Definitive Guide to the Broadband Wireless 2008: WiMAX, WiFi, LTE, and 4G

• Publication date: February 2008
• Report size: 189 pages

There are many definitions and understandings of what is wireless broadband technology. There are those professionals that claim 3G is wireless broadband and other claim that something called 4G is wireless broadband. The criteria for wireless broadband technology can be generalized in the form of the services. The end user ultimately decides with their money what they consider to be acceptable for their use. Wireless broadband services can be ge...

There are many definitions and understandings of what is wireless broadband technology. There are those professionals that claim 3G is wireless broadband and other claim that something called 4G is wireless broadband. The criteria for wireless broadband technology can be generalized in the form of the services. The end user ultimately decides with their money what they consider to be acceptable for their use. Wireless broadband services can be generalized to mean those services that support a variety of multimedia content at varying data rates from low speed (less than T1) to as high as optical data rates. Yes this is a very general description but if nearly 60 years (combined) in this business has taught these authors anything is that nothing is static and that flexibility in views is important.

This publication represents the most comprehensive research available that evaluates the market place, business drivers, and competition between the four major broadband wireless technologies. Part one covers WiMAX, part two WiFi, part three LTE, and the final section covers 4G.

Broadband Industry in Bahrain

1. What is a Broadband Service?. 8

2. What Kinds of Networks Support Broadband Services?. 11

3. Why Wi-Fi, WiMAX, LTE, and 4G?. 12

4. Network Value Chain. 14

4a. Network Value Chain: The Wired Network. 14

4b. Network Value Chain: The Wireless Network. 14

4c. Network Value Chain: The Handset15

5. Our Focus. 15

`The WiMAX Industry` 16

(Part One of Four)16

1. Introduction. 16

2. The Vendors Perspective - WiMax. 17

2a. Vendor Profiles. 19

2b. Specialized Vendors. 26

i. Alvarion. 28

ii. Redline Communications. 30

iii. Proxim Wireless Corporation. 32

iv. Airspan. 34

v. Aperto Networks. 36

3. The Cisco and Intel Connection. 40

3a. Cisco:40

3b. Intel41

4. The Sprint WiMAX Model44

4a. Key Features and Functions. 44

4b. Sprint - Soft Launches. 46

5. Why Did Sprint Choose WiMAX?. 46

6. The Clearwire WiMax Model - Before Sprint48

7. The Clearwire WiMax Model - After Sprint49

8. Possible Clearwire WiMAX Strategy Without Sprint50

9. The Google Factor/The Intel Factor51

10. The Korean, SK Telecom, Samsung WiMax Model52

10a. Key Features and Functions. 52

10b. WiBRO.. 53

10c. Deployment Plans. 55

11. Huawei and ZTE- China's WiMax Model55

11a. Key Features and Functions. 56

11b. Deployment Plans. 57

12. Test & Certification - WiMAX Products. 62

12a. WiMAX Forum™... 62

12b. Telecordia and Sprint Laboratories. 64

13. Standards Impact - WiMAX.. 65

13a. Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)65

13b. International Telecommunications Union (ITU)66

14. Costs Impact - WiMAX.. 69

14a. Terminal Customer Premise Equipment (CPE)69

14b. WiMAX Infrastructure. 70

15. Market Analysis. 71

15a. Estimated Subscriber Growth 2007-2012. 72

15b. US Internet Market Value Forecast 2006-2010. 74

15c. Handset Sales Comparison. 74

15d. Ecosystems. 75

Technical References. 77

`The Wi-Fi Industry` 78

(Part Two of Four)78

1. Introduction. 78

2. Wi-Fi Suffers a Setback - EarthLink and AT&T Mobility. 81

2a. Running the Numbers - EarthLink. 82

2b. EarthLink - Update February 2008. 84

3. The Vendor's Perspectives. 85

3a. Global Outlook - Economic. 86

4. Vendor Profiles. 87

4a. Vendor Profiles. 87

i. Xirrus. 87

a. Xirrus Demo - Interop October 2007. 88

b. Xirrus Deployment - Amelia Island Plantation. 90

c. Xirrus - 802.11n System Info. 91

ii. SkyPilot Networks. 92

a. Skypilot Attributes. 93

b. Skypilot - Deployments - Bahrain. 94

iii. Cisco Systems. 95

a. Cisco Mobility Solutions. 95

b. Cisco Mobility Solutions - What It Is and The Benefits. 97

c. Cisco Wireless Solutions. 99

d. Cisco Outdoor Wireless Solutions - The Focal Point of Cisco's Efforts. 100

e. Cisco Outdoor Wireless Solutions - The Technology. 101

f. Cisco Outdoor Wireless Solutions -Deployments - OneCommunity/OneCleveland - THE Digital BRIDGE.. 104

g. Cisco Outdoor Wireless Solutions -Deployments - OneCommunity/OneCleveland - PBS Broadcasts to RTA Communters. 106

h. Cisco Outdoor Wireless Solutions - The Benefits. 107

i. Cisco Outdoor Wireless Solutions and Mobility - The Power of the Single Number - Cisco Unified Mobility. 108

5. Service Provider/Carrier Models. 110

5a. The Wi-Fi Model - Alverno Information Services. 111

5b. The Wi-Fi Model - T-Mobile Wi-Fi/Cellular - Ahead of iPhone. 112

i. Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) - Convergence. 114

ii. T-Mobile and 3G.. 115

5c. The Wi-Fi Model - AT&T Mobility. 115

i. AT&T News - January 2008. 117

5d. The Wi-Fi Model - MetroFi117

i. MetroFi Services. 119

ii. MetroFi Solutions - Digital Inclusion. 122

iii. MetroFi - Example Network Deployment - Santa Clara. 122

5e. The Wi-Fi Model - EarthLink. 124

6. Test & Certification - Wi-Fi Products. 125

6a. Performance Testing Outlined. 125

6b. The Wi-Fi Alliance. 126

i. Wi-Fi Alliance Authorized Certification Laboratories. 129

1. Allion Test Labs, Inc. (Taiwan)129

2. AT4 wireless(Spain)129

3. Bureau Veritas - ADT (Taiwan)130

4. CETECOM (USA, Germany)130

5. SGS Group (Taiwan, Japan, Korea)130

6. Telecommunication Metrology Station (TMC) (China)131

7. TÜV Rheinland Group (USA, Japan)131

8. Wipro Technologies (India)131

ii. Wi-Fi Alliance - The Future. 132

6c. CTIA Test and Certification. 132

6d. Tolly Group Test and Certification. 133

7. Standards Impact - Wi-Fi134

7a. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)134

i. Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) -Technical Details. 137

7b. International Telecommunications Union (ITU)138

8. Costs Impact - Wi-Fi139

a. Terminal Customer Premise Equipment (CPE)139

9. Infrastructure - `Steps To A Successful Wireless Broadband Network` 142

10. Market Analysis. 147

a. Market Drivers and Revenue Forecasts. 148

B. The Pros & Cons `Wi-Fi Profitability` 149

11. Technical Reference `Face-Off 4G vs. WiMAX vs. Wi-Fi` 150

Long Term Evolution (LTE)151

(Part Three of Four)151

1. Introduction. 151

2. What is LTE?. 152

3. LTE Network Architecture - SAE. 155

3a. Service Architecture Evolution (SAE) - Node Definitions. 156

i. GPRS Support Node (GSN):157

ii. Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN):157

iii. Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)158

3b. System Architecture Evolution (SAE) - Diagram.. 158

3c. GPRS Core Network - The Foundation of SAE. 161

3d. GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP)161

4. LTE Air Interface: E-UTRA.. 163

5. What Carriers are Pursuing LTE. 164

6. Qualcomm and LTE. 166

`The 4G Industry` 167

(Part Four of Four)167

1. Introduction. 167

2. What is 4G?. 171

3. Three Approaches of 4G.. 173

3a. 4G Approach #1 - Enhanced 3G or Extended 3G or Open Architecture. 173

3b. 4G Approach #2 - Long Term Evolution (LTE)174

3c. 4G Approach #3 - WiMAX.. 178

3c.i. WiMAX Rumors. 179

4. 4G Drivers. 179

5. Wi-Fi - Not a 4G Technology Today. 180

6. A Potential 4G Technology? Femtocells?. 182

7. Handsets: 2G, 3G and 4G - The iPhone. 183

8. Market Analysis - The Future of Broadband Wireless. 184

8a. Challenges. 184

8b. Conclusion. 186

Broadband in Bahrain

Bahrain Number Of Broadband Internet Subscribers, % Change Y-o-y

• $ 250
• Industry data
• February 2013

Yearly, From 2004 To 2017
By Business Monitor International
Source: Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Operators, World bank (Internatioanl Telecommunicatio

• Industries : Broadband
• Countries : Bahrain

Bahrain Number Of Broadband Internet Subscribers/100 Inhabitants

• $ 250
• Industry data
• February 2013

Yearly, From 2003 To 2017
By Business Monitor International
Source: Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Operators, World bank (Internatioanl Telecommunicatio

• Industries : Broadband
• Countries : Bahrain

Bahrain Number Of Broadband Internet Subscribers/100 Inhabitants, % Change Y-o-y

• $ 250
• Industry data
• February 2013

Yearly, From 2004 To 2017
By Business Monitor International
Source: Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Operators, World bank (Internatioanl Telecommunicatio

• Industries : Broadband
• Countries : Bahrain

Bahrain Number Of Broadband Internet Subscribers (`000)

• $ 250
• Industry data
• February 2013

Yearly, From 2003 To 2017
By Business Monitor International
Source: Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Operators, World bank (Internatioanl Telecommunicatio

• Industries : Broadband
• Countries : Bahrain