[Wireless - TheReg] Intel, Nokia et al launch WiMax Forum

bk

Click here for the article

Veryt interesting stuff, does anyone know if the spectrums to be used by 802.16 are licensed or unlicensed?

Instead, the alliance says that the new wireless technology could serve as a cheaper "last mile" option to serve homes and businesses that can't already connect to the Web over broadband. Rural areas, for example, could be well served by 802.16.

The new standard, which the IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers) modified in January 2003 in its 802.16a amendment covering the 2 GHz to 11 GHz frequencies, does not require line-of-sight to function, unlike most existing fixed-wireless Net services.

The technology provides shared data rates of up to 70 Mbps, which is enough bandwidth to simultaneously support more than 60 businesses with T1-type connectivity and hundreds of homes with DSL-type connectivity using a single sector of a base station, the group said.

This is very cool. If Eircom don't get their act together then they are going to end up in big trouble, not only are they losing customers to mobile phone companies, but now it is starting to look like they will lose net customers to wireless companies, it is the least they deserve

spongebob

In fact the key frequencies are included in a licencing round over at Comreg at the moment , I have posted on the matter a few times but see Here . Closing 25/04/03 .

There are loads of 802.16 flavours (I get a headache reading the stuff) like .16a .16d, far more that the humble .11a .11b and .11g that many of us know.

The finalisation of key standard in the past 2 months , followed by interest from Nokia and Intel is Good News. This is the first time I have heard the Consumer name for the technology, WiMax .........which sounds like something you'd use on a baby with a schittery nappy to me

I have yet to find a really useful site on it , try 80216news maybe ?

M

bk

Thanks Muck, I expected that you would be the one to answer my questions.

Originally posted by Muck
In fact the key frequencies are included in a licencing round over at Comreg at the moment , I have posted on the matter a few times but see Here . Closing 25/04/03 .

Come on IBB, IrishWISP and Leap with this tech you could really compete with Eircom

spongebob

Originally posted by bk
Come on IBB, IrishWISP and Leap with this tech you could really compete with Eircom

BK , Eircom are the ONLY company in Ireland who already have ALL the necessary licences. They just won;t use them to offer services . Comreg simply wrings its hands impotently and reduces their service coverage obligations.

ESAT have a slab of this frequency as well.

As for Chorus *^%^^*&%

M

zz03

WiFi over promised and under delivered (in terms of security and range).

Bluetooth under promised and is now showing signs of over delivering with the proliferation of short range Bluetooth enabled devices coming on the market.

WiMAX is promising a huge amount. (eg QoS for reliable VoIP, no LoS requirement despite operating at 2-11 GHz and 10-66 GHz with a claimed range of up to 50km, mesh networking, licensed and non-licensed spectrum etc).

Reads perhaps too much like a have your cake and eat it project?

zz..

http://wimaxforum.org/

iwb

There are a few installed point to point links in Ireland that I know of, using an 802.16 type technology. I believe it works very well. The company which distributes it is www.omniserv-inc.com. The product is a Canadian one called Redline. It runs in the 5GHz band, unlicensed.
They are working on point to multi point at the moment also.

zz03

Originally posted by iwb
There are a few installed point to point links in Ireland that I know of, using an 802.16 type technology. I believe it works very well. The company which distributes it is www.omniserv-inc.com. The product is a Canadian one called Redline. It runs in the 5GHz band, unlicensed.
They are working on point to multi point at the moment also.

It would have enormous traffic carrying capacity in the 30 GHz and up zone of the spectrum if configured into a short hop house to house mesh radio network.

Great frequency re-use potential. Ultra low power output.

Giga ethernet for Internet access, VoIP with guaranteed quality until it reaches the switching centre and a perhaps few hundred TV and radio channels all from one box, passed from neighbour to neighbour with multiple connections to create a resilient system.

No first/last mile problems. Same technology handles the trunk distribution on point to point / mesh basis.

The mind boggles. If they can get the hardware right...

zz..

dieselfreak

Does anyone know why the companies that have the licenses required to operate in these frequencies are sitting on thier hands ??

Reading the bumpf on this it sounds like it could really improve the situation here ?

is it simply that there gonna continue to milk the cash-cow thats in place, cuz they can ?

is it 3G licenses that have been paid for need to earn cash first ?

Lord there must be a reason, other than the whole damn lot are totally useless shower of tossers (that as nice as i could put it)

anyone ?????

zz03

Originally posted by dieselfreak
Does anyone know why the companies that have the licenses required to operate in these frequencies are sitting on thier hands ??

One suspects that the primary motive is to keep wireless competition away from their wireline monopolies for as long as they can get away with it. One might ask why the ODTR as it then was issued these licenses (read monopoly spectrum slices) in the first place?

Licensing is no longer necessary for many wireless applications thanks to CDMA and similar technologies that are designed to manage spectrum sharing conflict in real time.

Frequency re-use allows the same spectrum to be used over and over within a relatively small geographic space. Very high frequencies, low power output and highly directional antennae make a nonsense of licensing. You might as well require people to have a license to operate a battery powered torch in case the beam of light from one torch would interfere with another!

zz..

Urban Weigl

Downloaded the AN-50 PDF document from the Redline Communciations web site (had known about them for a few months, I believe they use some form of 802.16).

What cought my eye is that they quote NLOS ranges of beyond 80km/50miles... 72mbps... Though they don't mention if it will sustain that speed at such distances (I would doubt that).

zz03

Originally posted by Urban Weigl
Though they don't mention if it will sustain that speed at such distances (I would doubt that).

It would depend on the environment. They might have tested their boxes in the Arizona desert with 20% humidity and not a soul to be found within a range of several hundred kms.

The speed potential however is massive at higher frequencies (as fast as fibre) though the range is greatly reduced. Which makes one think that matrix radio (short range house to house) has great potential. There won't be anything to get in the way of a 30 to 50 GHz signal between one house and the next.

zz..