband experience with the benefit of mobility. It offers both fixed and mobile carriers a range of options for services that complement their business strategies and technology plans.

The use in WiMAX of technologies such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) allows higher transmission efficiency per available spectrum. These technologies also support more powerful and effective resource management – depending on the requirements of the current user application, bundles of sub-channels are assigned to a data stream to ensure the desired QoS (quality of service) level.

The cost of WiMAX network deployment is relatively low compared to the cost of 3G and 3.5G infrastructure deployment. And the number and scale of industry players now investing in the standard also works in favor of WiMAX. At this writing, WiMAX appears poised to take off.