Wimax

Seminar Report

EAST WEST INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY # 63, off Magadi Road, BANGALORE 560 091

DEPARTMENTOF ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

A Technical Seminar Report on

WIMAX

Submitted By MADHAN.M
USN: 1EW08EC047

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

EAST WEST INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY # 63, off Magadi Road, BANGALORE 560 091

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE

Certificate that the seminar entitled WIMAX is a bonafide work carried out by MADHAN.M in partial fulfillment for the award of degree of Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics & Communication of the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum during the year 2011-12. This Seminar report has been approved as it satisfies the academic requirements in respect of Seminar Work 06EC86 prescribed for the Bachelor of Engineering Degree.

Signature of the Guide

Signature of the Co-ordinator

Signature of HOD

Name of the Student

: MADHAN.M

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

ABSTRACT

The term WIMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) has become synonymous with the IEEE 802.16 Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) air interface standard. Filling the gap between Wireless LANs and widearea networks, WIMAX-compliant systems will provide a cost-effective fixed wireless alternative to conventional wire-line DSL and cable in areas where those technologies are readily available. The WIMAX technology can provide a cost-effective broadband access solution in areas beyond the reach of DSL and cable. The ongoing evolution of IEEE 802.16 will expand the standard to address mobile applications thus enabling broadband access directly to WIMAX-enabled portable devices ranging from smart phones and PDAs to notebook and laptop computers. Thus WIMAX is going to be a revolution in the world of communications. First of all, it will suppose an explosion of the wireless data networks, being not a substitute but a complement to Wi-Fi, and if technology advances enough to get a good intercity wireless link, these networks could be comparable to the internet. It will mean also revolution in the world of mobile communications, being a serious competitor with UMTS. WIMAX Forum Certified products will extend the range of Wi-Fi networks from the local area to the metropolitan area and beyond. These products will be based upon the 802.16 standard and will support distances of up to 50 kilometers far longer distances than supported by Wi-Fi products.

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 2. ABOUT WIMAX 3. THE 802.16 STANDARD 4. HOW WIMAX WORKS? 5. CHARACTERISTICS AND FEATURES 6. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES 7. CONCLUSIONS

1 2 5 7 10 13 14

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

1.INTRODUCTION

A new metropolitan-area wireless standard will change the economics of Internet access again.

Its hard to buy a laptop computer today that doesnt come with a Wi-Fi chip: a built-in radio that lets users surf the Web wirelessly from the boardroom, the bedroom, or the coffee bar.

People love Wi-Fi because a single base station - a box with a wired connection to the Internet, such as a DSL, cable, or T1 line can broadcast to multiple users across distances as great as 100 meters indoors and 400 meters out-doors. But theres a new technology on the way that will make Wi-Fi look feeble. ITS CALLED WiMAX.

AND WiMAX provides wireless broadband Internet connections at speeds similar to Wi-Fi - but over distances of up to 50 kilometers from a central tower. Metropolitan area wireless networking at broadband speeds isnt new, but the specialized equipment that receives the broadband signals has typically been too expensive for everyone but large businesses. Now that U.S. computing and communications firms are gradually reaching consensus on the details of the WiMAX standard, however, those prices could come down significantly. Industry agreement on details such as how to encrypt WiMAX signals, which frequencies to use, and how to provide multiple users with access to those frequencies will finally allow companies like Intel to manufacture mass quantities of WiMAX-enabled chips for use in broadband wireless equipment. And thats expected to eventually bring WiMAX receivers into the $50 to $100 price range of todays DSL and cable modems, meaning that millions of users could eventually drop their current Internet Service Providers - often local phone or cable companies - and simply access the Internet over rooftop antennas at the other end of town.

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

2. ABOUT WIMAX

2.1 WHAT IS WIMAX?

WiMAX is a wireless metropolitan-area network technology that provides interoperable broadband wireless connectivity to fixed, portable and nomadic users. It provides up to 50kilometers of service area, allows users to get broadband connectivity without the need of direct line-of-sight to the base station, and provides total data rates up to 75 Mbps enough bandwidth to simultaneously support hundreds of businesses and homes with a single base station. This white paper discusses wireless metro-access technologies: Wi-Fi with high gain antennas, Wi-Fi meshed networks and WiMAX. It explores how the technologies differ and how they can be combined to provide a total last-mile access solution now and in the future.

WiMAX is the moniker used for the IEEE 802.16 wireless interface specifications promoted by the industry trade organization Forum for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. Members of the WiMAX Forum include leading operators, equipment and component makers. The WiMAX Forum ratified the new standard for wireless broadband access at the beginning of 2003. WiMAX continues to be one of the most talked about technologies.

WiMAX is a standard-based technology which will serve as a wireless extension or alternative to cable and DSL for broadband access. Particularly for end users in rural, sparsely populated areas or in areas where laying cable is difficult or uneconomical, WiMAX will provide a new broadband access path to the internet. But companies and communities along with owners notebooks will benefit from WiMAX as well if they require mobile networks that cover a larger area than Wi-Fi. As an industry standard, 802.16 enables equipment suppliers to build solutions that can interoperate with each other, leading to lower cost and investment risk. WiMAX is going to bring scale to the market and, ideally, create a larger market along the way. Since

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

wireless technologies are easier to install than wire-based infrastructures, providers can use WiMAX to provide broadband access in previously under-supplied areas quickly and costeffectively. WiMAX is not a new technology, but rather a more innovative and commercially viable adaptation of a proven technology that is delivering broadband services around the globe today. In fact, wireless broadband access systems from WiMAX Forum members are already deployed in more than 125 countries around the world. These leading equipment providers are on a migration path to WiMAX.

2.2 THE WiMAX FORUM

The WiMAX Forum is an industry body formed in 2003 by WSPs and equipment manufacturers to promote the IEEE 802.16 standard and perform interoperability testing. The WiMAX Forum has adopted certain profiles based on the 802.16 standards for interoperability testing and WiMAX certification. These operate in the 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz and 5.8GHz frequency bands, which typically are licensed by various government authorities. The WiMAX Forum now includes almost 140 member companies.

WiMAX Forum Vision is to create a global mass market for deployment of broadband wireless networks that will enable fixed, portable and mobile users to maintain high-speed connectivity wherever they go. To lead the access anywhere revolution supporting delivery of data, voice and video applications at home, in the office and on the go is its motto.

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

2.3 WHY WiMAX?

WISPs have been striving for wireless technologies that make wireless metro access possible. Access to

areas that are too remote, too difficult or too expensive to reach with traditional wired infrastructures (such as fiber) require new technologies and a different approach.

The three key deployment types that make up wireless metro access are backhaul, last-mile and large-area coverage (referred to as hot zones). Wireless last-mile coverage typically uses the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard with high-gain antennas, while hot zones use modified IEEE 802.11 equipment in a mesh deployment.

Open standard radio technologiesincluding 802.11, 802.16 and future standardsoffer advantages to WISPs and users. For the first time, industry-wide support and innovation are driving broadband wireless networking technologies. Network operators, service providers and users benefit from a wide array of high-performance, feature-rich and cost effective products. Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) revolutionized the market for unlicensed client-access radios in a wide variety of applications. Starting in 2005, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) certification of the IEEE 802.16-2004 standard for fixed-position radios will do the same for point-to-point (P2P) and point-to-multi-point (P2MP) wireless broadband equipment in both the licensed and unlicensed bands. In 2006, the IEEE 802.16e standard for portable operation is expected to be ratified, thus standardizing client radios in unlicensed and licensed bands. This certification will provide users with an alternative and allow service providers the benefit of additional tier services.

The cost and limited flexibility of wired backhaul limits wireless access growth. In the face of the technical challenges, WISPs have begun to look ahead at WiMAX-certified solutions, which will be available in early 2005.

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

To date, WISPs have capitalized on the cost and complexity associated with traditional highspeed wired broadband infrastructures by applying ingenuity to solve last-mile problems. WISPs modified existing wireless technologies, typically based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, to patch last-mile gaps. Limitations in these deployments surfaced, however b ecause wired backhaul solutions can be too expensive for establishing widespread wireless access and because a standard means for deploying IEEE 802.11 into the last mile or within a hot zone has not emerged, each WISP implements long-distance IEEE 802.11 solutions differently.

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

3. THE 802.16 STANDARD

THE STANDARD IN DETAIL: 802.16, A, C, D AND E

In early December 2001, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) approved the 802.16 standard, which defines radio systems with point-to-multipoint architectures in frequency bands between 10 and 66 GHz, which require a line-of-sight between sender and receiver for transmitting data.

Figure 1: Evolution of standards

As the complexity of applications increases, quality of service becomes a critical factor. For example, video streams can be transmitted only when low latency is ensured. The 802.16 standard therefore includes a so-called request/grant scheme that can used to prioritize particular data streams. The transmission priorities are divided into five stages from continuous grant to best effort. In addition, the physical layer in 802.16d will be defined in such a way that it is

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

usable by a multitude of frequency bands. 802.16c provides detailed system profiles for the specification 802.16-2001 for the frequency range between 10 GHz and 66 GHz. To make the 802.16 specification more readable the specifications 802.16- 2001, 802.16a-2003 and 802.16c-2003 have been combined in a 802.16REVd revision now called 802.16-2004. The 802.16-2004 standard will be for fixed wireless services such as delivering broadband to the home, while a new amendment 802.16e will allow portable WiMAX devices to send and receive data over broadband wireless networks while moving from base station to base station. Most likely 802.16e-capable devices will be mainly used by nomadic users, meaning that like nomads they change locations, but always stay for a while. Without the 802.16e amendment data can only be received in a single cell. As soon as the user leaves the cell, the connection is lost. Therefore, the standards committee has decided to include hand-over functions in 802.16e capable to serve moving notebook or PDA users with a speed of up to 120 km/h. Depending of frequency range and technical implementation details a WiMAX radio cell according to 802.16e may have a diameter of six to seven kilometers This expansion is currently still under development and will most likely be ratified in mid 2005.

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

4. HOW WiMAX WORKS?

It will not be out of place to have a quick glance at the working of the WiMAX. The WiMAX actually can provide two forms of wireless service:

There is the non-line-of-sight, Wi-Fi sort of service, where a small antenna on a computer connects to the tower. In this mode, WiMAX uses a lower frequency range - 2 GHz to 11 GHz (similar to Wi-Fi). Lower-wavelength transmissions are not as easily disrupted by physical obstructions - they are better able to diffract, or bend, around obstacles.

Figure 2 : NLOS CPE communication in WiMAX

There is line-of-sight service, where a fixed dish antenna points straight at the WiMAX tower from a rooftop or pole. The line-of-sight connection is stronger and more stable, so it's able to send a lot of data with fewer errors. Line-of-sight transmissions use higher frequencies, with ranges reaching a possible 66 GHz. At higher frequencies, there is less interference and lots more bandwidth. Wi-Fi style access will be limited to a 4-to-6 mile

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

radius (perhaps 25 square miles or 65 square km of coverage, which is similar in range to a cell-phone zone). Through the stronger line-of-sight antennas, the WiMAX transmitting station would send data to WiMAX-enabled computers or routers set up within the transmitter's 30-mile radius (3,600 square miles or 9,300 square km of coverage). This is what allows WiMAX to achieve its maximum range.

WiMAX equipment is currently deployed in Scott County. Ft. Wayne, South Bend, and Sullivan County have all established pockets of wide-area data network coverage using equipment which s a forerunner to the WiMAX standard.

Figure 3: How WiMAX works

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

MESH

Mesh Mode is an optional topology for subscriber-to-subscriber communication in non-line of sight 802.16a. It is included in the standard to allow overlapping, ad hoc networks in the unlicensed spectrum and extend the edges of the WMANs range at low cost. Mesh support has recently been extended into the licensed bands too. Figure 4 : Mesh networking in WiMAX

Source: Proxicast Although it has highly complex topology and messaging, mesh is a good alternative to the usual NLOS, as it scales well and addresses license exempt interference. It allows a community to be densely seeded with WiMAX connections at low cost, with robust communications as there are multiple paths for traffic to take.

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

5. CHARACTERISTICS AND FEATURES

RANGE AND SCALABILITY

The 802.16-2004 standard relies upon a grant-request access protocol that, in contrast to the contention-based access used under 802.11, doesnt allow data collisions and, therefore, uses the available bandwidth more efficiently. No collisions means no loss of bandwidth due to data retransmission. All communication is coordinated by the base station.

IMPROVED USER CONNECTIVITY

The 802.16-2004 standard keeps more users connected by virtue of its flexible channel widths and adaptive modulation. Because it uses channels narrower than the fixed 20-MHz channels used in 802.11, the 802.16-2004 standard can serve lower data- rate subscribers without wasting bandwidth. When subscribers encounter noisy conditions or low signal strength, the adaptive modulation scheme keeps them connected when they might otherwise be dropped.

HIGHER QUALITY OF SERVICE

This standard also enables WISPs to ensure QoS for customers that require it and to tailor service levels to meet different customer requirements. For example, the 802.16-2004 standard can guarantee high bandwidth to business customers or low latency for voice and video applications, while providing only best-effort and lower-cost service to residential Internet surfers.

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

FLEXIBLE CHANNEL BANDWIDTH

The IEEE 802.16-2004 and IEEE 802.16e standards have flexible channel bandwidths between 1.5 and 20 MHz to facilitate transmission over longer ranges and to different types of subscriber platforms. With a dedicated antenna, each sector has the potential to reach users with more throughputs over longer ranges than can an omni-directional antenna. WiMAX is considered WiFis big brother.

SPECTRUM

WiMAX uses both licensed and license-exempt spectrum between frequency range 2-11 GHz. It ensures future support for upto 66 GHz. There is a wider choice of deployment options based on geography, population density.

Licensed: 2.5GHz, 3.5Ghz depending upon national rules

Unlicensed: 5.8GHz worldwide Rural deployment Emerging market deployment

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

Large campus private deployment

SECURITY

WiMAX introduces a higher range of security for the network .WiMAX when released will be secure. WiMAX introduces enhanced encryption for:

Confidentiality Access control Data integrity

802.16 also include measures for privacy and encryption: authentication with x.509 certificates and data encryption using DES in CBC (cipher block chaining) mode with hooks defined for stronger algorithms like AES.

ERROR CORRECTION TECHNIQUES

Error correction techniques have been incorporated into WiMAX to reduce the system signal to noise ratio requirements. Strong Reed Solomon FEC, convolutional encoding, and interleaving algorithms are used to detect and correct errors to improve throughput. These robust error correction techniques help to recover erorr frames that may have been lost due to frequency selective fading or burst errors. Automatic repeat request (ARQ) is used to correct errors that cannot be corrected by the FEC, by having the error information resent. This significantly improves the bit error rate (BER) performance for a similar threshold level.

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

6. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGES
1. It is standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broad band access as an alternative to cable and DSL 2. The WiMAX specification provides symmetrical bandwidth over many kilometers and range with stronger encryption (TDES or AES) and typically less interference. Wi-Fi is short range (approximately 10's of meters) 3. Connecting Wi-Fi hotspots with each other and to other parts of the Internet. 4. Providing a wireless alternative to cable and DSL for last mile (last km) broadband access. 5. Providing high-speed mobile data and telecommunications services (4G). 6. Providing a diverse source of Internet connectivity as part of a business continuity plan. That is, if a business has a fixed and a wireless internet connection they are unlikely to be affected by the same service outage. 7. The future of wimax is ubiquitous computing 8. The mobiles will become mini-computers 9. The serves will become data mines and ware houses. 10. Internet will also be the cup of tea for rural areas. DISADVANTAGES: 1. Line of sight is required for long distance connections. 2. Heavy rains can disrupt the service. 3 .Other wireless technologies in the vicinity can interfere with the WiMAX connection and cause a reduction in data throughput or even a total disconnect..

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

7.CONCLUSIONS
WiMAX is the most important of the host of wireless standards emerging from the IEEE and 3G bodies. Its impact will owe much to Wi-Fi, which has created the interest in and market acceptance of wireless networking to enable WiMAX to flourish in the mainstream, not least by attracting Intel into the sector. But its effect on the world of business and consumer internet and wireless access will be far more profound. Within five years, we expect WiMAX to be the dominant technology for wireless networking. By that time it will be fully mobile as well as providing low cost fixed broadband access that will open up regions where internet access has so far not been practical. As the cellular operators move to IP-based fourth generation systems, they will embrace WiMAX as they are doing with the far more limited Wi-Fi. WiMAX will be the catalyst for a shakeout of operators, with some of the small independents falling to the large players, still hunting for a more profitable revenue stream than 3G.

The hype around Wi-Fi will die down and 802.11 will return to its rightful place as a useful but limited local area technology, fully integrated with WiMAX at the backhaul. Intel will be a clear winner from its decision to drive WiMAX. Its next generation Centrino will support WiMAX and therefore have a head start in huge markets, including the rural regions of the major nations.

Nokia too will profit from the rise of 802.16, both by adding a new base station business to its ailing equipment unit and by developing two- or three-mode handsets for cellular, Wi-Fi and WiMAX. WiMAX will be the most significant technology to date in making wireless access ubiquitous and, as more free spectrum is opened up, in creating a major shake-up of the traditional shape of the wireless and mobile communications sector. The emergence of WiMAX thus will give consumers, businesses, and people even in hard-toreach areas a powerful new way to connect to the Internet seamlessly. Though it wont happen overnight, WHEN WIMAX COMES OUT, WELL HAVE A WIRELESS BACKBONE IN THE SKY FOR SURE - which sounds great - as long as it really does cost less to use than our earthbound skein of wires, fibers, and cables.

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE

Wimax

Seminar Report

Dept of E.C.E

EWIT, BANGALORE