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WimaxModules.Com Summary 2007 1 - DH
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WiMAX Forum
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The WiMAX Forum is the organization dedicated to certifying the interoperability of WiMAX products. Those that pass conformance and interoperability testing achieve the "WiMAX Forum Certified" designation and can display this mark on their products and marketing materials. Some vendors claim that their equipment is "WiMAX-ready", "WiMAX-compliant", or "pre-WiMAX", if they are not officially WiMAX Forum Certified. - Wikipedia
WiMAX Spectrum Owners Alliance (WiSOA)
WiMAX Spectrum Owners Alliance (WiSOA) Logo
WiSOA is the first global organization composed exclusively of owners of WiMAX spectrum with plans to deploy WiMAX technology in those bands. WiSOA is focussed on the regulation, commercialisation, and deployment of WiMAX spectrum in the 2.3–2.5 GHz and the 3.4–3.5 GHz ranges. WiSOA are dedicated to educating and informing its members, industry representatives and government regulators of the importance of WiMAX spectrum, its use, and the potential for WiMAX to revolutionise broadband. - Wikipedia
Agilent announced that its Vector Signal Analyzer (VSA), Signal Studio and Mobile WiMAX Test Set measurement solutions have been enhanced to facilitate testing of the WiMAX Forum(r)'s Wave 2 system profiles. With their ability to accurately and cost-effectively test MIMO and other Wave 2 profile functionality, Agilent's enhanced measurement solutions provide the most up-to-date tools for engineers requiring signal analysis, signal generation and end-to-end functional test of Mobile WiMAX. These standardized profiles specify options such as Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), a capacity enhancing, multi-antenna technology fundamental to Mobile WiMAX that supports IEEE 802.16e-2005.
With the technology rapidly making its way onto the global stage, access to that capability is even more time critical. Agilent's 89601A VSA and N7615B Signal Studio measurement solutions address this need via a range of new test capabilities that support physical (PHY) layer signal generation and analysis for Wave 2 system profiles. Specific capabilities include matrix A and matrix B signals for downlink, uplink collaborative MIMO, and creation of HARQ bursts and uplink sounding zones. N7615B Signal Studio also provides MIMO fading embedded in a waveform. This capability enables testing of MIMO receivers without the added expense of fading hardware or software.
The Agilent E6651A Mobile WiMAX Test Set incorporates flexible base-station emulation, IP traffic support and a unique ability to make on-board RF parametric measurements in one integrated unit. In contrast to other commercially available solutions, no external equipment is required to measure UL signals. The E6615A's Wave 2 enhancements include support for DL, STC, SM and UL collaborative MIMO measurements.
MIMO features include support for STC/MIMO with 2 antenna sources and receivers for both downlink and uplink, uplink collaborative MIMO source with one antenna and STC/MIMO decoding in the STC/MIMO receivers. The updated Wireless Library also features Convolutional Coding (CC), Convolutional Turbo Coding (CTC), and CC/CTC decoding with soft decision, as well as a flexible configuration of ranging, fast-feedback and HARQ-ACK Channels in uplink source. New source coding/decoding models to support CTC (e.g., SUI and Mobile WiMAX MIMO channel models) have also been included.
Agilent N7615B Signal Studio software for 802.16 WiMAX is used to create 802.16e waveforms for PHY layer testing. It supports the ESG, MXG and PSG signal generators. Agilent's 89601A VSA is a PC-based software package designed to measure the RF and modulation quality of most digitally modulated signals. It features a large array of demodulators, filters, displays and analysis tools. The Agilent E6651A Mobile WiMAX Test Set represents a significant breakthrough in Mobile WiMAX testing.
Redpine Signals introduced the Lite-MAX, offering all features of the WiMAX Wave-2 profiles, and comes with reference drivers for Linux, Windows CE, and Windows XP. The Lite-MAX platform includes a baseband processor (BBP), medium access controller (MAC), analog front-end (AFE) with PLL, power management unit (PMU), a separate RF transceiver, and a choice of high-throughput SDIO, SPI, USB 2.0, and PCIe host interfaces.
WiMAX Lite-MAX Block Diagram
Redpine CEO Venkat Mattela stated, "We have addressed the issue of power consumption through three paths -- increased wireless performance, a low-power MIMO decoder, and multi-thread processing in layer 2." LiteMAX "incorporates multiple patent-pending techniques to reduce average system power independent of any silicon geometry selected for the under-lying implementation."
The MAC functionality features burst management, sleep modes, classification, policing, traffic shaping, security management, and link control. The company says that these functions are "uniquely carried out in one thread of the integrated multi-threaded processor, leaving the other thread for protocol processing, real-time control, and HARQ [Hybrid ARQ, a form of error control] processing, thus leading to a zero-host load architecture when a WiMAX interface is added to a mobile platform."
SyChip announced its WiMAX95xx, supporting embedded Linux. SyChip stated, the SyMax platform includes the WiMAX95xx hardware, and all the software necessary to provide a turnkey system for WiMAX enabled devices. Components on the QFN (quad flat no-lead) style module consist of a baseband/MAC IC, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver. The software suite includes drivers and application layer interfaces for a variety of host interfaces (SDIO, SPI, half mini-card), and operating systems, including Linux.
Yozan has set up a WiMAX feasibility test in the Hokuriku region in Japan building on their previously announced Tokyo network, valued at $16.7 million, to deliver high-speed IP connectivity capable of a wide array of data service offerings. Hokuriku is typical of Japan’s mountainous regions in which it will be more challenging to implement WiMAX infrastructure.
Yozan announced a trial with America’s Tropos Networks, and the Tropos WiFi mesh network, in July. Yozan uses WiMAX 4.9GHz as the backhaul and for nomadic front-end, they use Wi-Fi and mobile WiMAX on IEEE 802.16e, as is becoming popular worldwide.
In 2005, Airspan Networks signed agreements with Yozan Inc. to deploy a Tokyo-wide WiMAX network, valued at $16.7 million, to deliver high speed IP connectivity capable of a wide array of data service offerings. The companies has now announced a further $26 million expansion to their contract, bringing its value to more than $42 million. Airspan expects to deliver between $5 million and $8 million of the total in the first quarter of 2006, with the balance by July.
Under the agreement, Airspan commenced deliveries of WiMAX equipment in the last quarter of 2005. Yozan was able to launch Japan’s first WiMAX-based service in Tokyo on December 25, 2005. In February 2006, Yozan announced that it would extend WiMAX coverage to the whole Tokyo area, and that it intended to cover all of Nagoya and Osaka with a WiMAX network by the end of June 2006. On February 15th, the company also announced that it had received a license to conduct WiMAX access trials in Okayama, to ascertain the feasibility of offering WiMAX access in remote areas where fiber-based services were not possible.
“This network, in one of the world’s top five cities, will be the first major deployment of a WiMAX Metropolitan Area Network,” Henrik Smith-Petersen, Airspan’s president for the Asia Pacific region, said in a statement. “We are extremely pleased to be able to partner with Yozan, whose vision of pervasive broadband we share.” Airspan will provide both the base stations and the customer premises equipment, the company said.
Two vendors, one American and the other Japanese, said they have plans to deploy a citywide WiMAX wireless broadband network in Tokyo. U.S. vendor Airspan and Japanese communications operator Yozan said they will start trials for the network in the second quarter of this year. They said that commercial rollout will begin in the fourth quarter, with a fuller-scale launch in December. Japanese telecom operator NTT said earlier in the week that it plans to deploy metro-scale Wi-Fi networks in a number of locations.
Elektrobit announced the availability of its suite of WiMAX modules. These ODM products will shorten the time-to-market of new WiMAX base stations and products. The products are targeted for telecom vendors and operators.
Elektrobit's new cost-efficient WiMAX 802.16e BTS modules shorten the development time of WiMAX network solutions. The BTS modules allow various site applications by one configuration, easy installation and commissioning and flexible higher capacity configurations. To ensure low operational cost for radio networks, the BTS modules can be configured, software upgraded and diagnosed remotely.
Elektrobit WiMAX Baseband Module is utilising the latest SDR baseband technology - there is capacity for future feature upgrades of WiMAX, which makes the Elektrobit BTS module a future-proof investment. The Remote Radio head module will be available at 4W power for 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz TDD frequency bands.
Siemens is going to use Sequans' newly released mobile WiMAX Wave 2 chips to build WiMAX residential modems and gateways. The units are being developed by Siemens Home and Office Communications Device division and are part of the company's Gigaset product family. Siemens is a global leader in fixed WiMAX consumer devices.
"We are honored to be working with Siemens and pleased to support their dedication to enhancing users' broadband experience with WiMAX," said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. "Siemens is one of the few major solution vendors with global reach, a leading position in the market, and proven success in the consumer space with devices such as cordless phones, VOIP phones, and DSL gateways."
The new Sequans chip, the SQN1130, includes all MAC and PHY features required by the 802.16e Wave 2 standard, including full 2X2 MIMO, plus a low complexity implementation of MIMO-unique to Sequans-- that delivers the highest possible performance while minimizing power consumption. Sequans' SQN1130 delivers more than 30 Mbps total throughput.
"Sequans' SQN1130 mobile WiMAX chips enable us to build the highest performing WiMAX modems with industry-leading throughput." said Marc Achhammer, senior vice president, head of WiMAX, Siemens Home and Office Communication Devices. "We are dedicated to WiMAX as a key global broadband technology, and Sequans supports our strategy and roadmap for mobile WiMAX the best."
Kyocera are working closely to develop exciting new consumer electronic devices employing the latest in broadband Mobile WiMAX technology. Kyocera and Runcom worked closely over the last several months in the early development of multiple classes of Mobile WiMAX terminals.
WiMax delivers high-speed broadband fixed and mobile services wirelessly to large areas using considerably less infrastructure than previous wireless protocols. When paired with new MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology, it can deliver mobile services three to five times faster than today’s 3G standards at a lower cost. A growing number of wireless service providers around the world are planning to use
Frank Ohrtman
WMX Systems
www.wmxsystems.com
Mr. West forecasts 50 million WiMAX access devices in the US by 2010. That's a staggering pace of uptake. My unverified, unscientific figure for Wi-Fi access devices in the US is 40 million. Per Mr. West, WiMAX will be "bigger than Wi-Fi" by 2010. The 50 million figure is based on commitments by major handheld device vendors to turn out that many devices by 2010.
When we compare Mr. West's 50 million WiMAX devices by 2010 to an estimated 40 million Wi-Fi devices, I'm not completely incredulous. When we compare the two technologies, we see the following:
Aside from Intel, Wi-Fi never had a focused corporate sponsor putting billions of dollars in its direction (Cisco's Wi-Fi devices have a number of proprietary angles to them to capture a purely enterprise market vs. a full-blown commercial/consumer market; ditto on Motorola Canopy)
No 600-lb gorilla of a service provider pushed Wi-Fi demanding compliance from a series of world class device makers such as Sprint is doing with Motorola, Samsung, Nokia-Siemens for example
No significant service provider bet billions of $ on Wi-Fi in the way that Sprint is betting $5 billion on WiMAX in the form of xohm Intel WiMAX chipsets in laptops provide a de facto path to subscribership: buy laptop, turn it on, get WiMAX
http://wirelesswatch.jp/2004/10/13/wimax-high-speed-hype-for-now/
At virtually every turn, Intel Corp. executives are heaping praise on an emerging long-range wireless technology known as WiMAX, which can blanket entire cities with high-speed Internet access. Market research firm iSuppli on Monday described a largely lackluster outlook for WiMAX, which it said is surrounded by hype and will likely fail to catch on beyond niche applications. Established broadband access providers see no reason to adopt yet another technology for delivering data at high speeds, the company said.
Industry-wide demand for WiMAX equipment will not top $1 billion until 2007, according to iSuppli’s forecast. Divided up among many industry players, that amount might barely register at a company like Intel, which reported $30 billion in revenue last year. By 2009, the market will reach only $2.5 billion, iSuppli predicted.
Written by Katie Fehrenbacher
http://gigaom.com/2006/11/06/waiting-for-wibro/
...out in the real world Koreans cannot actually use Wibro on their phones because no-one has figured out how to cram in the bulky and power-hungry Wibro chipsets, and make what is essentially a data service work alongside voice calls....
Sales of WiMAX equipment is estimated to top $3 billion by 2010, says research firm In-Stat, and Fujitsu, Runcom, TeleCIS, Wavesat, Sequans and Samsung, among others, are all competing for business...
YOZAN has become the latest WiMAX operator to join the WiMAX Spectrum Owners Alliance (WiSOA), and company chairman Sunao Takatori has been elected to serve as a WiSOA board member. YOZAN is the first to adopt and provide WiMAX services in Japan and is focused on providing services throughout areas of Tokyo, prior to expanding services to Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto. The company operates over 4.9GHz, which is a semi-licensed, registered spectrum in Japan.
As a quad-band device that will operate in all key WiMAX frequency bands, including 2.3-2.4 GHz, 2.5-2.7 GHz, 3.3-3.7 GHz, and the 4.9-.5.4 GHz bands, it will allow users to have access to WiMAX networks almost wherever they are in the world. The device has participated in the Plugfests testing for interoperability of 16e products in the 1st and 2nd mobile WiMAX Plugfests.
YOZAN uses Airspan equipment to offer 802.16d fixed and nomadic services featuring the MicroMAX-SDR base station, which requires a “software only” upgrade to support 16e mobile WiMAX. On the customer premise equipment (CPE) front, YOZAN is co-developing with Airspan to produce a 16eUSB device that will become the first mobile WiMAX USB device. This device, which is designed to be fully compatible with the IEEE’s 802.16e-2005 standard and the WiMAX Forum Mobile WIMAX System Profile in Wave2, is designed to support MIMO, beam-forming smart antennas, idle and sleep modes and handover.
By Gina Roos
Courtesy of eeProductCenter
http://www.wirelessnetdesignline.com/201806150?cid=RSSfeed_wirelessnetdesignline_wndlRSS
Agilent has introduced a wireless networking test set and OFDMA measurement application software as a complete one-box transmitter and receiver test solution for mobile WiMAX devices. This test tool is designed for cell phone, ODM and CM manufacturing engineers testing WiMAX mobile subscriber devices or modules that use IEEE 802.16e-2005.
The N8300A one-box parametric WiMAX test set provides a standard-compliant 802.16e-2005 physical layer test tool while the associated N6301A measurement application delivers measurement analysis of Mobile WiMAX signals.
The N8300A Wireless Networking Test Set and N6301A Measurement Application will be showcased at WiMAX World 2007, Sept. 25-27, and at the Forum de l'Electronique, Sept. 25-27. Agilent will also display Mobile WiMAX measurement solutions for R&D, pre-conformance test, manufacturing, and installation and maintenance including MIMO design and verification with the Advanced Design System, MXA, Agilent MXG, Power Meter and 89601A Vector Signal Analysis software solutions.
Fujitsu announced its Mobile WiMAX System-on-Chip (SoC) solution and roadmap. The Fujitsu mobile WiMAX SoC is fully compliant with the IEEE 802.16e-2005 Mobile WiMAX standard. This highly integrated one-chip MAC and PHY mixed signal baseband SoC is designed to optimize both performance and power consumption using Fujitsu’s 90nm process technology, and is especially well-suited for PC cards and mobile devices.
Fujitsu has built a worldwide base of WiMAX systems customers for its powerful fixed broadband wireless SoC, as well as a growing deployment footprint. Its delivery has been on time, on target and on specification.
http://embedded-system.net/embedded-processor-for-wifi-and-wimax-devices-powerpc-405exr-amcc.html
AMCC announced the the PowerPC 405EXr, second member of its embedded processor family for cost-sensitive wireless access platforms. The PowerPC 405EXr embedded processor is based on Power Architecture technology and optimized for 802.11n (Wi-Fi) and WiMAX) based wireless access points and residential gateways.
The PowerPC 405EXr embedded processor is optimized for next gen WLAN applications and shares many features with the recently announced 405EX. While the 405EX is designed for enterprise class applications, the 405EXr, with a single lane of PCI Express and single Gigabit Ethernet port, is optimized for small or medium businesses, residential gateways and high-end SOHO applications.
The core is capable of delivering over 1,000 DMIPS of processing speed. A cross bar-based, on-chip system interconnect provides low latency and increased bandwidth connectivity to a high-performance DDR2 SDRAM controller for main memory and to the PCI Express and Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. The sub 1.5 watt typical power dissipation of the 405EXr enables 802.11n access point designs to successfully operate below the 12.5 watt typical power of the 802.3af standard for Power-over-Ethernet (PoE). The excellent price/performance balance of the 405EXr makes it an affordable choice for meeting the demanding requirements of next generation access designs.
The 405EXr PCI Express interface provides up to 2.5Gbps of sustained throughput for connectivity for high performance 802.11n or WiMAX radio chipsets, or to other PCI Express-based chipsets. The internal bus architecture, security acceleration and integrated Gigabit Ethernet Media Access Controller (MAC) ensure that the full bandwidth of even the fastest 802.11n radios will be available. The high level of integration in the 405EXr SoC reduces the external components required for next generation WLAN access designs, which reduces systems complexity and bill of material cost.
NTT plans to test WiMax technology as early as next month. The “Super 3G” service will offer data transmission rates as high as 100Mbit/s and could be available in metropolitan areas as soon as 2008. Group companies will work together on trials of WiMax technology, said Masao Nakamura, president and CEO of NTT DoCoMo. Nakamura, who shared only a few details of the planned tests, confirmed that NTT DoCoMo would be one of the participants. Previously, NTT DoCoMo said it intended to push the 3G technology WCDMA to faster speeds.
WiMax is a high-speed wireless data transmission technology with benefits that fall between existing wired and cellular technologies. Tests of the technology are already underway in several countries and certification of WiMax equipment has begun. How long the tests will run is unclear, however. “We’re not going to be all that slow,” said Nakamura.
Written by Katie Fehrenbacher
http://gigaom.com/2007/04/17/wimax-devices-coming-soon/
South Korea launched a WiBro network last year and in the U.S. Sprint and Clearwire are working on mobile WiMAX services, too. It’s about time for some attention on the devices themselves, which are starting to get sold in South Korea, and in the U.S., likely some time in 2008. Here’s some WiMAX goodies from Nokia, LG, Samsung, ZTE, and ZyXEL that should find their way to the market relatively soon.
Nokia will sell WiMAX mobile devices in early 2008. The Nokia folks told GigaTeam that the company’s Internet tablet line would get a WiMAX version. Nice. My N800 does feel like its missing something...
The LG spokesperson at the booth said he thought Sequans was providing the WiMAX chip. The spokesperson also said the device goes on sale for around $700 in Korea “soon”, and a similar device...
Samsung announced the availability of 3 mobile WiMAX devices last week for the Korean market — a WiBro smartphone, a converged mobile PC device, and a WiBro USB dongle...
Sprint named ZTE as one of its suppliers of WiMAX devices including PC cards — express and USB — as well as modem products. Sprint also named ZyXEL as a consumer device supplier, and ZyXEL will work on modem products...
http://wirelesswatch.jp/2006/11/22/fujitsu-bets-big-on-wimax/
Fujitsu wants to get back into the wireless race in North America by being a major U.S. player in the race to build high speed wireless broadband WiMax networks. Last month, Fujitsu announced a whole new line of WiMax products covering every major component in the WiMAX network, including silicon solutions, electronic devices, radio access network solutions, professional services and backhaul infrastructure solutions. The company presented two new high performance base stations designed for indoor or outdoor use.
One of the reasons that Fujitsu says it has an edge here is because it is developing a WiMax system-on-a-chip that will be based on silicon. It plans to have the system-on-a-chip ready by July. It is also developing base stations which could conceivably be designed so that they sit right in your house or business, alongside your DVD Player.
To break into this business in the U.S., Fujitsu has become a leader in the movement to build an ecosystem around WiMax. The company, which is a founding member of the WiMax Forum, a standards-based organization that includes companies such as Motorola, Sprint and Alvarion, is working closely with Intel and is also introducing a new line of WiMax products. In a few years, Fujitsu could be a very big name in this new emerging wireless field.
WiMAX: Broadband Wireless Access
By Xiaole Song
...WiMAX is an Air Interface for Fixed Broadband Wireless Access Systems, also known as the IEEE WirelessMAN air interface. WiMAX-based systems can be used to transmit signals as far as 30 miles. So far, WiMAX can offer a solution to what is normally called the "last-mile" problem by connecting individual homes' and business offices' communications....
Unlike WiFi, WiMAX's range is typically measured in miles rather than feet. The main distinction of the difference between the two standards means that WiFi is focused on a local-area networking (LAN) technology and that WiMAX is a MAN technology...
...The IEEE has established a collection of wireless standards that include IEEE 802.15, also known as Bluetooth, for the Personal Area Network (PAN); IEEE 802.11, also known as WiFi, for the Local Area Network (LAN); 802.16 for the Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), and IEEE 802.20 for the Wide Area Network (WAN).
The 802.16d standard of extending 802.16 supports three physical layers (PHYs). The mandatory PHY mode is 256-point FFT Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). The other two PHY modes are Single Carrier (SC) and 2048 Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) modes...
...WiMAX supports ATM, IPv4, IPv6, Ethernet, and VLAN services. So, it can provide a rich choice of service possibilities to voice and data network service providers. In addition, WiMAX provides an ideal wireless backhaul technology to connect 802.11 wireless LANs and commercial hotspots with the Internet.
...WiMAX-based solutions include many other advantages, such as robust security features, good QoS (Quality of Service), and mesh and smart antenna technology that will allow better utilization of the spectrum resources. Also, the WiMAX-based voice service can work on either traditional Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) voice or IP-based Voice, also known as Voice over IP (VoIP).
Complete article: http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/3412391
Kyocera and Runcom has announced a development agreement aimed at leveraging Kyocera's expertise in wireless device development and Runcom's leading chipset technologies. Kyocera and Runcom are working closely to develop exciting new consumer electronic devices employing the latest in broadband Mobile WiMAX technology.
When paired with new MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology, it can deliver mobile services three to five times faster than today's third-generation (3G) standards at a lower cost. A growing number of wireless service providers around the world are planning to use WiMax's multimedia capabilities to complement existing cellular networks.
Sequans has announced a partnership with LG Electronics, to deliver the high-performance low power SQN1110 SoC, suitable for use in range of mobile devices such as handsets and smartphones. In addition to the SQN1110, the Subscriber Station System-on-Chip (SoC) that will be used by LGE in its consumer devices, Sequans will be delivering to its customers the SQN2110, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chipset for Base Stations, and S-Cube, Sequans’ comprehensive software offering. Sequans will deliver its Base Station and Subscriber Station silicon in the first half of 2006, on time to participate in the wide scale roll-out of WiBro and mobile WiMAX services.
WiMAX, the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a telecommunications technology aimed at providing wireless data over long distances in a variety of ways, from point-to-point links to full mobile cellular type access. It is based on the IEEE 802.16 standard, which is also called WirelessMAN. WiMAX allows a user, for example, to browse the Internet on a laptop computer without physically connecting the laptop to a wall jack. The name WiMAX was created by the WiMAX Forum, which was formed in June 2001 to promote conformance and interoperability of the standard. The forum describes WiMAX as "a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL."
WiMAX Mobile Applications
In line with these possible applications is the technology's ability to serve as a high bandwidth "backhaul" for Internet or cellular phone traffic from remote areas back to an Internet backbone. Although the cost per user/point of WiMAX in a remote application will be higher, it is not limited to such applications, and may be an answer to reducing the cost of T1/E1 backhaul as well. Given the limited wired infrastructure in some developing countries, the costs to install a WiMAX station in conjunction with an existing cellular tower or even as a solitary hub are likely to be small in comparison to developing a wired solution. Areas of low population density and flat terrain are particularly suited to WiMAX and its range.
WiMAX Spectrum Allocation
The 802.16 specification applies across a wide swath of the RF spectrum, and WiMAX could function on any frequency below 10GHz, (higher frequencies would decrease the range of a Base Station to a few hundred meters in an urban environment).
There is no uniform global licensed spectrum for WiMAX, although the WiMAX Forum has published three licensed spectrum profiles: 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz, in an effort to decrease cost: economies of scale dictate that the more WiMAX embedded devices (such as mobile phones and WiMAX-embedded laptops) are produced, the lower the unit cost. (The two highest cost components of producing a mobile phone are the silicon and the extra radio needed for each band.) Similar economy of scale benefits apply to the production of Base Stations.
In the unlicensed band, 5.x GHz is the approved profile. Telecom companies are unlikely to use this spectrum widely other than for backhaul, as they do not own and control the spectrum.
In the USA, the biggest segment available is around 2.5 GHz[3], and is already assigned, primarily to Sprint Nextel and Clearwire. Elsewhere in the world, the most-likely bands used will be the Forum approved ones, with 2.3 GHz probably being most important in Asia. Some countries in Asia like India, Vietnam and Indonesia will use a mix of 3.3 GHz and other frequencies.
Analogue TV bands (700MHz) may become available for WiMAX use, but await the complete rollout of digital TV, and there will be other uses suggested for that spectrum. In the USA the FCC auction for this spectrum is scheduled for the end of 2007. EU commissioner Viviane Reding has suggested re-allocation of 500-800 MHz spectrum for wireless communication, including WiMAX.
WiMAX and WiBro
In late 2004, Intel and LG Electronics agreed on a merger of mobile WiBro(S-OFDMA modulation) and fixed WiMAX(OFDM modulation) to produce a new standard dubbed Mobile WiMax(802.16e-2005) combining features from both to avoid a future standard war. From this point on WiBro became a specific subset implementation of 802.16e-2005 standard over 8.75 MHz channels in 2.3 GHz band, whereas Mobile WiMax represents a full implementation of 802.16e-2005 standard that supports flexible channel size and service band.
WiBro has South Korean government support with the requirement for each carrier to spend over US$1 billion for deployments. Korea sought to develop WiBro as a regional and potentially international alternative to 3.5G or 4G cellular systems. But given the lack of momentum as a standard, WiBro has joined WiMAX and agreed to harmonize with the similar OFDMA 802.16e version of the standard.
What makes WiBro roll-outs a good "test case" for the overall WiMAX effort is that it is a mobile, well thought out system for delivery of wireless broadband services, and the fact that the deployment is taking place in a highly sophisticated, broadband-saturated market. WiBro will go up against 3G and very high bandwidth wire-line services rather than as gap-filler or rural under-served market deployments often thought of as "best fit" markets for WiMAX.
As such, WiBRO is now best described as a particular profile within WiMAX with 8.75 MHz channel in the 2.3 GHz band.