WiMax 2

It has not been long since we saw the first WiMax implementation. And even as we are getting a feel of it Wimax 2 has been announced. A consortium WCI has been announced which will strive for meeting the standards set by WiMax 2. The WCI (WiMAX 2 Collaboration Initiative ) is an initiative lead by leading WiMAX™ silicon suppliers, equipment makers and research organizations to accelerate interoperability of WiMAX 2 based on the IEEE 802.16m standard.

What is WiMax 2?
WiMAX 2 is the next phase of WiMAX technology which is based on the IEEE 802.16m standard. This standard has been built upon the existing 802.16e standard by adding new capabilities while maintaining backward compatibility. Yes, WiMax 2 will be backward compatible to the existing WiMax standard. WiMAX 2 offers higher system capacity with peak rates of more than 300 Mbps, lower latency and increased VoIP capacity, meeting the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) requirements for 4G technology.WiMAX forum vice president Mohammad Shakouri says the goal is for the new WiMAX standard to deliver average downlink speeds of more than 100Mbps to users. 802.16m amendment will provide the basis for WiMAX System Release 2 and provide existing WiMAX operators a graceful migration path to gain performance enhancements and add new services. IEEE 802.16m specification is expected to be completed by end of the in the 3rd quarter of 2010.

Improvements
WiMax 2 is expected to offer improved performance in areas like
• Coverage and Spectral Efficiency
• Power Conservation
• Data Capacity and VoIP capabilities
• Lower Latency and QoS Enhancements
• Inter-working with other Wireless Networks
• Multi-carrier support
• GPS based services
• Self-Organizing network features

Future of WiMAX
According to WiMAX forum, nearly 45 companies have actively supported IEEE 802.16m as an IMT-Advanced technology alternative. It is widely expected that both LTE-Advanced and 802.16m will be included. The performance enhancements defined in IEEE 802.16m build on the capabilities established with IEEE 802.16e-2005, which has 4 years of worldwide, field-proven experience. This assures backwards compatibility, hence WiMAX System Release 2 will provide a graceful migration path for today’s WiMAX operators. This also provides them the confidence that they have selected a proven technology that is structured to meet current and future network demands. With this evolutionary growth path, the WiMAX technology is well-positioned to
meet the challenges and demands anticipated for the next generation of mobile networks.

Ref: www.wimaxforum.org