Introduction to WiMax
1. WiMAX is an IP based, wireless broadband access technology that provides performance
similar to 802.11/Wi-Fi networks with the coverage and QOS (quality of service) of cellular
networks.
2. WiMAX is an acronym meaning "Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
(WiMAX).
3. WiMAX is developed by an industry consortium, overseen by a group called the WiMAX
Forum. The Forum certifies WiMAX equipment to ensure it meets the technology standards.
4. Its technology is based on the IEEE 802.16 set of wide-area communications standards.
5. Wi-MAX is a technology standard for long-range wireless networking.
6. It is optimized for the delivery of IP centric services over a wide area.
7. It provides fixed and mobile Internet access.
8. WiMAX operates similar to WiFi but at higher speeds over greater distances and for a
greater number of users.
9. WiMAX has the ability to provide service even in areas that are difficult for wired
infrastructure to reach and the ability to overcome the physical limitations of traditional
wired infrastructure.
10. WiMAX equipment exists in two basic forms - base stations, installed by service providers
to deploy the technology in a coverage area, and receivers, installed in clients. Wi-MAX
supports several networking usage models:
• a means to transfer data across an Internet service provider network, commonly
called backhaul
• a form of fixed wireless broadband Internet access, replacing satellite Internet
service
11. WiMAX signals can function over a distance of several miles (kilometers) with data rates
reaching up to 75 megabits per second (Mb/s). A number of wireless signaling options exist
ranging anywhere from the 2 GHz range up to 66 GHz.
12. WiMAX can support voice, video as well as Internet data.
13. WiMAX can potentially be deployed in a variety of spectrum bands: 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz,
3.5GHz, and 5.8GHz
14. WiMAX can help service providers meet many of the challenges they face due to increasing
customer demands without discarding their existing infrastructure investments because it has
the ability to seamlessly interoperate across various network types.
15. WiMAX can provide wide area coverage and quality of service capabilities for applications
ranging from real-time delay-sensitive voice-over-IP (VoIP) to real-time streaming video
and non-real-time downloads, ensuring that subscribers obtain the performance they expect
for all types of communications.
16. Primarily due to its much higher cost, WiMAX is not a replacement for Wi-Fi home
networking or Wi-Fi hotspot technologies.
