June - 2008 issue > Technology

By K Soundara Rajan

Challenges in improving rural tele-density and cost effective wireless communication for the masses can be achieved through some options, and WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is the best suited for developing markets like India. Though globally WiMax has about 10 million subscribers, it has a vast potential to mobilize a major portion of the rural market in the developing economies.

Though globally WiMax is still in various stages of market adoption, India has been testing the technology for a while now. In the developed markets, it would be a challenge to provide seamless roaming solutions for nomadic and mobile users across various technologies such as WiFi, GSM, UMTS, and CDMA. While the challenges continue to be in various stages across the market, continuous development from the base station to CPE has been a key factor in the growth of WiMax’s market. One of the unique features that WiMax offers for a market like India is RAN sharing which will offer at least 30 percent savings for Greenfield Service Providers. This will further challenge the ARPU levels for voice using other technologies such as GSM and CDMA, and enhance the data revenue drivers.

Challenges in providing indoor coverage in metros and other similar dense clutters of users are made flexible and cost effective; and the advanced radio features of 806.12e are supplemented by smart antennae or Adaptive Antennae System (AAS) and the link budget. The MIMO (multiple input and multiple output) and AAS support advanced RF features.

In India, mobility in the rural segment will become a social and business activity that would change the lifestyle of the rural citizen. On the other hand, urban requirements will grow to demand access anytime anywhere to personal services environment. Besides, advanced 4G features such as video calls are feasible in WiMax networks, which are not so successful over mobile broadband networks or Internet. In addition, WiMax offers a very low latency for video call (below 400 ms delay) and high resolution (QVGA) voice and video. WiMax fundamentally provides a sound platform to deliver a true multimedia experience.

In a typical WiMax architecture as shown here, the technology offers CAPEX optimization at Core, Edge, access, customer premise infrastructure (CPEs and IADs), and also offers cost effective backhaul.

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