WiMAX

WiMAX coming later to Centrino 2

Lynnette Luna — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:15:14 -0400

Intel plans to ship its highly anticipated Centrino 2 mobile laptop platform this week, but one key feature that will be missing is the dual-mode WiFi (802.11n)/WiMAX module. That feature, said an Intel spokeswoman, won't ship until sometime later this year--likely in time for commercial WiMAX launches from Clearwire and Sprint.

The platform that will be introduced today will include what Intel calls enhanced WiFi capabilities, and it's assumed that means the Draft 2.0 802.11n standard.

Centrino 2.0 is the fifth generation of Centrino technology. PC makers such as Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba are reportedly planning to launch new notebooks concurrently with the release of Centrino 2.

Intel, as you remember, invested $1 billion in the new Clearwire WiMAX business, which includes Sprint, cable companies and Google. Intel is hoping WiMAX incorporated in the new platform will do the same thing incorporating WiFi did, spur adoption. However, Clearwire's rollout will be on a market-by-market basis with 2010 or even 2011 delivering a reasonable footprint in the majority of the top 200 markets.

For more:
- read Network World

Related stories:
Intel: July launch for next-gen WiFi/ WiMAX platform. Intel story
Intel to re-enter mobile-phone market. Intel mobile-phone story

Sprint's Xohm taps Mformation for remote device management

Lynnette Luna — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:28:13 -0400

Sprint's WiMAX division announced a deal with device management software company Mformation Technologies to deliver device management capabilities for new Xohm-branded WiMAX-enabled mobile devices. Sprint plans to use Mformation's software to remotely manage the WiMAX devices on its network. The operator is commercially launching WiMAX in Baltimore in September.

Device management will be critical for Sprint, and likewise Clearwire, which is merging with Sprint later this year, to enable a number of devices to come onto the WiMAX network, regardless of whether they were purchased via Sprint or an external retailer that has no affiliation with the operator. Sprint's goal is to allow a plethora of devices--ranging from Internet tablets to telematics consoles--to operate on the network in an open access manner.

Matt Bancroft, chief marketing officer with Mformation, noted that while the device management software is optimized for WiMAX devices such as data cards and dongles, it also must support the many dual-mode CDMA/WiMAX devices that will run on the network because WiMAX won't be ubiquitious for some time. Given the sparse coverage, it's likely that much of the device management processes will occur via CDMA initially.

Bancroft added that the wave of devices that come to market next year will require additional device management capabilities that aren't available today, but that device management capabilities will catch up.

In June, Mformation and Bridgewater Systems announced their intention to integrate Bridgewater's service control and subscriber data management solution with Mformation's service manager to enable WiMAX operators to automatically detect, provision and manage WiMAX devices over the air using industry-standard IP and OMA DM protocols.

For more:
- check out this release

Related stories:
Sprint: 'We're creating a platform for innovation.' Open access story
WiMAX forum predicts 133 million users by 2012. WiMAX story

UK provider ready for big WiMAX deployment

Lynnette Luna — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:38:07 -0400

On-Communications, a British wireless broadband service provider targeting the enterprise, said it has committed to a widespread rollout of fixed WiMAX in the U.K.'s major cities and towns. The company's CEO Ian Roberts says WiMAX is ready for "prime-time deployment," and the company will deploy a substantial number of fixed WiMAX base stations in its existing markets, replacing existing fixed-wireless infrastructure.

On-Communications already offers fixed wireless services using unlicensed spectrum in the 5.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz bands to enterprise users in London and other surrounding cities. The operator won't be bidding on any WiMAX spectrum either, preferring to play in the fixed WiMAX market using unlicensed spectrum. The company claims it can provide the quality of service necessary for enterprise applications such as VoIP and video.

For more:
- check out Unstrung

Related stories:
British Telecom mulling WiMAX play in the U.K. WiMAX U.K. story
UK celcos cry foul over mobile WiMAX license. WiMAX story

India's Tata close to granting $500M WiMAX contract

Lynnette Luna — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:59:43 -0400

Tata Communications is close to choosing its mobile WiMAX equipment suppliers for its $500-million 802.16e-based network in India, according to Unstrung. Tata has already deployed fixed WiMAX (802.16d) from Telsima and has signed up some 10,000 customers since launching service in March. It claims that deployment is the largest WiMAX deployment in the world. Now the operator is looking to deploy mobile WiMAX in the 3.3 GHz band, spending $500 million during the next two years. Tata did not name the vendors vying for the contract nor the size of the award, but said it would be significant.

Unstrung's sources, however, say seven vendors are competing for Tata's contract and willing to customize their products for Indian market. Alcatel-Lucent, Alvarion, Cisco (through its Navini acquisition), Huawei Technologies, Motorola, Samsung and Telsima.

For more:
- read Unstrung

Related stories:
Tata claims world's largest WiMAX deployment. Tata story
Telsima, Sequans capitalizing on Indian WiMAX market. Telsima editorial

Jackson Hole, Wyo. gets first certified mobile WiMAX network

Lynnette Luna — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:40:31 -0400

Jackson Hole, Wyo., is the first city in the U.S. to get a certified mobile WiMAX 2.5 GHz network. DigitalBridge Communications (DBC) officially launched service today in the popular resort area using Alvarion's equipment.

DBC's goal is to bring WiMAX to underserved rural communities. It has fixed broadband wireless up and running in a number of markets in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, and will work to upgrade those markets to standardized mobile WiMAX in the 2.5 GHz band within the next year.

Greg Daily, president of Alvarion's North American business, said DBC and other operators looking to target rural markets will benefit from the economies of scale of Sprint, which has ushered in the mobile WiMAX device ecosystem, and the new Clearwire, which is folding in Sprint later this year. "Think about the ecosystem launching and upwards of almost 100 devices that will come out at the end of the year. We're starting to see customers in small places like Montana and anywhere else in the world being able to access to architecture like this," Daily told FierceBroadbandWireless.

DBC's primary business model will be selling subscriptions to businesses and consumers in the Jackson Hole area. It will also look to institute a visitor-based model whereby visitors to the tourist area can buy a daily or weekly subscription.

For more:
- check out this release

Related stories:
Nortel teams with Alvarion on WiMAX; focus moves to LTE. Alvarion story
Research firm blasts mobile WiMAX. Mobile WiMAX story

Clearwire looking for partnership deals in Europe

Lynnette Luna — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:31:42 -0400

Clearwire CEO Ben Wolff said the company is in discussions with European companies to create partnerships similar to Clearwire's deal in the U.S. to help it build out mobile WiMAX across Europe, according to an Unstrung article. The operator owns licenses in seven European countries, covering about 200 million people. Clearwire is pooling its assets with Sprint's Xohm business with cash infusions from Intel, Google and three cable operators.

Clearwire has acquired 3.5 GHz licenses in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Romania, and Spain, and through its affiliate in Denmark, Danske Telecom A/S. At the end of March, Clearwire had just 51,000 customers in Brussels and Ghent, Belgium; Dublin; and Seville, Spain.

For more:
- read Unstrung

Related stories:
Clearwire expects 30 million subs by 2017. Clearwire story
New Sprint-Clearwire deal a shot in the arm for mobile WiMAX. Clearwire editorial

France investigates lack of WiMAX deployments

Lynnette Luna — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:29:26 -0400

Two years after France's Regulatory Authority of Electronic Communications and Posts (ARCEP) awarded 44 WiMAX licenses in the 3.5 GHz band, the regulatory authority said it would investigate the deployment obligations of licensees since a national WiMAX network has yet to be launched. ARCEP said it would investigate the progress of license holders to confirm whether they are meeting their rollout requirements. The regulator said that if any company has not met its obligations, it could face suspension of its license, or a fine equal to 3 percent of its revenue.

ARCEP's announcement was reportedly spurred by announcements last week from the country's two largest WiMAX licensees. The Société Haut Débit (SHD), a subsidiary of GSM operator SFR and alternative telecoms provider Neuf Cegetel, announced a virtual network operator agreement with the regional broadband group Numéo in Ile-de-France (Paris and the center of France) and Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur (Southern France, including Marseille, St Tropez, Cannes and Nice). The agreement will allow Numéo to bundle WiMAX services in regions where it cannot provide ADSL services.

Meanwhile, Bolloré Telecom announced it would acquire eight WiMAX licenses from the HDRR consortium controlled by TDF.

For more:
- check out WiMAX Day

Related stories:
Europe allows mobile WiMAX at 3.5 GHz. WiMAX story
WiMAX progress in France and Italy. WiMAX story

Clash of the Titans: Harmonization of WiMAX and LTE

Lynnette Luna — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:39:21 -0400

By Robert Syputa

First, let's make our opinion clear: harmonization of WiMAX and LTE makes good sense for the development of the industry. Participants from both the WiMAX and LTE camp and IEEE and ETSI 3GPP standards organizations have recognized the need to collaborate on development of communications. Vodafone is among operators that have called for the merging of WiMAX and LTE because this will reduce conflicts and costs for the industry. The long-term trends in technology, regulation, ecosystem consolidation and globalization contribute to the rationale that wireless systems should strive to achieve common air interfaces where feasible. The primary obstacle to achieving harmonization of WiMAX and LTE is simply the commercial self-interests that prevent a common push forward.

Intel CEO Paul Otellini and Sean Maloney, head of Intel's sales and marketing, have called for harmonization between WiMAX and LTE, pointing out the goals of unified broadband communications and common use of technologies. Maloney came close to substantiating our forecast that Intel will eventually provide combined support regardless of whether the standards groups achieve official harmonization in remarks about providing a multi-mode WiMAX plus LTE chipset. "We don't have any plans to do that yet," Maloney said. "It would certainly be a nice long term goal."

Harmonization has become a hot topic because of heightened competition between WiMAX and LTE for a role in molding development of the next generation of wireless, 4G. While we do not think the current stage of development of WiMAX or LTE qualifies as 4G, both systems are frameworks for evolution to 4G.

Several factors within wireless developments compel harmonization:

Pursuit of IMT-Advanced as the path to 4G
Both existing 3G, ‘fixed' and new spectrum will be consolidated
Multiple scale and application support
Common SDR (Software Defined Radio) base stations
Common Integrated Circuits
Use of 80 percent to 90 percent common technologies
Globalization of R&D
Need for reduced cost for embedded applications & digital divide
Harmonization of wireless standards is a stated goal of 3GPP
Common ‘modular concept' for harmonization across systems

If we take a ‘30,000 foot perspective' at the evolution of communications, it becomes clear that arriving at common air interfaces is now not only feasible but also a desirable result. Leading wireless suppliers have consolidated in order to leverage content, services and applications across networks. Technology used in WiMAX and LTE are converging because both camps have come to similar conclusions on the technologies needed to form the next-generation evolutionary framework. In brief, the framework includes OFDMA, MIMO and Adaptive Antenna Systems (AAS) smart antenna technologies, and IP-based adaptive network architecture. The few significant differences between WiMAX and LTE are surmountable and can fit within the capabilities of increasingly adaptive radio techniques and smart IP-based network developments.

Further, societal demands for digital inclusion, a growing need for education, enterprise and government communications, harnessing of communications as an alternative to travel, and better use of spectrum resources compels a unified approach to wireless.

The evolution to 4G involves the interests and interdependencies of multiple IPR stakeholders. As demonstrated in recent court cases, IPR disputes outside of wireless can result in trade sanctions and imposition of royalty settlements. The convergence of segments of technology further compels standards groups and individual companies to reach mutual accommodation of interests.

The International Telecommunication Union has recognized these trends in development of IMT-Advanced, the next generation communications system beyond IMT-2000. IMT-Advanced calls for transformation of the mobile wireless industry that will see integration of wired and wireless network communications and consolidation of wireless spectrum access. Mobile WiMAX (based on 802.16e and first-up version of 3G-LTE) is the debarkation point to 4G: the common vision of 4G will be more fully realized as these platforms progress to the common goal of IMT-Advanced.

The details of how technologies are developed, IPR licensing is structured and negotiated, and commerce develops is intricate and rapidly changing. Individual companies must ultimately compete based on market acceptance of their products and services. However, the overriding interests of all participants to seek greater fulfillment of the use of technology should compel companies, organizations, and governments to cooperate across barriers that otherwise stall progress.

Ron Resnick, president of the WiMAX Forum, has said that the harmonization between WiMAX and LTE is "really up to the operators if that's what they want to do." That is the deciding factor that will determine to what extent WiMAX and LTE harmonize within the standards groups. Make no mistake, the technologies, ICs, devices, and systems are in the process of converging. Whether this occurs harmoniously or with excess rancor is up to the industry.

Robert Syputa is a senior analyst with Maravedis Inc., a research and analysis firm focusing on broadband wireless technologies including WiMAX, 802.20, TD-CDMA and Wireless Local Loop Systems.

Survey: WiMAX appealing to consumers

Lynnette Luna — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:38:17 -0400

A new survey of U.S. wireless users from In-Stat says WiMAX offers the right mix of features and pricing to appeal to consumers. Business users, however, will present a bigger challenge for WiMAX providers because they require ubiquitous coverage.

"When respondents were presented with service examples and picked the one they most preferred, the one representing WiMAX was picked more than two-to-one over the one representing 3G cellular data. Service descriptions include information on coverage, network performance, pricing, and usage limitations," said In-Stat analyst Daryl Schoolar.

Other findings from the survey:

Respondents are very interested in a wireless broadband service that will allow them to connect multiple devices under a single service plan.
Respondents want a service that can meet both their at home and away Internet needs.
Fixed broadband operators are vulnerable to losing subscribers to WiMAX.
Survey respondents reported increased usage of public wireless broadband between 2006 and 2007, with expectations for further increases in 2008.

For more:
- check out this release

Related articles:
Seybold: The new Clearwire--will is succeed?
Industry players discuss the Sprint/Clearwire WiMAX deal

Startup intros WiMAX silicon platform to address backhaul conundrum

Lynnette Luna — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:10:39 -0400

DesignArt Networks, an Israeli fabless semiconductor startup, announced a WiMAX silicon platform designed to assist with the backhaul costs and capacity problems expected in this high-speed data world. The company is also planning a similar product for LTE. The company's new System-on-Chip (SoC) platform is made to enable operators to deploy smaller-sized base stations that can be used for backhauling the massive data traffic along with serving customers. The platform does this by integrating a technique called in-band backhaul, or in-band relaying, which integrates both base-station and backhaul capabilities.

Back in April, Sprint Nextel said provisioning of backhaul was the primary hold-up to the operator's nationwide deployment of mobile WiMAX. Sprint was having difficulty finding high-capacity transport links to connect cell sites as typical T-1 lines that feed today's mobile networks are inefficient for high-speed wireless broadband data.

To find out more:
- read Unstrung

Related stories:
Backhaul, billing causes of Xohm delay
Sprint's backhaul conundrum