From Wi-Fi to WiMAX

The demand for high-bandwidth networking is already driving acceptance of fixed WiMAX products. The imminent arrival of products that meet the recently ratified standard for mobile WiMAX connectivity will provide even more exciting opportunities for broadband wireless communications, says Joe Nardone. While deployments of fixed wireless broadband networks based on the WiMAX standard have been implemented in many countries over the past year and a half, the ratification in December 2005 of a new IEEE standard (802.16e-2005) that will enable the same technology to be deployed in mobile devices should see accelerated take up of WiMAX products over the next few years. IT market researcher IDC expects the market for WiMAX semiconductor devices, one of the key enabling technologies for such networks, to grow from a modest $133m worldwide in 2006 to a burgeoning $607m in 2010. This will be achieved initially from the growth of fixed broadband wireless implementations and later from the volume rollout of WiMAX-enabled laptops. This will have a multiplier effect on the market for WiMAX equipment because of the by now familiar phenomenon known as Moore's Law, which essentially says that semiconductor devices gain in performance and capability while becoming progressively cheaper over time. Whereas IDC predicts a market growing in value terms by 356 per cent, the growth in terms of units over the same period will be a whopping 1,049 per cent, from 1.6m units in 2006 to 17.9m units in 2010. The expected growth in the market for WiMAX equipment merely reflects the market for existing Wi-Fi devices which has grown in leaps and bounds thanks to the familiar cycle of innovation followed by standardisation and commoditisation. In 2000, Wi-Fi access that delivered 1Mbit/s of data cost between $750 and $100.Today, Wi-Fi access that delivers 100Mbit/s costs only $25.

Market drivers

It is easy to see in simple terms how networks are going to evolve in the near future—people want to be able to transmit and receive any type of data to or from anybody, anywhere at any time with minimal difficulty. This means that high-bandwidth telecommunications infrastructure will have to be readily accessible in any location from which people will want to communicate. WiMAX is particularly well suited for this as it can be quickly and economically deployed in nearly any type of geography without requiring extensive installations, or pre-existing infrastructures as per wired technologies. Furthermore, WiMAX offers nomadic and mobile operations such that the connection becomes associated with the person not a location – hence enabling true Personal Broadband. Furthermore, the economics of WiMAX, unlike other wireless technologies, enable a low enough cost per bit such that it becomes viable for the mass market of consumers to adopt – hence delivering broadband anywhere, anytime. Fixed WiMAX technology (IEEE 802.16-2004) is already in place and being used successfully. The WiMAX Forum certified the first fixed WiMAX products in January 2006. More than 20 operators deployed commercial fixed WiMAX networks while more than 100 carriers initiated fixed WiMAX network trials worldwide. Since then, the numbers have grown to more than 175 trials and deployments, and more than 35 commercial networks. So far WiMAX has largely been deployed as a broadband wireless backbone providing broadband coverage to areas not currently served by existing wired broadband technologies. In many, though not all developed Western countries, there is already a mature market for wired broadband i.e. communications delivered by copper or fibre cable. According to researcher Jupiter Networks, most Western European countries have wired broadband availability for more than 90 per cent of their populations. However, for developing countries such as Russia , Eastern Europe or the Middle East the potential to deliver broadband infrastructure via wireless technology is tempting. A wireless backbone offers a much faster and more cost effective way to roll out broadband infrastructure than the traditional method of laying cable either underground or on towers. Quite apart from the special advantages that wireless networking in general offers over fixed-line communications, WiMAX also offers some technical advantages over some popular broadband technologies such as Asymmetric DSL (ADSL). The asymmetric nature of this technology means that upload speeds are typically a fraction of the download speeds offered by the service and rarely exceed 1Mbit/s. WiMAX can offer upload speeds of 4Mbit/s. Although this is typically not an issue for residential users, it can be an important issue for business users who may require a robust uplink as well as downlink. Further, since an operator can adjust the ratio between uplink and downlink traffic, spectrum can be optimized to meet traffic requirements of users and applications as they evolve. One of the more interesting current WiMAX deployments is in the town of Umeå in Northern Sweden . There, a local operator called Mobile City is working with the local government to provide cars equipped with WiMAX and Wi-Fi capability to provide broadband connectivity to nurses who travel to visit patients in their homes. With this connectivity, nurses are able to use their notebook PCs to download information for the benefit of patients while on the road or even during a visit and can also complete their ‘paperwork' while on the road. This greatly enhances the care they can deliver to their patients and significantly improves productivity. None of this could be done previously unless the patient lived near a Wi-Fi hotspot. These specially equipped cars combine a WiMAX CPE to connect the car to the hospital and a Wi-Fi access point to connect to the nurse's notebook. In effect, the car becomes a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot which the nurses can use for the benefit of their patients. Although the example above uses fixed WiMAX technology, the mobile capabilities offered by products meeting the newly ratified mobile WiMAX standard 802.16e-2005 offer potentially the most exciting growth opportunities. Such equipment will enable broadband access while moving at speeds up to 120km/hr. Or in other words, you will soon be able to use your notebook computer to access the Internet while sitting in a coach or train without losing connectivity.

Working on the move

Being able to work on the move is a key enabler of productivity in today's world. Studies have shown that people used their notebooks 30 per cent more of the time when they have wireless access than when they do not. Hitherto, wireless access while one was away from one's office LAN has been dependent on finding a Wi-Fi hot-spot. Although Wi-Fi technology has been extremely popular, it does have the limitation of short range, with users needing to be within 45m (typically) of the access station indoors at data rates of 1-2Mbit/s and at distances up to 90m (typically) outdoors. Although the outdoor range can in theory be boosted to several km using special antennas in direct ‘line-of-sight' to the access point, indoors the range can be further diminished by ‘noisy' environments caused by interference from other wireless networks and other devices sharing the same frequency (e.g.: cordless telephones, microwave ovens). Mobile WiMAX products, on the other hand, will be able to connect to access points several kilometres away and at faster data speeds. Although actual data rates experienced by users will be determined by service levels offered by the service providers, mobile WiMAX products will be able to support peak downlink rates of 14.1Mbit/s and uplink rates of 2.2Mbit/s for a total net throughput (after all coding overhead is removed) of 16.3Mbit/s per sector in 10MHz of spectrum.* The peak gross throughput per cell is 72Mbit/s. The WiMAX Forum has developed system profiles based on the IEEE-ratified specification and identified conformance test tools and methods that will allow the expansion of the certification process to include mobile as well as fixed systems. Products that make use of the new standard will start to become available from equipment makers in the second half of this year. The likely scenario will see mobile WiMAX technology appearing first on PC Cards for deployment in notebook computers. In 2007-2008, WiMAX should start to appear as a standard option inside notebooks, handheld computers and even some mobile phone handsets. Mobile WiMAX is a technology that will coexist with high-speed cellular technologies such as 3G, which is optimised for voice and moderate data-rate applications. WiMAX is optimised for IP-based high-speed wireless broadband and the transmission of data. WiMAX will coexist with 3G networks, even as 3G operators introduce HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) facilities which offer an estimated peak net throughput of 3.6Mbit/s.* WiMAX will provide lower-cost high bandwidth data connectivity ushering in a new era of applications and services—only WiMAX can offer a low enough cost per bit to make true broadband applications cost effective offerings in a wireless environment. High-speed mobile WiMAX offers the most potential for the future to create the internet experience anywhere anytime. With its combination of band-width, range and mobility it allows people to be online wherever and whenever they want or need to be.

Source : wirtel.co.uk

The Time To Invest in VoIP?

When household names such as Cisco, Motorola, Microsoft, BT and Nokia hit the mainstream media with plans to unite mobile telephony and the internet, the world should sit up and take note. But is it time to do more than just test the water? Let's face it, mobile phones cost organisations a great deal of money. In part, it's because calls are more expensive. That's not a problem when people are working away from the organisations offices – the ability to keep in touch delivers benefits that offset the additional costs. But increasingly employees are using their mobile phones as their principal means of making and receiving calls, whether or not they are in an office where a lower cost alternative is available. They value the convenience of knowing that calls will reach them wherever they are, and of being able to make calls easily to people whose numbers are stored in their directory. Unfortunately, it's a convenience that comes at a cost. Over half the organisations contacted in a recent survey expected the cost of mobile phone calls to rise between 2004 and 2007, some by as much as 25 per cent. Then there's the added cost of managing a ‘fleet' of mobile phones. While organisations usually manage provision of desk-based phones centrally, mobile phone services are often bought locally. This dilutes the organisation's ability to use its purchasing power to get the best deal and can result in the cost of supporting a mobile user being up to three times that of a fixed-line user . Little wonder, then, that mobile phone costs are an increasing concern. But what's the answer? Right now, the best option is to manage mobile phone usage more effectively, perhaps taking advantage of the option to outsource the task to a managed service supplier that can meet the organisation's needs worldwide. In the longer term, however, technical innovations such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and fixed/mobile convergence will have a great deal to offer.

Call IP for a great deal

Once the preserve of the cost-conscious techno-savvy consumer and of far-sighted IT-focussed business, VoIP has been combined with other technologies to create IP telephony – a way of making phone calls over data networks that can match the performance of traditional phone systems and operate fully as a part of the global phone network. Today, IP telephony is very much a mainstream technology, used by organisations worldwide to deliver phone services to their employees. The benefits begin with lower operational costs, made possible because IP phones share cabling and equipment with the organisation's IT systems. But that's just the start. IP phones aren't just phones – there's a computer at their heart, and that means they can offer functions similar to those available on, say, PDAs. Phone directories, diaries and so on. And IP phones are more flexible than traditional phones. Rather than being defined by building wiring, phone numbers can be assigned when users log in, allowing people to make any desk their desk. The behaviour of the phone can also be matched to the user's profile, or in response to an organisation's changing needs and priorities.

Cutting the cord

It all adds up to make IP telephony a very attractive proposition, both for organisations and their employees, so it's easy to see why so many organisations are choosing IP systems as they open new premises and as their existing systems fall due for renewal. So far, however, most investment has been in fixed phone systems for use at desks, in meeting rooms and so on – locations often already served by data cabling. Despite the increasing use of wireless LANs to deliver data services more flexibly than is possible using fixed cabling, only limited use has been made of such networks to provide cordless phone services. One reason is that, because they are more complex, Voice over Wireless LAN (VoWLAN) phones can use more power than conventional cordless phones. More significant, however, are the technical problems that make it harder to deliver a high-quality call over a wireless network. Wireless networks tend to suffer more from jitter than wired networks and have more limited bandwidth, for example. Together with other factors, this increases the chance that data transmissions will interfere with call traffic and that call quality will be poor. Solutions to these problems are being worked on by the IEEE and other organisations but they are not yet widely available.

Losing your tether completely

Another limitation is that, today, users of wireless LANs can only move around within a limited area. Unlike mobile phone networks, where users are transferred seamlessly from cell to cell as they move, every time you move out of reach of one wireless LAN, you need to log in to another. It's a problem technologists are keen to solve. The IEEE, for example, is enhancing its 802.11 series of standards to make it possible for users to roam from LAN to LAN. Meanwhile, operators and manufacturers are working towards an even more flexible future – one in which people roam freely across technically different networks using whichever is best in each location. They could start their day at home, synchronising their diary or downloading a train timetable over a wireless LAN and broadband. Driving to the station, they could make voice calls over a 3G network before going online again using a public hotspot. Later, they could keep in touch using public 3G or WiMAX connections or their employer's corporate network, answering email and accessing files to prepare for meetings as they move from place to place. This is all technically feasible today, but people have to use a range of devices and switching between networks is not smooth. If the vision of converged networks is to become a reality, devices and applications must be easy to use and the complexity of the operation has to be hidden from those using the service. Alcatel, Ericsson and Motorola are seeking to establish open standards to enable interworking between vendor equipment. In parallel, the Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance, established by Swisscom, NTT, Korea Telecom, Rogers Wireless, Brasil Telecom and BT is working to define common technical standards so users can move networks on one device with no interruption in service. An early result has been BT Fusion, the world's first combined fixed and mobile phone service which works like a mobile when out and about but which uses Bluetooth technology to switch to a broadband line – and thereby reduce call costs – when the user is at home.

Time to invest?

BT Fusion is, however, just a first step – one that others are starting to follow. NEC, for example, has launched a phone to roam from WiFi to NTT DoCoMo's FOMA 3G service in Japan, while Motorola has announced its CN620 voice over wireless LAN (VoWLAN) compatible phone for use in countries with GSM mobile networks. It is also working with Cisco to deliver a complete solution using IEEE 802.11 technology for use within business premises. Elsewhere, Nokia has announced that it will use technology from Cisco to integrate its Series 60 devices with Cisco's IP telephony solution, CallManager. When users are within reach of their corporate network, they will be able to choose to connect over a wireless LAN to make their calls. These developments confirm that fixed/mobile convergence is going to happen, and sooner rather than later. But like ‘simple' VoWLAN technology, significant problems remain to be solved before the technology can be regarded as fully mature. The wait won't be a long one but, for many organisations, it means it's too early to make a major investment. So what should organisations do now? It may sound strange if your goal is to reduce mobile phone costs, but the best option right now is to invest in fixed IP telephony systems – in networks, routers and other equipment to replace private exchanges and the traditional phones on employees' desks. By doing this, your organisation can take advantage of the cost savings and other benefits that IP telephony offers while also making sure its infrastructure is ready for what looks set to follow – a next generation of phone that can keep employees connected and get you the best deal.

Source : wirtel.co.uk

Mobile TV: The Next Big Thing?

Mobile TV is undoubtedly one of the most exciting areas within the mobile industry at the moment. Not only does it bring a familiar and popular medium to the mobile space for consumers, but it also heralds a range of new revenue opportunities for both the mobile and broadcasting industries. Strategy Analytics predict that mobile firms will have about 50 million users of mobile TV by 2009, generating an estimated £3.5bn in revenue. Peter Bazalgette, UK Chairman of leading independent television producer Endemol was clear about the potential of Mobile TV when he told the BBC, “This year is the first in a career of 27 years in television that I've been able to entertain people anywhere. A new era for those in the content business is starting.” For mobile operators looking to bring commercial television services to market, there are a range of competing technologies and standards available. Yet, in order to provide end users with the best quality mobile TV experience and the widest selection of channels, it is the DVB-H standard that delivers the best solution.

Delivering television over 3G

For many mobile operators, 3G networks provide the means of launching mobile television services here and now while DVB-H networks are being tested and developed. Vodafone, Orange and 3 have all rolled-out television services delivered over their 3G infrastructure, offering customers a selection of live television channels. In October 2005, Vodafone launched their 3G Mobile TV service in conjunction with Satellite broadcaster BSkyB. The service was offered free to Vodafone customers in the UK until the end of January, after which it will cost £5 a month. Yet, while 3G is a solution for bringing television services to the mobile space now and giving consumers a taster of what it is like to consume television on their mobile, it does not represent a long term solution for Mobile TV. On a 3G network, television content must share capacity with other mobile traffic, including downloaded content and voice calls. If the network reaches full capacity, then the quality of the television services will suffer. Furthermore, on 3G there is a limit to how many television channels can actually be delivered to the end user.

Source : wirtel.co.uk

Introducing DVB-H

The key to making Mobile TV a high quality, compelling service for consumers is in combining traditional broadcasting standards with features specific to handheld devices. Namely, smaller screens and antennas, indoor coverage and reliance on battery power. The technology that can best achieve this is called IP Datacasting over DVB-H, a combination of digital broadcasting and internet protocol, which enables service reception in handheld devices. The Digital Video Broadcasting – Handheld (DVB-H) standard has been created specifically to meet the unique challenges that mobile TV presents and was formally adopted by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) as the standard in Europe for Mobile TV services in November 2004. DVB-H builds on the existing terrestrial TV infrastructure (DVB-T) which is used widely to deliver terrestrial digital television services. The fact that DVB-H relies on an existing television standard means that the initial investment in setting up Mobile TV services is reduced. In addition to being an approved and open standard, the benefits of DVB-H are as follows: • It provides the best user experience in the mobile environment, with an energy saving handset that is only ‘on' 10% of the time, electronic programme guide, soft handover and in-building coverage • It offers an excellent, broadcast-quality picture with a screen resolution equivalent to VHS • Battery consumption is reduced by 90% due to time-slicing technology • The efficient use of bandwidth means that DVB-H can offer up to 55 mobile channels • It is supported by publicly available air interface specifications helping to drive device interoperability and market development • Its security includes end-to-end control of stream encryption, generation of decryption keys and delivery of keys to consumers in a billing-integrated way DVB-H will be accessible by an audience of approximately 300 million mobile users by the end of this year. Source : wirtel.co.uk

Bringing Mobile TV service to market

The DVB-H standard has by far the most widespread acceptance across the various sectors involved in bringing Mobile TV to market, including operators, broadcasters, broadcast network operators and content providers. This can be seen by the large number of consumer DVB-H trials that have, or are currently, taking place across the globe. In Europe , trials have so far taken place in Germany , Finland , the UK , Spain , Switzerland , France and the Netherlands . The results from completed trials are very encouraging. In the Finnish trial, over half (58%) thought that Mobile TV services would be popular and exactly half of those involved thought that €10 per month was a reasonable price to pay for such services. Local programmes available through Finnish national television proved to be the most popular content alongside sporting events such as the Monaco Grand Prix. Results which have just been released from the UK trial in Oxford paint an even brighter picture of consumer demand for Mobile TV. The trial, conducted by O2 and Arqiva and involving 400 consumers, found that 76% of those involved would take up mobile TV services within 12 months. 83% of triallists were satisfied with the service provided. On average, those that took part in the trial used Mobile TV twice a day and for 3 hours per week. Over the course of the next six months we expect to see the first commercial DVB-H Mobile TV services being launched globally. With Mobile TV over DVB-H we can truly say that this is the next big thing. Trials have shown the extent of consumer interest in these services which in turn brings the prospect of significant revenue opportunities for mobile operators. There are also a whole range of new interactive services made possible by Mobile TV. And for the broadcast industry, we have the opportunity to totally redefine prime time. People will be able to view their favourite television content anytime, anywhere, representing a fundamental shift in the way people consume television.

Source : wirtel.co.uk