USES OF WIMAX

Uses

The bandwidth and reach of WiMAX make it suitable for the following potential applications:

* Connecting Wi-Fi hotspots with each other and to other parts of the Internet.
* Providing a wireless alternative to cable and DSL for last mile broadband access.
* Providing high-speed data and telecommunications services.
* Providing a diverse source of Internet connectivity as part of a business continuity plan. That is, if a business has a fixed and a wireless Internet connection, especially from unrelated providers, they are unlikely to be affected by the same service outage.
* Providing nomadic connectivity
Broadband access

Many companies are closely examining WiMAX for "last mile" connectivity at high data rates. The resulting competition may bring lower pricing for both home and business customers or bring broadband access to places where it has been economically unavailable. Prior to WiMAX, many operators have been using proprietary fixed wireless technologies for broadband services.

WiMAX access was used to assist with communications in Aceh, Indonesia, after the tsunami in December 2004. All communication infrastructure in the area, other than Ham Radio, was destroyed, making the survivors unable to communicate with people outside the disaster area and vice versa. WiMAX provided broadband access that helped regenerate communication to and from Aceh.

WiMAX was used by Intel to assist the FCC and FEMA in their communications efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Subscriber units

WiMAX subscriber units are available in both indoor and outdoor versions from several manufacturers. Self-install indoor units are convenient, but radio losses mean that the subscriber must be significantly closer to the WiMAX base station than with professionally-installed external units. As such, indoor-installed units require a much higher infrastructure investment as well as operational cost (site lease, backhaul, maintenance) due to the high number of base stations required to cover a given area. Indoor units are comparable in size to a cable modem or DSL modem. Outdoor units are roughly the size of a laptop PC, and their installation is comparable to a residential satellite dish.

With the advent of mobile WiMAX, there is an increasing focus on portable units. This includes handsets (similar to cellular smartphones) and PC peripherals (PC Cards or USB dongles). In addition, there is much emphasis from operators on consumer electronics devices (game terminals, MP3 players and the like); it is notable this is more similar to Wi-Fi than 3G cellular technologies.

Mobile handset applications

Some cellular companies are evaluating WiMAX as a means of increasing bandwidth for a variety of data-intensive applications.

Sprint Nextel announced in mid-2006 that it would invest about US$ 5 billion in a WiMAX technology buildout over the next few years.[3] As of November 9, 2007 this project in partnership with Clearwire has been shelved, but the project could be revived with or without Clearwire now that Sprint has hired Dan Hesse as its new CEO. On December 5, 2007, Bin Shen, Sprint's VP of Product Management and Partnership Development, announced that Sprint's WiMAX network will go live in a soft launch in Chicago, Baltimore, and Washington DC. Full commercial launch is still expected to be approximately spring of 2008.[4] NYT reports that Sprint's soft launch in the three test markets went live as of January 11, 2008.[5] Sprint hopes to use WiMAX as a springboard past its competitors and past concerns about its shrinking user base and concerns about the financial wisdom of the large WiMAX deployment.

Backhaul/access network applications

WiMAX is a possible replacement candidate for cellular phone technologies such as GSM and CDMA, or can be used as a layover to increase capacity. It has also been considered as a wireless backhaul technology for 2G, 3G, and 4G networks in both developed and developing nations.

"Backhaul" for remote cellular operations is typically provided via satellite, and in urban areas via one or several T1 connections. WiMAX is mobile broadband and as such has much more substantial backhaul need. Therefore traditional backhaul solutions are not appropriate. Consequently the role of very high capacity wireless microwave point-to-point backhaul (200 or more MBps with typically 1ms or less delay) is on the rise. Also fiber backhaul is more appropriate.

Rural WiMAX without connectivity will be more challenging in locations such as in African countries where no substantial Fiber backbone exists both inside but also cross border.

Given the limited wired infrastructure in some developing countries, the costs to install a WiMAX station in conjunction with an existing cellular tower or even as a solitary hub are likely to be small in comparison to developing a wired solution. Areas of low population density and flat terrain are particularly suited to WiMAX and its range. For countries that have skipped wired infrastructure as a result of prohibitive costs and unsympathetic geography, WiMAX can enhance wireless infrastructure in an inexpensive, decentralized, deployment-friendly and effective manner.