WiMAX - LanTec´s next product range!

If you are new to the exciting world of WiMAX, perhaps a little explanation of the technology is in order. Several years after the emergence of the 802.11 WiFi family of wireless LAN standards, the need to develop a means for longer-range "metropolitan" wireless access led to the creation of a new standard, IEEE 802.16 in 2001. As it was envisioned, IEEE 802.16 would cover point-to-point and point-to-multipoint links in a wireless Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). The initial standard covered wireless MAN operation in the 10 - 66 GHz frequency range, and was fairly basic, because it was created at a time when very little equipment existed for such a network. Later, after carriers and manufacturers had taken time to consider numerous design and operational issues, the original 802.16 standard was amended to refine the implementation of the technology, and to re-focus on more practical frequencies below 11 GHz.

The first amendment, IEEE 802.16a, provided the specifications for sub-11GHz operation and was quickly christened WiMAX, for "Worldwide (or Wireless) Interoperability for Microwave Access." Several other amendments are under development. The original "a" and "c" amendments have now been incorporated into IEEE 802.16-2004, the latest version of the standard. Although 802.16 is the international standard, most of us will come to know the technology as WiMAX.

WiMAX is the name that will stick for most of the consumer-oriented uses of 802.16. So, WiMAX is a standards-based, wireless broadband-access technology, operating at a variety of licensed and unlicensed frequencies, and transporting a number of different digital payloads, from IP to ATM. Its primary purpose is to provide point-to-multipoint wireless access to the Internet and other networks at high data rates over medium distances of up to 30 miles (typically 10 - 40 km).

Somewhat copying the structure and purpose (and success) of the WiFi Alliance, an industry consortium called the WiMAX Forum was formed to further the development and ratification of the 802.16 standard, to promote its worldwide implementation, and eventually to certify individual wireless components for WiMAX standards compliance and interoperability. Now, with over 250 members, a significant number of which are existing or potential wireless carriers, the WiMAX Forum is an important force in moving the technology forward.

WiMAX technology today is generally focused on wireless bands from 2 to 11 GHz, unlike the original 802.16 core specification's focus from 10 to 66 GHz (for which there is now a WiMAX Forum working group, too). WiMAX supports a rich variety of bandwidths and modulation scheme's as well. IEEE 802.16 WiMAX below 11 GHz allows three modulation modes: Single Carrier, 256-point FFT OFDM, and 2048-point FFT OFDM. (FFT is Fast-Fourier Transform, and OFDM is Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, a spread-spectrum technique also used in 802.11a and g.) The standard allows OFDM channel bandwidths of 10 or 20 MHz for non-licensed and from 1.5 to 28 MHz for licensed bands, depending on region.

WiMAX under 11 GHz supports non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) transmission, and both TDD and FDD (time and frequency-division) duplexing. Currently, three frequency bands, 2.5 GHz, 3.5 GHz, and 5.8 GHz, are the stated focal points for the WiMAX Forum, although 802.16 provides for many more bands. Note that this last band, 5.8 GHz is also of interest to WiFi and other non-licensed users.

An important side-note about the "a" amendment now part of the 802.16 standard is that it allows a measure of harmony with the European HiperMAN (ETSI) standard at the 256-point OFDM level, which conveniently is the main area of concentration for WiMAX development efforts. International standards are critical to WiMAX development, because it is recognized that the European and Asian markets are tremendous opportunities for equipment manufacturers and service providers.

In the grand scheme of wireless access, WiMAX promises to provide wide-ranging connections to the high-speed Internet backbone at distances and quality levels impossible with ordinary unlicensed WiFi technology. Non-licensed band WiMAX operation is enhanced by "dynamic frequency selection" to avoid interference. Licensed-band WiMAX solves the problem of uncontrolled interference, due to band crowding and over utilization. It also provides a solid economic model for service providers and assures that subscribers to a WiMAX service will be able to achieve the reliability and throughput they expect. WiMAX may never supplant WiFi for wireless LANs, and indeed it is not intended to, but it will supplement the sister technology and may even enable WiFi to work much better. WiMAX is definitely the technology in the Spotlight.

RF and Network Design and Planning

Taking into consideration customer specific coverage, capacity, quality, reliability and service/applications requirements, we provide a complete range of Radio Frequency (RF) and Fixed Network (FN) engineering services.  The RF and data network engineering designs include development of overall system architecture, which will support features and requirements developed in the strategy and planning phase. 

Core Network platform architecture and systems integration for state of the art network management (fault-management, configuration, accounting, performance, and security (FCAPS)&New technologies including session initiation protocol (SIP). New services such as mobile virtual network operations (MVNO) & And key inter-carrier interface design for roaming, PSTN and Internet peering. 

RF design engineering includes propagation prediction for coverage (Fixed, Mobile, Indoor, Outdoor), frequency planning, capacity planning, model calibration and field measurements integration and design of new WiMAX-based services including data, voice, and video for various applications such as consumer ISP, enterprise redundancy, public safety surveillance, and backhaul services to name just a few. 

We have deep experience in all these skills, we, our consultants and contractors have performed these services in dozens of markets in Europe.

With the cost-efficient solution and functions, Lantec Systems are suitable for bandwidth expansion and efficient network solutions. Now available in South America.