At its simplest level, WiMAX is intended to
provide definitive IP standards for a carrier-class
solution that can scale to support thousands
of users with a single base station, and provide
differentiated service levels. By enabling
IP standards-based products with fewer variants
and larger volume production, WiMAX should
drive down the cost of network equipment and
make broadband wireless a real alternative
to wireline technologies. Soon a single base
station sector will provide enough data rate
to simultaneously support more than 60 businesses
with T1-type connectivity and hundreds of homes
with DSL-type connectivity.
As a result, CLECs will be able to provide
a real broadband alternative using their own
infrastructure; ILECs will be able to deploy
high-speed Internet access in regions where
wired connections are not profitable; and WISPs
using WiFi technologies would be able to extend
their existing services.
Full disclosure: as a principal member of
the WiMAX Forum, SR Telecom is committed to
seeing WiMAX-certified technology put to use
in countries and regions of the world that
would immediately benefit from it.
However, as part of our commitment to our
customers, we are also striving to ensure that
the benefits and risks inherent in utilizing
this new standards-based platform are clear.
As with the introduction of any new disruptive
technology, it is important for operators and
carriers to understand that there are a number
of should be factored into their WiMAX deployment
strategy.
First, the WiMAX revolution is in its nascent
stages. Product certification will only occur
in the latter half of 2005, and though the
products will be standards-based, the WiMAX
platforms that will ultimately be introduced
to the market will have different capabilities
based upon optional feature implementation.
There will be certain constants: the overall
feature set for a fully functional WiMAX-certified
product will include Non-Line-Of-Sight (NLOS)
capabilities, OFDM physical layers, TDD and
FDD duplexing, and an intelligent MAC uplink/downlink
protocol for reduced latency and jitter. Nevertheless,
vendors will have to determine what specific
performance characteristics or feature sets
may be most useful to their customers.
Further, it should be remembered
that, at present, WiMAX profiles are also still
evolving. For example, while the 802.16d standard
has been finalized, the WiMAX Forum is currently
working on the 802.16e version of the standard
with the intent of taking advantage of the
inherent portability and/or mobility of wireless
media without any trade-off in throughput for
fixed applications. Indeed, Many analysts predict
that this particular version of the WiMAX standard
will generate even more interest and volume—and
hence economies of scale. But operators may
not be able to reap the full benefits of these
economies of scale until sometime in 2007.
In any event, it is clear that WiMAX will embrace
a range of profiles designed to address a wide
variety of needs.
Add to these considerations the fact that
the leading equipment providers have already
introduced-WiMAX-ready platforms to the marketplace.
Indeed, with the current availability of these
platforms, carriers are faced with a central
strategic decision: whether to deploy the WiMAX-ready
equipment available immediately, or to wait
for a stable WiMAX platform to come to market
that addresses their specific needs.
Choosing a WiMAX-ready product
for immediate deployment offers a number of
benefits. It will certainly give carriers a
head start on the competition, allowing them
to capture or secure market share. Additionally,
carriers who deploy WiMAX-ready solutions today
have the opportunity to acquaint themselves
thoroughly with the advantages and capabilities
of the new technology well in advance of the
competition. Critical advances such as OFDMA,
diversity, hybrid-ARQ, sub-channelling and
collision-free arbitration enable vastly enhanced
system performance, and carriers who deploy
WiMAX-ready equipment that incorporates these
technologies will be able to leverage their
experience to maintain growth in the transition
phase from WiMAX-ready to WiMAX-certified solutions.
Deploying WiMAX-ready equipment today also
provides carriers with the time and flexibility
to choose the WiMAX profile—802.16d or 802.16e—that
best suits their business case.
To be sure, early adoption also brings with
it certain risks.
The most successful carriers will be those
who navigate this period of risk and reward
to generate efficient growth with these new
wireless services. And the key to success for
carriers is to identify the WiMAX-ready platform
that can provide a balance of performance and
reliability.
A low-risk WiMAX-ready solution must take
into account a number of factors. These include
choosing a product or technology platform that:
• Is field-proven .
If a carrier decides to deploy pre-WiMAX equipment
today, it must seek out technology—and an equipment
provider—that has already demonstrated its
robustness, stability, capabilities and efficiency
over time in real-world situations. Testing
a new airlink is a simple affair, but scalability
must be proven in the field. Moreover, the
importance of meticulous RF planning, network
architecture, and network management cannot
be overstated, and this requires choosing a
vendor or system integrator that has also been “field-proven” over
time.
• Is cost-effective today. Carriers
cannot take the risk of deploying a product
or solution that simply promises to reduce
its cost sometime in the future. Costs must
be in line with the carrier's immediate business
plan.
• Provides a flexible,
long-term upgrade path. WiMAX technology
has the capability to enable networks on
the scale of today's mobility networks, with
thousands of base stations serving millions
of subscribers. Successful vendors will offer
a flexible, cost-effective migration plan
for such networks that is flexible enough
to adapt to evolving WiMAX-standard profiles.
In other words, insofar as possible the WiMAX-ready
platform should be future-proof.
• Meets both present and
future needs. Carriers should seek
out a broadband wireless access solution
that can propel their service offerings both
today and tomorrow. This requires a thorough
analysis of one's specific business case,
a careful evaluation of the WiMAX-ready products
that are currently on the market, and an
assessment of the WiMAX profiles that currently
exist to determine which one best addresses
the realities of the carrier's evolving markets
and business plan.
By keeping these considerations in mind, operators
and carriers who wish to get a leg up on the
competition by choosing to deploy WiMAX-ready
platforms today should be able to minimize
their risks and maximize their market opportunities.
About the Author:
Pierre St-Arnaud joined SR
Telecom in 2000 as President and Chief Operating
Officer and was appointed as CEO in April 2001.
Under his leadership, SR Telecom has broadened
its product portfolio through the acquisition
of assets from Lucent Technologies and Netro
Corporation, launched new technology platforms,
and streamlined its manufacturing, R&D
and sales processes. These initiatives have
played an important role in strengthening the
company's competitiveness and positioning it
as the global leader in broadband fixed wireless
access solutions.
Mr. St-Arnaud possesses a wide range of international
experience in high technology, value-added
manufacturing and engineering companies. Prior
to joining SR Telecom, Mr. St-Arnaud held executive
positions at Hydro Quebec and ABB.
Mr. St-Arnaud holds a Master's
degree in Business Administration from Université du
Québec à Montréal
and a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering
from Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal
.
