When I talk about WiMAX to some people around me, I get some general FAQs about WiMAX. This post is dedicated to those who are enthusiastic about learning what WiMAX is and how it works. Here goes some general FAQs and the best answers answering those questions.
What is WiMAX?
WiMAX is a coined term or acronym meaning worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX). What WiMAX is however at its heart is a standards initiative. Its purpose is to ensure that the broadband wireless radios manufactured for customer use interoperate from vendor to vendor. The primary advantages of the WiMAX standard are to enable the adoption of advanced radio features in a uniform fashion and reduce costs for all of the radios made by companies, who are part of the WiMAX Forum™— a standards body formed to ensure interoperability via testing.
Where did the Idea of WiMAX come form?
Much of the credit for the formation of the WiMAX Forum™ and the notion of the WiMAX initiative must go to the founding members of the Forum, which committed themselves early to the process of creating a collaborative standards body. Once Intel came aboard, it recognized that for the broadband wireless industry (both fixed and mobile broadband wireless) to gain traction and wide acceptance both hardware prices must decline and a consistent operating environment must be cemented into place. The key point of launch however, had to begin with the silicon chip manufacturers whose chip products would form the core of WiMAX technology value and capability. Intel deserves a great deal of credit for helping drive this process.
Is WiMAX new? When did it start?
WiMAX is new in terms of a standards initiative—and in particular, the launch of numerous WiMAX technologies supporting chipsets by Forum members. However, much of the technology being incorporated into the IEEE 802.16 technology set is existent in the industry today. A number of best of breed broadband radio manufacturers already offer various elements being incorporated into WiMAX as proprietary technology. However, vendors rarely offered consistent iterations of radio modulation and other techniques—ensuring that solutions had to be specific to a single vendor. This is especially true on the fixed wireless side. And even more so for unlicensed band fixed wireless. However, mobile broadband wireless technologies suffered from the fragmentation of multiple proprietary approaches.
This means that much of the technological capability of WiMAX is relatively mature. In fact, the radio vendors who are members of the forum have deployed equipment in over 125 nations around the globe. The combination of these advanced technologies into two standards packages for Fixed and Mobile broadband wireless combined with new generation optimized chipsets and tested and certified interoperability between radio manufacturers deliver a robust and powerful technology. This capability can match or exceed the performance and cost factors of other broadband technologies. This can all be achieved without traditional wireline tethers.
On the horizon, plans are to expand the WiMAX product capability as well as the early underpinnings of the next version of WiMAX, which will incorporate increasingly newer technologies. One example of this is mesh technology. The base standard of 802.16 encompasses Mesh systems. However, this product line is just now being settled within the standard. Increasingly, mesh systems are gaining importance in our society. Also, the next major version of the 802.16 standard for mesh systems, 802.16m, is already in the process of being defined. This version will offer even better throughput, spectral efficiency and capabilities for mesh systems along with increased interoperability.
Is WiMAX safe?
Happily, since much of the technology being utilized in the IEEE 802.16 standard (WiMAX standard) is widely deployed in limited fashion today, there is a historical body of evidence supporting the safety of technologies used in upcoming WiMAX and WiMAX products. Microwave and other spectrum technologies enjoy over a hundred years of historical evidence of safety when prudently handled and configured. The amount of power allowed to deliver broadband wireless signal varies from frequency to frequency, however, most are modest topping out at around 40 watts at the tower relay site. While certain basic precautions need to be taken when onsite at communications towers (i.e. standing directly in front of active microwave links at essentially zero range) the configurations for public use are understood and safe. Customer premise equipment is even safer.
With the first rush of WiMAX vendors achieving initial certification for these products, which in most cases have been shipping for some time, WiMAX actually has an operational history of safety.
If you have anymore questions, please do post those in the comments section, so that it would help others having similar questions .
All the best!! 🙂