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Mobile broadband: to WiMAX or not to WiMAX?
When it comes to mobile broadband, there’s only one thing on operators’ minds: how.
Ask any operator in any market and they’ll tell you basically the same thing: the future for mobile broadband looks bright indeed.
From Asia, to Africa, Europe to the Americas, operators are not-so-secretly preparing for this massive opportunity - and challenge to their networks.
Unprecedented growth
According to GSMA figures published in April, worldwide mobile broadband connections jumped from three million in March 2007 to thirty-two million in March 2008, and by all accounts this is just the beginning.
What divides opinion is the protocol that people think will come to dominate as mobile broadband reaches maturity: should operators put their money on WiMAX or Long Term Evolution (LTE)?
According to a recent article published by Network World, "There are likely years of LTE-vs.-WiMAX technology arguments ahead [...] In the meantime, there are legitimate reasons to be interested in the progress of both."
Indeed, both protocols hold huge promise for operators, who will need to judge which protocol can be most effective given their particular business ecosystem, customer base, and legacy equipment they already have in operation and want to build from.
Can WiMAX and LTE just get along?
Nokia Siemens Networks has been at the forefront of both WiMAX and LTE, and was the first supplier in the world to demonstrate LTE with data speeds up to 160 Mb/s all the way back in 2006.
LTE offers an open and global specification for next generation networks that will bring scale and efficiencies for vendors, choice in network equipment and devices for operators, and ultimately lower costs and more benefits to consumers.
But WiMAX will continue to dominate, for the time being at least. Says Network World: "Globally, there are 305 service providers deploying WiMAX services in 118 countries," citing the WiMAX Forum, which last week certified 10 initial mobile WiMAX products in the 2.5GHz worldwide spectrum for interoperability.
"The forum expects to certify 100 mobile WiMAX products by year-end," according to Network World.
A short-term, long-term approach
To be sure, WiMAX has plenty to offer in terms of efficiency and practicality. But wise operators will keep their options open, taking advantage of WiMAX in the short term but keeping an eye on LTE as it comes into its own over the next few years.
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Speed
Presently using the mobile services, the network service for internet is low, hence it should be done.
Mobile broadband: to WiMAX or not to WiMAX?
With services like PC access over USB Dongles, music downloads & video services etc. driving the market, the demand for sufficient speed is already high. For today, that's also a capacity issue in the networks (the more capacity you have, the higher speeds per user).
But it's clear that for the future, the technology needs to evolve a great deal in terms of speed and become more simple to implement - thus we'll need flat architecture solutions like WiMAX and LTE.
Or how will we otherwise be able to cope with the 100-fold traffic we are predicting for 2015?
MOBILE WIMAX
The uptake of WiMax will depend on three different factors:-
1. Government Support and not taxing licences greedily
2. WiMax Providers pushing on quickly with installations and not looking for R & D payback in the Short Term.
3. WiMax Products will need to be much cheaper than HSDPA.
Asian populations are much more mobile than those of the developed Western World and need technologies they can take with them.
The reality is that WiMax is cheap and quick to setup. Fixed loine services are slow to install, deteriorate in tropical conditions and need costly maintenance.
WiMAX for emerging markets
Broadband will be largely based on radio technology in emerging markets, because it is lower cost and faster to roll out than fixed broadband. Fixed access network in developed countries has been built in times when there were no mobile phones.
The success of WiMAX and LTE will be heavily affected by regulators. So far indoor coverage has been the biggest challenge in these technologies. To over come indoor coverage problem lower frequencies are needed.
The important decision regulator needs to make when giving out lower frequencies is if the regulation is technology agnostic or not. It is difficult for WiMAX and LTE to co-exist on same frequency, because LTE is CDMA based and WiMAX is TDMA based technology. This means that guard band discussion will be there asking how guard bands should be handled in case of technology agnostic regulation.
Let's them compete each other
I preferably want to see GSM Operator to use LTE technology since Wimax come from different technology root. Like to see these technologies compete each other like their predecessor today (HSPA vs. BWA vs. EVDO)
It will be a while before we find out which technology is the winner i.e. WIMAX or LTE
WIMAX can provide speed up to 50-60 Mbps (as currently deployed). LTE claims it can provide speed anywhere from 100-160Mbps.
Question is what are some of the application which can only be done over 60Mbps so they are only possible in LTE and not in WIMAX as it stands today?
I cant seem to think of any even HD video conferencing can be done at WIMAX speed.
To me until we figure out all the applications this discussion will never be over.
Perhaps ease/OPEX/CAPEX will determine the winner?