A new wireless system is emerging that could eclipse
Wi-Fi technology, experts believe.
The technology, called WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for
Microwave Access), is winning over plenty of followers while
quickly gaining momentum on the standards front - despite
high-profile sceptics such as Texas Instruments .
That was the general consensus of industry experts attending a
crowded workshop earlier this week at the Broadband World Forum in
Venice.
"According to a study by Juniper Research, only half of all
households in Europe will have broadband access by 2008 due to poor
or non-existent cable infrastructure or high-speed line systems
being too complicated or expensive to deploy," said Andreas Greil,
vice-president of product management in the information and
communication network division of Siemens. "There's a huge
opportunity for WiMax to fill this gap."
Some view WiMax not only as a wireless alternative to DSL
(Digital Subscriber Line), cable and leased line services but also
someday as a rival to mobile telephony, he said.
"Never bet against mobility," said John Krzywicki, president of
The Management Network Group (TMNG). "I estimate that a mobile
solution for WiMax is only two to three years away."
WiMax technology, based on the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers' 802.16 standard, can extend broadband
wireless over longer distances and at higher speeds than current
Wi-Fi or Bluetooth systems.
Its access range, for instance, is up to around 48km,
compared with Wi-Fi's 91m and Bluetooth's 30ft. It supports data
transmission speeds up to 70mbps, compared with the popular 802.11b
Wi-Fi standard's 11mbps or the 802.11a's 54mbps.
In addition to its distance and speed advantages, WiMax does not
require line-of-site transmission.
The WiMax Forum, established in 2001 by a number of industry
heavyweights, has been working on standards certification and
interoperability testing. The first generation WiMax systems, based
on the 802.16-2004 standard, could ship as earlier as this
year.
Alvarion in Tel Aviv is targeting the second half of 2004 for
the delivery of products with chips from Intel, according to
Alvarion vice-president of marketing Rudy Leser.
Many experts expect WiMax service to be deployed in rural areas,
where high-speed cable infrastructure is either poor or
non-existent. Some also see opportunities to use the technology for
backhauling traffic between Wi-Fi hot spots, as well as for
creating large wide-area hot spots.
Another WiMax standard under development is 802.16e, which
provides mobility. Similar to digital mobile systems such as GSM,
this standard will support seamless hand-off when users move around
within the network.
Standardisation work on 802.16e is expected to be completed in
the second half of 2006, with service roll-out planned for 2007,
Leser said.
Further down the development pipeline is 802.20, also known as
Mobile-FI.
"This standard is designed from ground up as a mobile system,"
said Maximilian Riegel, head of advanced standardisation at
Siemens. "Although I don't think 802.20 technology will compete
directly with 3G mobile systems, it will certainly provide a high
degree of mobility."
The 802.20 standard is designed to support connections up to
1.5mbps in devices moving at 120km per hour, according to
Christopher Rogers technology strategist at Intel.
As euphoric as some experts were about WiMax at the Broadband
World workshop, many pointed to challenges that still lie ahead,
particularly on the spectrum front.
While Wi-Fi technology has blossomed in an environment of noisy,
unlicensed spectrum, WiMax will need to move into less crowded
bands for continuity and quality of service reasons, according to a
study conducted by TMNG.
Many of these are licensed, such as 2.5-GHz and 3.5-GHz.
Licensed bands are subject to regulation and, in many cases, cost a
fee.
One unlicensed band under consideration is 5-GHz, which,
however, is also used by Wi-Fi 802.11a. Unlicensed spectrum tends
to be crowded because it lacks regulation and fees, and must
therefore be closely managed to assure quality.
"We have no spectrum for WiMax in Europe at the moment," said
Siemens' Riegel. "We have had discussions on the issue in Europe
but have reached no conclusion. National regulators and the
European Commission have agreed to make a decision on WiMax
spectrum by 2007."
Meanwhile, some manufacturers are voicing their doubts about
WiMax, Joseph Crupi, vice-president of Texas Instruments Broadband
Communications Group, said the chip maker remains unconvinced that
the new wireless technology will revolutionise the way broadband
internet services are delivered to homes and offices.
John Blau writes for IDG News Service