Gyan Prakash, Sadhana Pal / International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) ISSN: 2248-9622 www.ijera.com Vol. 1, Issue 2, pp.327-336 WIMAX TECHNOLOGY AND ITS APPLICATIONS 1Gyan Prakash, 2Sadhana Pal 1(Lecturer in department of Electronics & Communication Engineering Babu Banarasi Das Institute of Engineering Technology & Research Centre, Jahangirabad (U.P.) 2(Assistant Professor in department of Electronics & communication Engineering Vishweshwraya Institute of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noida (U.P.) 1. Abstract broadband technologies. In fact, many such countries are This paper presents the features of the Worldwide already widely using proprietary broadband wireless Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) technology and future applications of WiMAX. A technologies. Even in such regions however, it is very discussion is given by comparing WIMAX with unlikely that either Cable or DSL technologies would DSL(Digital subscriber line) & Cable and Wireless Fidelity disappear. The business case and basic infrastructure often (Wi-Fi). Several references have been included at the end dictates that the cheapest solutions will predominate. In of this paper for those willing to know in detail about certain specific topics. many areas in developing nations, it may be cheaper to deploy Cable and DSL in the cities at least for fixed 2. Introduction applications, whereas WiMAX will dominate outside of WiMAX is an IP based, wireless broadband access major towns. technology that provides performance similar to 802.11/Wi-Fi networks with the coverage and QOS (quality In the US, both Cable and DSL are growing extremely fast, of service) of cellular networks. WiMAX is also an but are not available for all customers. Rural and remote acronym meaning "Worldwide Interoperability for areas often lack broadband choices if any are available at Microwave Access (WiMAX). WiMAX is a wireless digital communications system, also all. When they are available, the DSL or cable plant may known as IEEE 802.16, that is intended for wireless only exist within the town limits with no service outside the "metropolitan area networks". WiMAX can provide city limits. This offers a compelling argument that low- broadband wireless access (BWA) up to 30 miles (50 km) cost WiMAX gear can leverage access to many new for fixed stations, and 3 - 10 miles (5 - 15 km) for mobile stations. In contrast, the WiFi/802.11 wireless local area customers. WiMAX also promises a whole new level of network standard is limited in most cases to only 100 - 300 data access flexibility that will be much less location feet (30 - 100m). specific for customers. This type of robust mobile, portable WiMAX operates on both licensed and non-licensed frequencies, providing a regulated environment and viable or fixed broadband access will be unprecedented. economic model for wireless carriers. The average cell In addition, WiMAX will provide competitive options for ranges for most WiMAX networks will likely boast 4-5 carriers and users that will benefit traditional wireline mile range (in NLOS capable frequencies) even through tree cover and building walls. Service ranges up to 10 carriers and customers by encouraging innovation and miles (16 Kilometers) are very likely in line of sight (LOS) improved services. applications (once again depending upon frequency). With the advent of IPTV fiber plays are enjoying Mobile WiMAX capabilities on a per customer basis are resurgence. It does not appear that WiMAX or broadband much better than competing 3G technologies. WiMAX is often cited to possess a spectral efficiency of 5 bps/Hz, wireless will be ready to deliver IPTV in the immediate which is very good in comparison to other broadband future. However, fixed WiMAX may offer the best wireless technologies, especially 3G. potential for delivery of this potential content juggernaut. 3. Will WiMAX replace DSL and Cable? More recently some promising new compression technologies have reached the market. These technologies, It is important to remember that WiMAX is a global while still new, allow the delivery of true IP-based TV broadband wireless standard. The question of whether or signals to cellular devices. One company asserts that it not it could replace either DSL or Cable will vary from could deliver high definition TV (HDTV) in as little as 2.5 region to region. Many developing countries simply do not Mbps of bandwidth, with standard resolution signal have the infrastructure to support either cable or DSL 327 | P a g e Gyan Prakash, Sadhana Pal / International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) ISSN: 2248-9622 www.ijera.com Vol. 1, Issue 2, pp.327-336 requiring 1.5 Mbps. These speeds are within the potential reach of WiMAX. Qualcomm and its MediaFlo system are one good example of such technologies. It is important to note that the resolution of this TV or video system is not at the level of standard TV, but progress is occurring rapidly. 4. IEEE 802.16 The IEEE developed the 802.16 in its first version to address line of sight (LOS) access at spectrum ranges from 10 GHz to 66 GHz. The technology has evolved through several updates to the standard such as 802.16a, 802.16c, the Fixed WiMAX 802.16d (802.16-2004) specification and lastly the mobile 802.16e set that are currently commercially available. The upcoming 802.16m standard is due to be ratified in 2010. The first update added support for 2 GHz through 11 GHz spectrum with NLOS 6. WiMAX System capability. Each update added additional functionality or A WiMAX system consists of two parts: expanded the reach of the standard. • A WiMAX tower - s imilar in concept to a cell-phone For example, the 802.16c revision added support for tower- A single WiMAX tower can provide coverage to a very large area as big as 3,000 square miles (~8,000 square spectrum ranges both licensed and unlicensed from 2 GHz km). to 10 GHz. It also improved quality of service (QOS) and • A WiMAX receiver – The receiver and antenna could be certain improvements in the media access control (MAC) a small box or PCMCIA card , or they could be built into a laptop the way WiFi access is today. layer along with adding support for the HiperMAN A WiMAX tower station can connect directly to the European standard. The number of supported physical Internet using a high bandwidth, wired connection (for (PHY) layers was increased. Transport mediums such as example, a T3 line). It can also connect to another WiMAX IP, Ethernet and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) were tower using a line-of-sight, microwave link. This connection to a second tower (often referred to as a added. backhaul ), along with the ability of a single tower to cover Concentrated in 2- to 11-GHz WMAN, with the following up to 3,000 square miles, is what allows WiMAX to set of features: provide coverage to remote rural areas. Service area range 50 km Compared to the complicated wired network, a WiMAX NLoS system only consists of two parts: QoS designed in for voice/video, differentiated services The WiMAX base station (BS) and WiMAX subscriber Very high spectrum utilization: 3.8 bit/Hz station (SS), also referred to as customer premise Up to 280 Mbps per BS equipments (CPE). Therefore, it can be built quickly at a Speed - 70 Mbps low cost. Ultimately, WiMAX is also considered as the next step in the mobile technology evolution path. The 5. WiMAX—Evolution of the Technology potential combination of WiMAX and CDMA standards is As the envisioned usage scenario has evolved over time, so referred to as 4G. has evolved the technological basis of WiMAX. The IEEE 6.1 System Model 802.16 technical specification has now evolved through IEEE 802.16 supports two modes of operation: PTP and three generations: PMP. • IEEE 802.16: High data rate, highpower, PTP, LOS, fixed 6.1.1 Point-to-point (PTP) SSs The PTP link refers to a dedicated link that connects only • IEEE 802.16-2004: Medium data rate, PTP, PMP, fixed two nodes: BS and subscriber terminal. It utilizes resources SSs in an inefficient way and substantially causes high • IEEE 802.16-2005: Low-medium data rate, PTP, PMP, operation costs. It is usually only used to serve high-value fixed or mobile SSs. customers who need extremely high bandwidth, such as business high-rises, video postproduction houses, or scientific research organizations. In these cases, a single 328 | P a g e Gyan Prakash, Sadhana Pal / International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) ISSN: 2248-9622 www.ijera.com Vol. 1, Issue 2, pp.327-336 connection contains all the available bandwidth to generate high throughput. A highly directional and high-gain antenna is also necessary to minimize interference and maximize security. 6.1.2 Point-to-multipoint (PMP) The PMP topology, where a group of subscriber terminals are connected to a BS separately (shown in Figure), is a better choice for users who do not need to use the entire bandwidth. Under PMP topology, sectoral antennas with highly directional parabolic dishes (each dish refers to a sector) are used for frequency reuse. The available bandwidth now is shared between a group of users, and the cost for each subscriber is reduced. 7. WiMAX as a Metro-Access Deployment Option WiMAX is a worldwide certification addressing interoperability across IEEE 802.16 standards-based products. The IEEE 802.16 standard with specific revisions addresses two usage models: Fixed (IEEE 802.16d) Portable (IEEE 802.16e) 7.1 Fixed (IEEE 802.16d) 6.1.3 Mesh Topology Fixed WiMAX is the 802.16d standards or as it is In addition to PTP and PMP, 802.16a introduces the mesh topology, which is a more flexible, effective, reliable, and sometimes called 802.16-2004.