t e c h i e - t a l k s ::: technology at its best

With the advancement in wireless technology, WiMax (IEEE 802.16e) is touted to be the next generation wireless broadband connection. And with speeds attainable up to 40-70Mbps, WiMax has a great potential to compete with existing wireless broadband networks such as 3G/3.5G and WiFi networks. However, in some countries, the adoption of WiMax tends to be much slower than expected. Competition, ISP business models and the engineering limitations of WiMax networks spills out the inconvenient truth to why WiMax will be adopted slowly in some countries although the push for WiMax has been gaining momentum lately (with Intel coming out with a WiMax solutions in their upcoming laptop platforms).

Benefits of WiMax

WiMax has gone a long way from its formation of the IEEE 802.16 group and setting the standard for wireless metropolitan area network (Wireless Man) to the formation of the 802.16e standards which provides better Quality of Service (QoS) and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) coverage.

As compared to 3G systems (which have a fixed channel bandwidth), WiMax have the capability of selecting different channel bandwidth, thus allowing for a more flexible deployment. Typically, a WiMax deployment will have the choice of selecting bandwidths between 1.25Mhz to 20Mhz.

Another benefit of WiMax is its high peak data rate, higher than what 3G systems like HSDPA can provide. The peak rate for WiMax is 70Mbps as compared to HSDPA’s peak of 14.4Mbps.

The most noticeable benefit of WiMax vis-à-vis 3G system is WiMax’s support for IP (Internet Protocol) which is absent in 3G systems. This enables WiMax technology to be less expensive due to the economies of scale as IP has a widespread adoption in wired networks. On top of that, IP allows easier access to further development of new services and applications more rapidly. The use of IP in WiMax also allows a smoother path for integration of different broadband systems (wired/wireless) and thus, enables converged services.

So why are ISPs slow to adopt WiMax in some countries?

In some countries, your telecommunication providers are most probably your internet service providers (ISP) too. For example, Singapore is a country that is currently in the situation mentioned above. Although there are sole broadband providers like Pacific Internet (PacNet) and Qmax, their sphere of influence is less extensive.

On the other hand, Singtel which provides thousands of Singaporeans with mobile communication is also behind Singapore’s largest broadband provider, Singnet. Another company in Singapore which provides mobile communication, cable television and high bandwidth broadband access to a large population in the nation is Starhub Pte Ltd.

Having your cellphone operators controlling your internet access has its advantages. For example, it allows a bundled service packages (broadband+cellphone+cable tv) which are cost competitive and thus, benefiting the consumers.

However, the fact that major ISP players in Singapore are telcos hinders the adoption of WiMax. The most obvious reason for this is due to the cost incurred in building a WiMax network as compared to setting up a 3.5G network. This is because 3.5G technologies are already available to these telcos and hence, it would be wiser to go with 3G cellular systems rather than building a new WiMax network. There will not be much attention on WiMax as more attention is focused on 3G evolution. Therefore, in countries where major ISPs play a dual-role of providing cellular communication, adoption of WiMax will be slow.

Things that may change the tide for WiMax?

As the recognition of WiMax as the next generation wireless broadband continues to grow, more companies will be trying to incorporate WiMax into their next generation innovations. For example, Intel has announced its support for a WiMax compatible platform in this year’s CES. On top of that, Asus is also believed to be delivering WiMax compatible notebooks (especially the 2nd generation Eee PC) by the second quarter of 2008. These increasing support for WiMax could be the light at the end of the tunnel for ISPs who are yet to launch WiMax networks (or in the process of introducing WiMax) in a 3G dominated country/city.

Lastly, as cities are trying to build a municipal-WiFi network, WiMax can be a possible solution to reduce the need for multiple-overlapping WiFi hotspots. Furthermore, WiMax networks can also act as a backbone connections for WiFi networks.

Source: howstuffworks.com

As for countries like Singapore, only time will tell on whether WiMax will be fully adopted as the next generation wireless broadband service. Currently, a company funded by Creative Technologies called Qmax, is the largest WiMax provider in Singapore. Fulled by the need for a connected nation (as a part of the nation’s iN2015 initiative), WiMax may be adopted faster than expected if more WiMax compatible technologies are easily available in the future.

One good sign for Singapore is that its major mobile operator, Singtel, has also been experimenting with WiMax networks for the past year through selective trial runs. Thus, there could be a possibility that WiMax will be provided by them in the future, offering customers a diverse option for mobile internet computing. Furthermore, as the next WiMax forum is going to be held in Singapore this coming April, there could be a good chance that we’ll see more of the technology in the future.

As technology advances, the best bet for WiMax is when the 3G technology hits a brick wall. Together with a growing acceptance of WiMax in the tech companies and the increasing demand of mobile internet computing, only the future will tell whether there would be a spurt in the growth of WiMax in countries like Singapore.