What is WiMAX?

WiMAX has the potential to replace a number of existing telecommunications infrastructures. In

a fixed wireless configuration it can replace the telephone company's copper wire networks, the
cable TV's coaxial cable infrastructure while offering Internet Service Provider (ISP) services.
In its mobile variant, WiMAX has the potential to replace cellular networks. How do we get
there?

Figure 1 WiMAX has the potential to impact all forms of telecommunications

What is WiMAX or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access? WiMAX is an Institute

of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard designated 802.16-2004 (fixed wireless
applications) and 802.16e-2005 (mobile wire-less). The industry trade group WiMAX Forum
has defined WiMAX as a "last mile" broadband wireless access (BWA) alternative to cable
modem service, telephone company Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or T1/E1 service.

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Fixed WiMAX

Figure 2 Fixed WiMAX offers cost effective point to point and point to multi-point solutions

What makes WiMAX so exciting is the broad range of applications it makes possible but not
limited to broadband internet access, T1/E1 substitute for businesses, voice over Internet
protocol (VoIP) as telephone company substitute, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) as cable
TV substitute, backhaul for Wi-Fi hotspots and cell phone towers, mobile telephone service,
mobile data TV, mobile emergency response services, wireless backhaul as substitute for fiber
optic cable.

WiMAX provides fixed, portable or mobile non-line-of sight service from a base station to a
subscriber station, also known as customer premise equipment (CPE). Some goals for WiMAX
include a radius of service coverage of 6 miles from a WiMAX base station for point-to-
multipoint, non-line-of-sight (see following pages for illustrations and definitions) service. This
service should deliver approximately 40 megabits per second (Mbps) for fixed and portable
access applications. That WiMAX cell site should offer enough bandwidth to support hundreds
of businesses with T1 speeds and thousands of residential customers with the equivalent of DSL
services from one base station.

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Mobile WiMAX

Figure 3 Mobile WiMAX allows any telecommunications to go mobile

Mobile WiMAX takes the fixed wireless application a step further and enables cell phone-like
applications on a much larger scale. For example, mobile WiMAX enables streaming video to be
broadcast from a speeding police or other emergency vehicle at over 70 MPH. It potentially
replaces cell phones and mobile data offerings from cell phone operators such as EvDo, EvDv
and HSDPA. In addition to being the final leg in a quadruple play, it offers superior building
penetration and improved security measures over fixed WiMAX. Mobile WiMAX will be very
valuable for emerging services such as mobile TV and gaming.

WiMAX is not Wi-Fi

Figure 4 Where Wi-Fi covers an office or coffee shop, WiMAX covers a city
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One of the most often heard descriptions of WiMAX in the press is that it is "Wi-Fi on steroids".
In truth, it is considerably more than that. Not only does WiMAX offer exponentially greater
range and throughput than Wi-Fi (technically speaking 802.11b, although new variants of 802.11
offer substantial improvements over the "b" variant of 802.11), it also offers carrier grade quality
of service (QoS) and security. Wi-Fi has been notorious for its lack of security. The "b" variant
of 802.11 offered no prioritization of traffic making it less than ideal for voice or video. The
limited range and throughput of Wi-Fi means that a Wi-Fi service provider must deploy multiple
access points in order to cover the same area and service the same number of customers as one
WiMAX base station (note the differences in nomenclature). The IEEE 802.11 Working group
has since approved upgrades for 802.11 security and QoS.

Converged voice and data easy as FM radio?

Figure 5 With WiMAX, converged voice and data can be as easy as FM radio

Visualize turning on an FM radio in your office. You receive information (news, weather, sports)
from that service (the FM radio station) and hardware (the FM radio with attached antenna).
WiMAX can be described as being somewhat similar. In place of a radio station there is a base
station (radio and antenna that transmits information (internet access, VoIP, IPTV) and the
subscriber has a WiMAX CPE that receives the services. The major difference is that with
WiMAX the service is two-way or interactive.

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Figure 6 WiMAX indoor CPE, courtesy Motorola

Wireless Architectures

The following section will provide a simple overview of wireless concepts and nomenclature to
help the reader understand how WiMAX works and will assist the reader in com-municating with
the WiMAX industry.

Wireless architecture: point-to-point and point-to-multipoint

There are two scenarios for a wireless deployment: point-to-point and point-to-multipoint.

Figure 7: Point-to point and point-to-multipoint configurations

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Point-to-point (P2P)

Point to point is used where there are two points of interest: one sender and one receiver. This is
also a scenario for backhaul or the transport from the data source (data center, co-lo facility, fiber
POP, Central Office, etc) to the subscriber or for a point for distribution using point to multipoint
architecture. Backhaul radios comprise an industry of their own within the wireless industry. As
the architecture calls for a highly focused beam between two points range and throughput of
point-to point radios will be higher than that of point-to-multipoint products.

Point-to-Multipoint (PMP)

As seen in the figure above, point-to-multipoint is synonymous with distribution. One base
station can service hundreds of dissimilar subscribers in terms of bandwidth and services offered.

Line of sight (LOS) or Non-line of sight (NLOS)?

Figure 8: The difference between line of sight and non-line of sight

Earlier wireless technologies (LMDS, MMDS for example) were unsuccessful in the mass
market as they could not deliver services in non-line-of-sight scenarios. This limited the number
of subscribers they could reach and, given the high cost of base stations and CPE, those business
plans failed. WiMAX functions best in line of sight situations and, unlike those earlier
technologies, offers acceptable range and throughput to subscribers who are not line of sight to
the base station. Buildings between the base station and the subscriber diminish the range and
throughput, but in an urban environment, the signal will still be strong enough to deliver
adequate service. Given WiMAX's ability to deliver services non-line-of-sight, the WiMAX
service provider can reach many customers in high-rise office buildings to achieve a low cost per
subscriber because so many subscribers can be reached from one base station.

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WiMAX Radios

At the core of WiMAX is the WiMAX radio. A radio contains both a transmitter (sends) and a
receiver (receives). It generates electrical oscillations at a frequency known as the carrier
frequency (in WiMAX that is usually between 2 and 11 GHz). A radio might be thought of as a
networking device similar to a router or a bridge in that it is managed by software and is
composed of circuit boards containing very complex chip sets.

WiMAX architecture, very simply put, is built upon two components: radios and antennas. Most
WiMAX products offer a base station radio separate from the antenna. Conversely, many CPE
devices are also two piece solutions with an antenna on the outside of the building and subscriber
station indoors as illustrated in the figure below.

Figure 9: Most WiMAX solutions use radios separate from antennas

The chief advantage of this is that the radio is protected from extremes of heat cold and humidity
all of which detract from the radio's performance and durability. In addition, having the antenna
outdoors optimizes the link budget (performance of the wireless connection) between transmitter
and receiver especially in line of sight scenarios. The antenna is connected to WiMAX radio via
a cable known as a "pigtail". One simple rule for wireless installations: keep the pigtail as short
as possible. Why? The longer the pigtail the more signal is lost between the antenna and the
radio. The popular LMR-400 cable, for example will lose about 1 dB (pronounced "dee-bee" for
decibel, a measure of signal strength) for every 10 feet of cable. Very simply put, if an antenna is
placed at the top of a 20-story building and the radio in the wiring closet on the ground floor, one
may lose all signal in the cable.

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Radios and Enclosures

Figure 10: WiMAX performance can be optimized by placing the radio in a weather resistant or
weatherproof enclosure near the antenna

Radio placement

The photo above shows the WiMAX radio deployed in an enclosure. Note from left to right: a)
copper grounding cable on the inside of the enclosure b) Ethernet connection to the data source
c) Heliax "pigtail" to the antenna (Heliax is a heavy duty, lightning resistant cable) d) 110v
power via an APC UPS (note black box in top right hand corner of enclosure.

What are some strategies to ensure the antenna can be as high as possible to take advan-tage of
line-of-sight topologies where ever possible while keeping the pigtail as short as possible? One
approach is to co-locate the radio on or near the roof with the antenna in an enclosure.
Considerations for enclosures include: a) security and b) weather resistance-how hot or cold can
your radio gets and still function?

Sheet metal or fiberglass enclosures with a lock provide security. Next, it is necessary to
determine how well suited the radio is for local atmospherics (hot or cold). Most Wi-MAX
radios are rated as operating between -20 degrees Fahrenheit to 120 degrees F at the upper end.
If you will be operating in locations that will exceed those parameters you need an enclosure that
will shield your radio form those extremes. As the radio will generate its own heat, surrounding
it with insulation will ensure the temperature of the radio will not suffer from sub-zero
temperatures.

WiMAX Antennas
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Figure 11: Different antenna types are designed for different applications

WiMAX antennas, just like the antennas for car radio, cell phone, FM radio, or TV, are designed
to optimize performance for a given application. The figure above illustrates the three main
types of antennas used in WiMAX deployments. From top to bottom are an omni directional,
sector and panel antenna each has a specific function.

Omni directional antenna

Figure 12: An omni-directional antenna broadcasts 360 degrees from the base station

Omni directional antennas are used for point-to-multipoint configurations. The main drawback
to an omni directional antenna is that its energy is greatly diffused in broad-casting 360 degrees.
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This limits its range and ultimately signal strength. Omni directional antennas are good for
situations where there are a lot of subscribers located very close to the base station. An example
of omni directional application is a WiFi hotspot where the range is less than 100 meters and
subscribers are concentrated in a small area.

Sector antennas

Figure 13: Sector antennas are focused on smaller sectors

A sector antenna, by focusing the beam in a more focused area, offers greater range and
throughput with less energy. Many operators will use sector antennas to cover a 360-degree
service area rather than use an omni directional antenna due to the superior per-formance of
sector antennas over an omni directional antenna.

Panel antennas

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 Figure 14: Panel antennas are most often used for point-to-point applications

Panel antennas are usually a flat panel of about one foot square. They can also be a
configuration where potentially the WiMAX radio is contained in the square antenna enclosure.
Such configurations are powered via the Ethernet cable that connects the ra-dio/antenna
combination to the wider network. That power source is known as Power over Ethernet (PoE).
This streamlines deployments as there is no need to house the radio in a separate, weatherproof
enclosure if outdoors or in a wiring closet if indoors. This configuration can also be very handy
for relays.

Subscriber Stations

The technical term for customer premise equipment (CPE) is subscriber station. The generally
accepted marketing terms now focus on either "indoor CPE" or "outdoor CPE". There are
advantages and disadvantages to both deployment schemes as described below.

Outdoor CPE

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 Figure 15: An outdoor CPE device

Outdoor CPE, very simply put, offers somewhat better performance over indoor CPE given that
WiMAX reception is not impeded by walls of concrete or brick, RF blocking glass or steel in the
building's walls. In many cases the subscriber may wish to utilize an outdoor CPE in order to
maximize reception via a line of sight connection to the base sta-tion not possible with indoor
CPE. Outdoor CPE will cost more than indoor CPE due to a number of factors including extra
measures necessary to make outdoor CPE weather re-sistant.

Indoor CPE

Figure 16: Indoor WiMAX CPE, courtesy Motorola

The most significant advantage of indoor over outdoor CPE is that it is installed by the
subscriber. This frees the service provider from the expense of "truck roll" or installation. In
addition, it can be sold online or in a retail facility thus sparing the service provider a trip to the
customer site. Indoor CPE also allows a certain instant gratification for the subscriber in that
there is no wait time for installation by the service provider. Currently, many telephone
companies require a one month wait between placement of order and in-stallation of T1 or E1
services. In addition, an instant delivery of service is very appeal-ing to the business subscriber
in the event of a network outage by the incumbent service provider.

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 Site Survey

Before any equipment is deployed, there must be a site survey to determine what is needed in
order to have a successful wireless operation. By understanding the dynamics of the market
where the deployment will take place and planning accordingly, the service provider can ensure
success on Day One of operations.

Link Budget

Figure 17: The link budget determines the success or failure of a wireless operation

The figure above illustrates a link budget. It is the equation of the power of a signal transmitted
minus detractions between the transmitter and receiver (rain, interference from other
broadcasters, vegetation, gain at the antennas ate either end) and what signal is received at the
receiver.

Frequency Plan

Part of the site survey process is to determine a viable frequency plan. The wireless op-erator
must make maximum use of limited spectrum assets. How does one do that?

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Figure 18: By reusing frequencies at different base stations, a WiMAX operator can avoid
interference from their own network

The diagram above illustrates how a wireless operator (cellular, WiMAX, etc) uses their limited
spectrum allocation to deliver the best service possible while avoiding interfer-ence between
their base stations. Note there are nine different base stations with three different frequencies but
no similarly shaded circle touches another. If they did touch, there would be interference
between base stations because they would be operating on the same frequency.

Its about windows, not roof tops

Traditional wireless thinking dictated that a radio and its associated antenna should be at the
highest point possible with a line of sight to a majority of the service area (note mountain tops
and the Empire State Building). This is not necessarily so with WiMAX. As indoor subscriber
units mature, the value of antenna placement is not necessarily in height above subscribers, but
in achieving as short and direct a line of sight possible be-tween base station and subscriber's
CPE.

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 Figure 19: Imagine each window or floor paying $500 per month in WiMAX services

Objections to WiMAX

A discussion of WiMAX is not complete without taking on objections to the technology. Before
any one can sell a high technology product, they must first sell the customer on the technology.

Figure 20: Objections to WiMAX are best understood via the provisions built into the WiMAX
Physical and MAC layers
Source: IEEE

Technology sales people invariably encounter objections to the technology they are selling. The
primary objections to WiMAX are:

1. Interference: Won't interference from other broadcasters degrade the quality of the WiMAX
service?

2. Quality of Service (QoS): Wireless is inherently unstable so how can it offer voice and video
services?

3. Security: Is WiMAX secure? Can anything wireless be secure?

4. Reliability: Nothing can be as reliable as the telephone company's service (rumored to offer
"five 9s" of reliability or 5 minutes of downtime per year).

The answers to those objections are best understood via the Physical (known as the PHY,
pronounced "fi") and Medium Access Control (MAC pronounced "mac") Layers. The WiMAX
Working Group no doubt were aware of these objections based on experiences with earlier
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 wireless technologies (Wi-Fi, LMDS, MMDS, CDMA, GSM) and have engineered WiMAX to
fix failures of past wireless technologies.

Antenna Technologies & Interference

Adaptive Antenna System (AAS)

Figure 24: By utilizing AAS and beam steering technologies, WiMAX overcomes interference
while boosting range and throughput

Adaptive Antenna Systems (AAS) use beam-forming technologies to focus the wireless beam
between the base station and the subscriber. This reduces the possibility of interference from
other broadcasters as the beam runs straight between the two points.

Dynamic Frequency Selection, MIMO, and Software Defined Radios

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Figure 25: Dynamic Frequency Selection enables a radio to shift frequencies when interference
is present

One of the simplest remedies to interference is to simply change frequencies to avoid the
frequency where interference occurs. Dynamic frequency selection (DFS) does just that. A DFS
radio sniffs the airwaves to determine where interference does not occur and selects the open
frequency to avoid the frequencies where interference occurs.

Multiple in and multiple out (MIMO) antenna systems work on the same principle. With
multiple transmitters and receivers built into the antenna, the transmitter and receiver can
coordinate to move to an open frequency if/when interference occurs.

Software defined radios (SDR) use the same strategy to avoid interference. As they are software
and not hardware defined, they have the flexibility to dynamically shift frequencies to move
away from a congested frequency to an open channel.

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