WiMax grows up

Anyone observing the Internet access space would be aware of WiMax by now. So how is it that a wireless access technology can generate so much market buzz?

Well, of course there's the catchy name not too dissimilar to another popular wireless technology. WiMax stands for Wireless Interoperability of Microwave Access; however, this sounds a bit after the fact to me.

I like to think that a couple of marketing guys agreed it would be really cool if they made the name sound like WiFi, while infusing it with an edgy term like 'to the max'.

Speculation aside, the fact is that WiMax was born of parents that include most of the communications industry. Never before has a technology been so all-encompassing in its participation; everyone from standards bodies, component manufacturers, equipment vendors, network operators, service providers and network integrators all provide their input through a body called the WiMax Forum.

The forum has 470-plus members, and it's not hard to imagine the volume of communication this number of members can generate. Each has their own perspectives and interests to convey to the market, each has the aim of differentiating itself from the rest in order to attract more customers.

And the forum's members have been doing this all through the many years of WiMax's evolution.

Why then has WiMax taken so long to get to market? Again the cause mainly stems from the all-encompassing collaborative nature of the WiMax ecosystem.

With so many independent interests at stake, it was inevitable that decisions would be slow to come by and when agreed to, would be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. WiMax began in late 2001 with initial 802.16 specification followed by some minor refinements in the next few years, which finally culminated in the first 'ready-for-market' iteration 802.16d in 2004.

One would think the WiMax ball would have started rolling in late 2005/early 2006 once equipment based on the ratified specification, now renamed 802.16-2004, became available in the market. Unfortunately, to bring WiMax to the market at this stage in its technical evolution meant that many latest advances in radio technology had to be left out, the most important of these being the ability to provide full mobility.

While 802.16-2004, or Fixed WiMax as it was termed, did start finding traction in the market from mid-2005 onwards, mainly in pilot projects and in developing nations where wired connectivity is scarce, it has not turned out to be the mainstream variant that would live up to the hype. This honour will rest with 802.16e or Mobile WiMax, the latest specification ratified in December 2005.

The broad-based industry participation, which resulted in delays and hype during WiMax's evolution, now becomes its greatest asset, in fact its defining trait.

Roman Hogh is manager of product development at MWEB Business.

The first generation of Mobile WiMax equipment started becoming available from the beginning of 2007. With full mobility, enhanced speed, the ability to operate in dense urban environments where much of the signal strength is derived from reflections and capable of coping with large variances between closest and farthest subscriber, WiMax finally has the capabilities to provide mainstream wireless broadband services.

The broad-based industry participation, which resulted in delays and hype during WiMax's evolution, now becomes its greatest asset, in fact its defining trait. Multi-vendor, multi-network competition at all levels means lower capital cost for network deployment, lower cost of customer equipment, no vendor lock in and no network lock in.

Also, because Mobile WiMax was designed for a converged IP world, it has no need to support expensive legacy communication standards.

So the WiMax ball is finally rolling in earnest. The prime example would be the recent announcement that Sprint Nextel in the US has selected Mobile WiMax as technology for its $3 billion nationwide 4G network. Locally, numerous organisations have indicated they will roll-out national WiMax networks once spectrum has been allocated by the regulator ICASA.

There is still one piece of the WiMax puzzle that is yet to be delivered: the concept of zero-cost-CPE (customer premise equipment).

The idea is that in the future many WiMax service users will not need to directly purchase their WiMax access equipment as it will already be imbedded within some previously purchased device such as a laptop, home broadband gateway or mobile phone.

Chief protagonist in this endeavour will be Intel, which plans to include WiMax (along with WiFi) in the next generation of its Centrino notebook specification. From mid- to late-2008, most high-end laptops will include WiMax as standard and going forward into 2009/10, this should filter down to the mid-range and low-end models.

After many years of incessant hype, I'm confident we'll finally be able to say WiMax is here by the year's end.

* Roman Hogh is manager of product development at MWEB Business.