4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today applauded the final ratification of LTE-Advanced as an offical 4G standard by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.
In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.
Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.
“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”
Showing posts with label WiMax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WiMax. Show all posts
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Final Ratification for LTE-Advanced
4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today applauded the final ratification of LTE-Advanced as an offical 4G standard by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.
In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.
Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.
“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”
Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.
In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.
Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.
“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”
Final Ratification for LTE-Advanced
4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today applauded the final ratification of LTE-Advanced as an offical 4G standard by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.
In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.
Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.
“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”
Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.
In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.
Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.
“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”
Thursday, 5 August 2010
LTE-Advanced & IEEE 802.16m WiMAX both officially selected as 4G standard by ITU
The Korea Communications Commission said Wednesday that two key mobile communication technologies -- Long Term Evolution-Advanced and WiBro Evolution -- were recently chosen as fourth generation (4G) global standards.
In a meeting in Vietnam held June 9-16, the International Telecommunication Union passed the global standardization tests for the two technologies, which are intended to be used as 4G mobile communication systems.
ITU is an international organization which specializes in deciding standards on radio and telecommunications.
The organization will complete developing the specific standardization framework for the new technologies by March 2011 and grant final approval in February 2012, according to KCC officials.
“With Korea playing a key role in the international standardization effort, the nation will be able to lead the way in designing core technologies for the next generation,” said Kim Jeong-sam, director of the radio spectrum policy division at the KCC.
The two new technologies, which are already adopted by many European and Asian countries, will enable mobile phone users to get faster access to the mobile Internet at comparable speeds to Web surfing on a personal computer.
Better known as WiMAX Evolution in other countries, the WiBro Evolution’s research has been led by Samsung Electronics and the state-funded Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute.
WiBro Evolution is deemed to be 10 times faster the high-speed downlink packet access technology adopted by the current 3G mobile phones.
The initiative for technology standardization was taken forward by the Telecommunications Technology Association in Korea, which worked in cooperation with groups based in other nations such as Japan and the U.S.
Source: Korea Herald
LTE-Advanced & IEEE 802.16m WiMAX both officially selected as 4G standard by ITU
The Korea Communications Commission said Wednesday that two key mobile communication technologies -- Long Term Evolution-Advanced and WiBro Evolution -- were recently chosen as fourth generation (4G) global standards.
In a meeting in Vietnam held June 9-16, the International Telecommunication Union passed the global standardization tests for the two technologies, which are intended to be used as 4G mobile communication systems.
ITU is an international organization which specializes in deciding standards on radio and telecommunications.
The organization will complete developing the specific standardization framework for the new technologies by March 2011 and grant final approval in February 2012, according to KCC officials.
“With Korea playing a key role in the international standardization effort, the nation will be able to lead the way in designing core technologies for the next generation,” said Kim Jeong-sam, director of the radio spectrum policy division at the KCC.
The two new technologies, which are already adopted by many European and Asian countries, will enable mobile phone users to get faster access to the mobile Internet at comparable speeds to Web surfing on a personal computer.
Better known as WiMAX Evolution in other countries, the WiBro Evolution’s research has been led by Samsung Electronics and the state-funded Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute.
WiBro Evolution is deemed to be 10 times faster the high-speed downlink packet access technology adopted by the current 3G mobile phones.
The initiative for technology standardization was taken forward by the Telecommunications Technology Association in Korea, which worked in cooperation with groups based in other nations such as Japan and the U.S.
Source: Korea Herald
LTE-Advanced & IEEE 802.16m WiMAX both officially selected as 4G standard by ITU
The Korea Communications Commission said Wednesday that two key mobile communication technologies -- Long Term Evolution-Advanced and WiBro Evolution -- were recently chosen as fourth generation (4G) global standards.
In a meeting in Vietnam held June 9-16, the International Telecommunication Union passed the global standardization tests for the two technologies, which are intended to be used as 4G mobile communication systems.
ITU is an international organization which specializes in deciding standards on radio and telecommunications.
The organization will complete developing the specific standardization framework for the new technologies by March 2011 and grant final approval in February 2012, according to KCC officials.
“With Korea playing a key role in the international standardization effort, the nation will be able to lead the way in designing core technologies for the next generation,” said Kim Jeong-sam, director of the radio spectrum policy division at the KCC.
The two new technologies, which are already adopted by many European and Asian countries, will enable mobile phone users to get faster access to the mobile Internet at comparable speeds to Web surfing on a personal computer.
Better known as WiMAX Evolution in other countries, the WiBro Evolution’s research has been led by Samsung Electronics and the state-funded Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute.
WiBro Evolution is deemed to be 10 times faster the high-speed downlink packet access technology adopted by the current 3G mobile phones.
The initiative for technology standardization was taken forward by the Telecommunications Technology Association in Korea, which worked in cooperation with groups based in other nations such as Japan and the U.S.
Source: Korea Herald
Saturday, 24 April 2010
Is WiMAX or LTE the better 4G choice in Malaysia?
WiMAX or LTE (long-term evolution) – which is superior? It, of course, depends on who you talk to. The vendors have their own stories, and the operators theirs. For the consumers, it is not about technology. It is about speed and seamless connectivity, and not having to buy different devices to operate on different platforms.
From the technical viewpoint, both are next-generation technologies for the wireless world. The choice between WiMAX and LTE hinges on the needs of the operator and the market demands, but the fact is, there seemingly is an insatiable appetite for data on the go.
WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) is a fourth-generation (4G) telecommunications technology primarily for fast broadband.
Also a 4G mobile technology, LTE allows a peak download speed of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) on mobile phones, compared with 20Mbps for 3G and 40Mbps for WiMAX.
“For operators, the choice of technology depends on a number of things including available spectrum, legacy inter-working, timing and business focus,” says Nokia Siemens Networks head of sub region, Asia South, Lars Biese.
To deploy either technology, operators will have to commit tens of billions of dollars in network upgrades for the new mobility landscape, which now includes social, video, location-based and entertainment applications and experiences.
In many countries, the current generation of mobile telecoms networks is 3G. Those in Malaysia are deployed by the four mobile players – Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi.Com Bhd, Maxis Communications Bhd and U Mobile Sdn Bhd.
Biese reckons LTE is the next step for mobile networks like GSM, WCDMA/HSPA and CDMA in the move to future networks and services.
The common belief is that the natural migration path is from 2G to GPRS, from GPRS to 3G, and from 3G to LTE. But IDC Asia/Pacific’s telecom research director Bill Rojas has a differing view. To him, LTE is a totally new set-up.
“GSM and GPRS were part of a migration. In Asia, the players may put LTE on top of 3G, but this will not cover the entire population. The concentration will be on urban centres. For full coverage, the operator needs to build more than 30% new cell sites,” Rojas says.
It has been reported that LTE’s main advantage over WiMAX, in addition to speed, is that it is part of the popular GSM technology and can allow backward compatibility with both 2G and 3G networks.
LTE is relatively new compared with WiMAX. The world’s first public LTE service was made available only at the end of last year by TeliaSonera in Stockholm and Oslo.
Some people may said that LTE means "Late To Evolve"... However, LTE is fast catching up with WiMAX even though the WiMAX Forum, an industry organisation, stresses that its platform is at least two years ahead in terms of equipment availability and testing.
The Global Suppliers Association (GSA) says there are more than 59 LTE network commitments in 28 countries. In comparison, according to the WiMAX Forum, there are 559 WiMAX networks worldwide.
“To date, all existing GSM and WCDMA (3GPP) operators and CDMA (3GPP2) operators have committed to LTE as the technology of choice for their mobile network evolution, and by 2013, it is expected that there will be 20.4 million connections activated on LTE in the Asia Pacific,” says Biese.
On the other hand, YTL Communications Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Wing K Lee claims that mobile WiMAX is the only commercially proven technology that has been deployed on a large scale.
Nevertheless, market dynamics will determine the outcome of the race.
There are four WiMAX spectrum holders in Malaysia, namely, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd, REDtone International Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications, which is the only one that has yet to roll out services commercially.
Rojas of IDC says both technologies can co-exist, but to him, WiMAX is still the purest 4G network. Naturally, the promoters of LTE have the opposite view.
That aside, Lee of YTL Communications points out that LTE and WiMAX serve the wireless broadband market and both technologies fundamentally share the same technological foundation. Therefore, they have more similarities than differences.
Should they then be merged, as suggested by US-based Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow, given the overlap in the technologies?
While the debate rages on, the mobile operators in Malaysia still have a little bit of time to decide on which route to take to add capacity. This is because they have not fully exhausted their 3G spectrum. Even the WiMAX players have not fully exploited their 2.3G spectrum.
At some point, Rojas believes, the Malaysian Government will have to decide on spectrum allocation for LTE. Until then, do not expect the operators to fast-track their network expansion, even though some may face bottlenecks soon.
Furthermore, the Government needs to be certain that LTE is what the market needs. “Without (additional) spectrum after 3G, operators will have to move to LTE using the 3G spectrum,’’ Rojas says.
Whatever is on the minds of the players and industry regulators, one thing is clear – the need for speed is growing by the day, and the planning for spectrum allocation should start before we hit bottlenecks.
Some industry players have also called for the Government to refarm spectrum so that there is a coordinated approach to spectrum allocation and assignment. Not that there isn’t, but given that spectrum is becoming a rare commodity, the Government should make sure that the spectrum awarded is put to good use.
Rojas expects major commercial roll-outs of LTE and WiMAX in Asia this year and next, but devices remain an issue in the world of 4G. At the same time, experts say it is about time that the industry focuses on a single device that works on all platforms.
From the technical viewpoint, both are next-generation technologies for the wireless world. The choice between WiMAX and LTE hinges on the needs of the operator and the market demands, but the fact is, there seemingly is an insatiable appetite for data on the go.
WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) is a fourth-generation (4G) telecommunications technology primarily for fast broadband.
Also a 4G mobile technology, LTE allows a peak download speed of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) on mobile phones, compared with 20Mbps for 3G and 40Mbps for WiMAX.
“For operators, the choice of technology depends on a number of things including available spectrum, legacy inter-working, timing and business focus,” says Nokia Siemens Networks head of sub region, Asia South, Lars Biese.
To deploy either technology, operators will have to commit tens of billions of dollars in network upgrades for the new mobility landscape, which now includes social, video, location-based and entertainment applications and experiences.
In many countries, the current generation of mobile telecoms networks is 3G. Those in Malaysia are deployed by the four mobile players – Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi.Com Bhd, Maxis Communications Bhd and U Mobile Sdn Bhd.
Biese reckons LTE is the next step for mobile networks like GSM, WCDMA/HSPA and CDMA in the move to future networks and services.
The common belief is that the natural migration path is from 2G to GPRS, from GPRS to 3G, and from 3G to LTE. But IDC Asia/Pacific’s telecom research director Bill Rojas has a differing view. To him, LTE is a totally new set-up.
“GSM and GPRS were part of a migration. In Asia, the players may put LTE on top of 3G, but this will not cover the entire population. The concentration will be on urban centres. For full coverage, the operator needs to build more than 30% new cell sites,” Rojas says.
It has been reported that LTE’s main advantage over WiMAX, in addition to speed, is that it is part of the popular GSM technology and can allow backward compatibility with both 2G and 3G networks.
LTE is relatively new compared with WiMAX. The world’s first public LTE service was made available only at the end of last year by TeliaSonera in Stockholm and Oslo.
Some people may said that LTE means "Late To Evolve"... However, LTE is fast catching up with WiMAX even though the WiMAX Forum, an industry organisation, stresses that its platform is at least two years ahead in terms of equipment availability and testing.
The Global Suppliers Association (GSA) says there are more than 59 LTE network commitments in 28 countries. In comparison, according to the WiMAX Forum, there are 559 WiMAX networks worldwide.
“To date, all existing GSM and WCDMA (3GPP) operators and CDMA (3GPP2) operators have committed to LTE as the technology of choice for their mobile network evolution, and by 2013, it is expected that there will be 20.4 million connections activated on LTE in the Asia Pacific,” says Biese.
On the other hand, YTL Communications Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Wing K Lee claims that mobile WiMAX is the only commercially proven technology that has been deployed on a large scale.
Nevertheless, market dynamics will determine the outcome of the race.
There are four WiMAX spectrum holders in Malaysia, namely, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd, REDtone International Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications, which is the only one that has yet to roll out services commercially.
Rojas of IDC says both technologies can co-exist, but to him, WiMAX is still the purest 4G network. Naturally, the promoters of LTE have the opposite view.
That aside, Lee of YTL Communications points out that LTE and WiMAX serve the wireless broadband market and both technologies fundamentally share the same technological foundation. Therefore, they have more similarities than differences.
Should they then be merged, as suggested by US-based Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow, given the overlap in the technologies?
While the debate rages on, the mobile operators in Malaysia still have a little bit of time to decide on which route to take to add capacity. This is because they have not fully exhausted their 3G spectrum. Even the WiMAX players have not fully exploited their 2.3G spectrum.
At some point, Rojas believes, the Malaysian Government will have to decide on spectrum allocation for LTE. Until then, do not expect the operators to fast-track their network expansion, even though some may face bottlenecks soon.
Furthermore, the Government needs to be certain that LTE is what the market needs. “Without (additional) spectrum after 3G, operators will have to move to LTE using the 3G spectrum,’’ Rojas says.
Whatever is on the minds of the players and industry regulators, one thing is clear – the need for speed is growing by the day, and the planning for spectrum allocation should start before we hit bottlenecks.
Some industry players have also called for the Government to refarm spectrum so that there is a coordinated approach to spectrum allocation and assignment. Not that there isn’t, but given that spectrum is becoming a rare commodity, the Government should make sure that the spectrum awarded is put to good use.
Rojas expects major commercial roll-outs of LTE and WiMAX in Asia this year and next, but devices remain an issue in the world of 4G. At the same time, experts say it is about time that the industry focuses on a single device that works on all platforms.
Is WiMAX or LTE the better 4G choice in Malaysia?
WiMAX or LTE (long-term evolution) – which is superior? It, of course, depends on who you talk to. The vendors have their own stories, and the operators theirs. For the consumers, it is not about technology. It is about speed and seamless connectivity, and not having to buy different devices to operate on different platforms.
From the technical viewpoint, both are next-generation technologies for the wireless world. The choice between WiMAX and LTE hinges on the needs of the operator and the market demands, but the fact is, there seemingly is an insatiable appetite for data on the go.
WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) is a fourth-generation (4G) telecommunications technology primarily for fast broadband.
Also a 4G mobile technology, LTE allows a peak download speed of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) on mobile phones, compared with 20Mbps for 3G and 40Mbps for WiMAX.
“For operators, the choice of technology depends on a number of things including available spectrum, legacy inter-working, timing and business focus,” says Nokia Siemens Networks head of sub region, Asia South, Lars Biese.
To deploy either technology, operators will have to commit tens of billions of dollars in network upgrades for the new mobility landscape, which now includes social, video, location-based and entertainment applications and experiences.
In many countries, the current generation of mobile telecoms networks is 3G. Those in Malaysia are deployed by the four mobile players – Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi.Com Bhd, Maxis Communications Bhd and U Mobile Sdn Bhd.
Biese reckons LTE is the next step for mobile networks like GSM, WCDMA/HSPA and CDMA in the move to future networks and services.
The common belief is that the natural migration path is from 2G to GPRS, from GPRS to 3G, and from 3G to LTE. But IDC Asia/Pacific’s telecom research director Bill Rojas has a differing view. To him, LTE is a totally new set-up.
“GSM and GPRS were part of a migration. In Asia, the players may put LTE on top of 3G, but this will not cover the entire population. The concentration will be on urban centres. For full coverage, the operator needs to build more than 30% new cell sites,” Rojas says.
It has been reported that LTE’s main advantage over WiMAX, in addition to speed, is that it is part of the popular GSM technology and can allow backward compatibility with both 2G and 3G networks.
LTE is relatively new compared with WiMAX. The world’s first public LTE service was made available only at the end of last year by TeliaSonera in Stockholm and Oslo.
Some people may said that LTE means "Late To Evolve"... However, LTE is fast catching up with WiMAX even though the WiMAX Forum, an industry organisation, stresses that its platform is at least two years ahead in terms of equipment availability and testing.
The Global Suppliers Association (GSA) says there are more than 59 LTE network commitments in 28 countries. In comparison, according to the WiMAX Forum, there are 559 WiMAX networks worldwide.
“To date, all existing GSM and WCDMA (3GPP) operators and CDMA (3GPP2) operators have committed to LTE as the technology of choice for their mobile network evolution, and by 2013, it is expected that there will be 20.4 million connections activated on LTE in the Asia Pacific,” says Biese.
On the other hand, YTL Communications Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Wing K Lee claims that mobile WiMAX is the only commercially proven technology that has been deployed on a large scale.
Nevertheless, market dynamics will determine the outcome of the race.
There are four WiMAX spectrum holders in Malaysia, namely, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd, REDtone International Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications, which is the only one that has yet to roll out services commercially.
Rojas of IDC says both technologies can co-exist, but to him, WiMAX is still the purest 4G network. Naturally, the promoters of LTE have the opposite view.
That aside, Lee of YTL Communications points out that LTE and WiMAX serve the wireless broadband market and both technologies fundamentally share the same technological foundation. Therefore, they have more similarities than differences.
Should they then be merged, as suggested by US-based Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow, given the overlap in the technologies?
While the debate rages on, the mobile operators in Malaysia still have a little bit of time to decide on which route to take to add capacity. This is because they have not fully exhausted their 3G spectrum. Even the WiMAX players have not fully exploited their 2.3G spectrum.
At some point, Rojas believes, the Malaysian Government will have to decide on spectrum allocation for LTE. Until then, do not expect the operators to fast-track their network expansion, even though some may face bottlenecks soon.
Furthermore, the Government needs to be certain that LTE is what the market needs. “Without (additional) spectrum after 3G, operators will have to move to LTE using the 3G spectrum,’’ Rojas says.
Whatever is on the minds of the players and industry regulators, one thing is clear – the need for speed is growing by the day, and the planning for spectrum allocation should start before we hit bottlenecks.
Some industry players have also called for the Government to refarm spectrum so that there is a coordinated approach to spectrum allocation and assignment. Not that there isn’t, but given that spectrum is becoming a rare commodity, the Government should make sure that the spectrum awarded is put to good use.
Rojas expects major commercial roll-outs of LTE and WiMAX in Asia this year and next, but devices remain an issue in the world of 4G. At the same time, experts say it is about time that the industry focuses on a single device that works on all platforms.
From the technical viewpoint, both are next-generation technologies for the wireless world. The choice between WiMAX and LTE hinges on the needs of the operator and the market demands, but the fact is, there seemingly is an insatiable appetite for data on the go.
WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) is a fourth-generation (4G) telecommunications technology primarily for fast broadband.
Also a 4G mobile technology, LTE allows a peak download speed of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) on mobile phones, compared with 20Mbps for 3G and 40Mbps for WiMAX.
“For operators, the choice of technology depends on a number of things including available spectrum, legacy inter-working, timing and business focus,” says Nokia Siemens Networks head of sub region, Asia South, Lars Biese.
To deploy either technology, operators will have to commit tens of billions of dollars in network upgrades for the new mobility landscape, which now includes social, video, location-based and entertainment applications and experiences.
In many countries, the current generation of mobile telecoms networks is 3G. Those in Malaysia are deployed by the four mobile players – Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi.Com Bhd, Maxis Communications Bhd and U Mobile Sdn Bhd.
Biese reckons LTE is the next step for mobile networks like GSM, WCDMA/HSPA and CDMA in the move to future networks and services.
The common belief is that the natural migration path is from 2G to GPRS, from GPRS to 3G, and from 3G to LTE. But IDC Asia/Pacific’s telecom research director Bill Rojas has a differing view. To him, LTE is a totally new set-up.
“GSM and GPRS were part of a migration. In Asia, the players may put LTE on top of 3G, but this will not cover the entire population. The concentration will be on urban centres. For full coverage, the operator needs to build more than 30% new cell sites,” Rojas says.
It has been reported that LTE’s main advantage over WiMAX, in addition to speed, is that it is part of the popular GSM technology and can allow backward compatibility with both 2G and 3G networks.
LTE is relatively new compared with WiMAX. The world’s first public LTE service was made available only at the end of last year by TeliaSonera in Stockholm and Oslo.
Some people may said that LTE means "Late To Evolve"... However, LTE is fast catching up with WiMAX even though the WiMAX Forum, an industry organisation, stresses that its platform is at least two years ahead in terms of equipment availability and testing.
The Global Suppliers Association (GSA) says there are more than 59 LTE network commitments in 28 countries. In comparison, according to the WiMAX Forum, there are 559 WiMAX networks worldwide.
“To date, all existing GSM and WCDMA (3GPP) operators and CDMA (3GPP2) operators have committed to LTE as the technology of choice for their mobile network evolution, and by 2013, it is expected that there will be 20.4 million connections activated on LTE in the Asia Pacific,” says Biese.
On the other hand, YTL Communications Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Wing K Lee claims that mobile WiMAX is the only commercially proven technology that has been deployed on a large scale.
Nevertheless, market dynamics will determine the outcome of the race.
There are four WiMAX spectrum holders in Malaysia, namely, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd, REDtone International Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications, which is the only one that has yet to roll out services commercially.
Rojas of IDC says both technologies can co-exist, but to him, WiMAX is still the purest 4G network. Naturally, the promoters of LTE have the opposite view.
That aside, Lee of YTL Communications points out that LTE and WiMAX serve the wireless broadband market and both technologies fundamentally share the same technological foundation. Therefore, they have more similarities than differences.
Should they then be merged, as suggested by US-based Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow, given the overlap in the technologies?
While the debate rages on, the mobile operators in Malaysia still have a little bit of time to decide on which route to take to add capacity. This is because they have not fully exhausted their 3G spectrum. Even the WiMAX players have not fully exploited their 2.3G spectrum.
At some point, Rojas believes, the Malaysian Government will have to decide on spectrum allocation for LTE. Until then, do not expect the operators to fast-track their network expansion, even though some may face bottlenecks soon.
Furthermore, the Government needs to be certain that LTE is what the market needs. “Without (additional) spectrum after 3G, operators will have to move to LTE using the 3G spectrum,’’ Rojas says.
Whatever is on the minds of the players and industry regulators, one thing is clear – the need for speed is growing by the day, and the planning for spectrum allocation should start before we hit bottlenecks.
Some industry players have also called for the Government to refarm spectrum so that there is a coordinated approach to spectrum allocation and assignment. Not that there isn’t, but given that spectrum is becoming a rare commodity, the Government should make sure that the spectrum awarded is put to good use.
Rojas expects major commercial roll-outs of LTE and WiMAX in Asia this year and next, but devices remain an issue in the world of 4G. At the same time, experts say it is about time that the industry focuses on a single device that works on all platforms.
Is WiMAX or LTE the better 4G choice in Malaysia?
WiMAX or LTE (long-term evolution) – which is superior? It, of course, depends on who you talk to. The vendors have their own stories, and the operators theirs. For the consumers, it is not about technology. It is about speed and seamless connectivity, and not having to buy different devices to operate on different platforms.
From the technical viewpoint, both are next-generation technologies for the wireless world. The choice between WiMAX and LTE hinges on the needs of the operator and the market demands, but the fact is, there seemingly is an insatiable appetite for data on the go.
WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) is a fourth-generation (4G) telecommunications technology primarily for fast broadband.
Also a 4G mobile technology, LTE allows a peak download speed of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) on mobile phones, compared with 20Mbps for 3G and 40Mbps for WiMAX.
“For operators, the choice of technology depends on a number of things including available spectrum, legacy inter-working, timing and business focus,” says Nokia Siemens Networks head of sub region, Asia South, Lars Biese.
To deploy either technology, operators will have to commit tens of billions of dollars in network upgrades for the new mobility landscape, which now includes social, video, location-based and entertainment applications and experiences.
In many countries, the current generation of mobile telecoms networks is 3G. Those in Malaysia are deployed by the four mobile players – Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi.Com Bhd, Maxis Communications Bhd and U Mobile Sdn Bhd.
Biese reckons LTE is the next step for mobile networks like GSM, WCDMA/HSPA and CDMA in the move to future networks and services.
The common belief is that the natural migration path is from 2G to GPRS, from GPRS to 3G, and from 3G to LTE. But IDC Asia/Pacific’s telecom research director Bill Rojas has a differing view. To him, LTE is a totally new set-up.
“GSM and GPRS were part of a migration. In Asia, the players may put LTE on top of 3G, but this will not cover the entire population. The concentration will be on urban centres. For full coverage, the operator needs to build more than 30% new cell sites,” Rojas says.
It has been reported that LTE’s main advantage over WiMAX, in addition to speed, is that it is part of the popular GSM technology and can allow backward compatibility with both 2G and 3G networks.
LTE is relatively new compared with WiMAX. The world’s first public LTE service was made available only at the end of last year by TeliaSonera in Stockholm and Oslo.
Some people may said that LTE means "Late To Evolve"... However, LTE is fast catching up with WiMAX even though the WiMAX Forum, an industry organisation, stresses that its platform is at least two years ahead in terms of equipment availability and testing.
The Global Suppliers Association (GSA) says there are more than 59 LTE network commitments in 28 countries. In comparison, according to the WiMAX Forum, there are 559 WiMAX networks worldwide.
“To date, all existing GSM and WCDMA (3GPP) operators and CDMA (3GPP2) operators have committed to LTE as the technology of choice for their mobile network evolution, and by 2013, it is expected that there will be 20.4 million connections activated on LTE in the Asia Pacific,” says Biese.
On the other hand, YTL Communications Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Wing K Lee claims that mobile WiMAX is the only commercially proven technology that has been deployed on a large scale.
Nevertheless, market dynamics will determine the outcome of the race.
There are four WiMAX spectrum holders in Malaysia, namely, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd, REDtone International Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications, which is the only one that has yet to roll out services commercially.
Rojas of IDC says both technologies can co-exist, but to him, WiMAX is still the purest 4G network. Naturally, the promoters of LTE have the opposite view.
That aside, Lee of YTL Communications points out that LTE and WiMAX serve the wireless broadband market and both technologies fundamentally share the same technological foundation. Therefore, they have more similarities than differences.
Should they then be merged, as suggested by US-based Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow, given the overlap in the technologies?
While the debate rages on, the mobile operators in Malaysia still have a little bit of time to decide on which route to take to add capacity. This is because they have not fully exhausted their 3G spectrum. Even the WiMAX players have not fully exploited their 2.3G spectrum.
At some point, Rojas believes, the Malaysian Government will have to decide on spectrum allocation for LTE. Until then, do not expect the operators to fast-track their network expansion, even though some may face bottlenecks soon.
Furthermore, the Government needs to be certain that LTE is what the market needs. “Without (additional) spectrum after 3G, operators will have to move to LTE using the 3G spectrum,’’ Rojas says.
Whatever is on the minds of the players and industry regulators, one thing is clear – the need for speed is growing by the day, and the planning for spectrum allocation should start before we hit bottlenecks.
Some industry players have also called for the Government to refarm spectrum so that there is a coordinated approach to spectrum allocation and assignment. Not that there isn’t, but given that spectrum is becoming a rare commodity, the Government should make sure that the spectrum awarded is put to good use.
Rojas expects major commercial roll-outs of LTE and WiMAX in Asia this year and next, but devices remain an issue in the world of 4G. At the same time, experts say it is about time that the industry focuses on a single device that works on all platforms.
From the technical viewpoint, both are next-generation technologies for the wireless world. The choice between WiMAX and LTE hinges on the needs of the operator and the market demands, but the fact is, there seemingly is an insatiable appetite for data on the go.
WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) is a fourth-generation (4G) telecommunications technology primarily for fast broadband.
Also a 4G mobile technology, LTE allows a peak download speed of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) on mobile phones, compared with 20Mbps for 3G and 40Mbps for WiMAX.
“For operators, the choice of technology depends on a number of things including available spectrum, legacy inter-working, timing and business focus,” says Nokia Siemens Networks head of sub region, Asia South, Lars Biese.
To deploy either technology, operators will have to commit tens of billions of dollars in network upgrades for the new mobility landscape, which now includes social, video, location-based and entertainment applications and experiences.
In many countries, the current generation of mobile telecoms networks is 3G. Those in Malaysia are deployed by the four mobile players – Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi.Com Bhd, Maxis Communications Bhd and U Mobile Sdn Bhd.
Biese reckons LTE is the next step for mobile networks like GSM, WCDMA/HSPA and CDMA in the move to future networks and services.
The common belief is that the natural migration path is from 2G to GPRS, from GPRS to 3G, and from 3G to LTE. But IDC Asia/Pacific’s telecom research director Bill Rojas has a differing view. To him, LTE is a totally new set-up.
“GSM and GPRS were part of a migration. In Asia, the players may put LTE on top of 3G, but this will not cover the entire population. The concentration will be on urban centres. For full coverage, the operator needs to build more than 30% new cell sites,” Rojas says.
It has been reported that LTE’s main advantage over WiMAX, in addition to speed, is that it is part of the popular GSM technology and can allow backward compatibility with both 2G and 3G networks.
LTE is relatively new compared with WiMAX. The world’s first public LTE service was made available only at the end of last year by TeliaSonera in Stockholm and Oslo.
Some people may said that LTE means "Late To Evolve"... However, LTE is fast catching up with WiMAX even though the WiMAX Forum, an industry organisation, stresses that its platform is at least two years ahead in terms of equipment availability and testing.
The Global Suppliers Association (GSA) says there are more than 59 LTE network commitments in 28 countries. In comparison, according to the WiMAX Forum, there are 559 WiMAX networks worldwide.
“To date, all existing GSM and WCDMA (3GPP) operators and CDMA (3GPP2) operators have committed to LTE as the technology of choice for their mobile network evolution, and by 2013, it is expected that there will be 20.4 million connections activated on LTE in the Asia Pacific,” says Biese.
On the other hand, YTL Communications Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Wing K Lee claims that mobile WiMAX is the only commercially proven technology that has been deployed on a large scale.
Nevertheless, market dynamics will determine the outcome of the race.
There are four WiMAX spectrum holders in Malaysia, namely, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd, REDtone International Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications, which is the only one that has yet to roll out services commercially.
Rojas of IDC says both technologies can co-exist, but to him, WiMAX is still the purest 4G network. Naturally, the promoters of LTE have the opposite view.
That aside, Lee of YTL Communications points out that LTE and WiMAX serve the wireless broadband market and both technologies fundamentally share the same technological foundation. Therefore, they have more similarities than differences.
Should they then be merged, as suggested by US-based Clearwire CEO Bill Morrow, given the overlap in the technologies?
While the debate rages on, the mobile operators in Malaysia still have a little bit of time to decide on which route to take to add capacity. This is because they have not fully exhausted their 3G spectrum. Even the WiMAX players have not fully exploited their 2.3G spectrum.
At some point, Rojas believes, the Malaysian Government will have to decide on spectrum allocation for LTE. Until then, do not expect the operators to fast-track their network expansion, even though some may face bottlenecks soon.
Furthermore, the Government needs to be certain that LTE is what the market needs. “Without (additional) spectrum after 3G, operators will have to move to LTE using the 3G spectrum,’’ Rojas says.
Whatever is on the minds of the players and industry regulators, one thing is clear – the need for speed is growing by the day, and the planning for spectrum allocation should start before we hit bottlenecks.
Some industry players have also called for the Government to refarm spectrum so that there is a coordinated approach to spectrum allocation and assignment. Not that there isn’t, but given that spectrum is becoming a rare commodity, the Government should make sure that the spectrum awarded is put to good use.
Rojas expects major commercial roll-outs of LTE and WiMAX in Asia this year and next, but devices remain an issue in the world of 4G. At the same time, experts say it is about time that the industry focuses on a single device that works on all platforms.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
WiMAX Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) (X.509 certificates)
A PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) enables users of a basically unsecure public network, such as the Internet, to securely and privately exchange data and money through the use of a public and a private cryptographic key pair that is obtained and shared through a trusted authority. The public key infrastructure provides for a digital certificate that can identify an individual or an organization and directory services that can store and, when necessary, revoke the certificates. The WiMAX Forum® has defined the policies and profiles for the WiMAX Public Key Infrastructure (“PKI”) which utilizes X.509 certificates and their associated keys to identify and authenticate the identity of devices and servers in a WiMAX network.
WiMAX Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) (X.509 certificates)
A PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) enables users of a basically unsecure public network, such as the Internet, to securely and privately exchange data and money through the use of a public and a private cryptographic key pair that is obtained and shared through a trusted authority. The public key infrastructure provides for a digital certificate that can identify an individual or an organization and directory services that can store and, when necessary, revoke the certificates. The WiMAX Forum® has defined the policies and profiles for the WiMAX Public Key Infrastructure (“PKI”) which utilizes X.509 certificates and their associated keys to identify and authenticate the identity of devices and servers in a WiMAX network.
WiMAX Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) (X.509 certificates)
A PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) enables users of a basically unsecure public network, such as the Internet, to securely and privately exchange data and money through the use of a public and a private cryptographic key pair that is obtained and shared through a trusted authority. The public key infrastructure provides for a digital certificate that can identify an individual or an organization and directory services that can store and, when necessary, revoke the certificates. The WiMAX Forum® has defined the policies and profiles for the WiMAX Public Key Infrastructure (“PKI”) which utilizes X.509 certificates and their associated keys to identify and authenticate the identity of devices and servers in a WiMAX network.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
WiMax vs. LTE: Which Will 'Win' in a Fast Deployment Cycle?
One of the biggest stories during the next year or so will be the rollout and subsequent marketing of 4G wireless networks.
It will be an interesting process as the two approaches – Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMax – vie for supremacy. The die already seems to be cast, however: WiMax, through Clearwire and its Clear service, is first out of the gate. LTE, however, through its use by Verizon and AT&T, seems positioned to be the dominant player when the dust settles.
WiMax suffered a bit of a blow earlier this month when Cisco decided not to build radios for the platform:
Technology is not an either/or game.The Cisco move clearly is not good news for WiMax, both in terms of image and because the vendor brings a lot to any table at which it chooses to sit. It’s also clear that WiMax will not be as big as LTE. All that said, however, it is apparent that WiMax remains a significant wireless networking force.
…WiMax is making strides with at least one significant niche category: smart grid networking. Earth2Tech reports that startup Arcadian Networks has released the AE20r gateway, a WiMax-focused device. The story says that Arcadian, which owns spectrum in the middle of the country, sells smart grid services to utilities. The story notes other vendors in the smart grid/WiMax arena, including Grid Net, General Electric, Alvarion and National Grid.
To be sure, Clearwire is not backing down:
Clearwire seems to be at the center of cable’s move to mobilize voice and advanced mobilized applications. FierceWireless, in a general report about Clearwire’s progress, said that the company plans to introduce a WiMax-enabled smartphone during 2010. The aim, according to CEO Bill Morrow, is to have the device in the field during the second half of the year. The story says that Sprint is planning 3G/4G phones, also by the end of 2010.
On the other side of town -- or of the R&D lab hallway -- is LTE. While WiMax was first out of the gate, the LTE sector is making up for lost time:
The LTE trial and test phase is white hot.
Driven by the increase in demand caused by fixed-rate data plans, coupled with the popularity of the iPhone and other advanced devices, the pace of testing of one of the two flavors of 4G technology, Long Term Evolution (LTE), is accelerating.
LTE is particularly active on the international front. ABI Research says that as of the end of September, 100 mobile networks were holding trials or were set to start. More than 40 of the trials are ongoing in the Asia-Pacific region – led by Japan and South Korea, with 33 contracts awarded. ABI Research says that though the first networks won’t start commercial operation until the end of next year, a robust 32.6 million subscribers will be served by LTE by 2013. The pressure is so great that many operators are taking the interim step of upgrading 3G networks to High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) status.
The stage was set once AT&T and, especially, Verizon made their choices:
Details are emerging on Verizon Wireless’s LTE rollout. Softpedia reports that the carrier, in one configuration, will offer per-user data speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps). The system will support video sharing, surveillance, conferencing and streaming. The story runs through the other advantages that Verizon Wireless is touting, and some of the challenges to older technologies that it supposedly alleviates.
The interesting thing is that LTE and WiMax are fairly close from the technical point of view. That means that it is theoretically possible for differences to be overcome and competition to become a thing of the past. While possible, it is thought unlikely:
On one hand, the battle for the future of 4G between LTE and WiMax will be fully joined. However, both are IP-based and use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and, experts say, are relatively close on the telecommunications family tree. Indeed, the biggest difference may concern the other IP: intellectual property. Despite the maneuvering today, it is possible that in a few years the two will blend together.
The next year or so will be a good deal of fun for folks who like mano-a-mano competition, price pressure, glitzy ads -- and high-speed wireless networks. At the end of the day, it almost certainly is destined to end up as expected:
LTE will be the top dog, with WiMax a strong supporting player.
WiMax vs. LTE: Which Will 'Win' in a Fast Deployment Cycle?
One of the biggest stories during the next year or so will be the rollout and subsequent marketing of 4G wireless networks.
It will be an interesting process as the two approaches – Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMax – vie for supremacy. The die already seems to be cast, however: WiMax, through Clearwire and its Clear service, is first out of the gate. LTE, however, through its use by Verizon and AT&T, seems positioned to be the dominant player when the dust settles.
WiMax suffered a bit of a blow earlier this month when Cisco decided not to build radios for the platform:
Technology is not an either/or game.The Cisco move clearly is not good news for WiMax, both in terms of image and because the vendor brings a lot to any table at which it chooses to sit. It’s also clear that WiMax will not be as big as LTE. All that said, however, it is apparent that WiMax remains a significant wireless networking force.
…WiMax is making strides with at least one significant niche category: smart grid networking. Earth2Tech reports that startup Arcadian Networks has released the AE20r gateway, a WiMax-focused device. The story says that Arcadian, which owns spectrum in the middle of the country, sells smart grid services to utilities. The story notes other vendors in the smart grid/WiMax arena, including Grid Net, General Electric, Alvarion and National Grid.
To be sure, Clearwire is not backing down:
Clearwire seems to be at the center of cable’s move to mobilize voice and advanced mobilized applications. FierceWireless, in a general report about Clearwire’s progress, said that the company plans to introduce a WiMax-enabled smartphone during 2010. The aim, according to CEO Bill Morrow, is to have the device in the field during the second half of the year. The story says that Sprint is planning 3G/4G phones, also by the end of 2010.
On the other side of town -- or of the R&D lab hallway -- is LTE. While WiMax was first out of the gate, the LTE sector is making up for lost time:
The LTE trial and test phase is white hot.
Driven by the increase in demand caused by fixed-rate data plans, coupled with the popularity of the iPhone and other advanced devices, the pace of testing of one of the two flavors of 4G technology, Long Term Evolution (LTE), is accelerating.
LTE is particularly active on the international front. ABI Research says that as of the end of September, 100 mobile networks were holding trials or were set to start. More than 40 of the trials are ongoing in the Asia-Pacific region – led by Japan and South Korea, with 33 contracts awarded. ABI Research says that though the first networks won’t start commercial operation until the end of next year, a robust 32.6 million subscribers will be served by LTE by 2013. The pressure is so great that many operators are taking the interim step of upgrading 3G networks to High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) status.
The stage was set once AT&T and, especially, Verizon made their choices:
Details are emerging on Verizon Wireless’s LTE rollout. Softpedia reports that the carrier, in one configuration, will offer per-user data speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps). The system will support video sharing, surveillance, conferencing and streaming. The story runs through the other advantages that Verizon Wireless is touting, and some of the challenges to older technologies that it supposedly alleviates.
The interesting thing is that LTE and WiMax are fairly close from the technical point of view. That means that it is theoretically possible for differences to be overcome and competition to become a thing of the past. While possible, it is thought unlikely:
On one hand, the battle for the future of 4G between LTE and WiMax will be fully joined. However, both are IP-based and use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and, experts say, are relatively close on the telecommunications family tree. Indeed, the biggest difference may concern the other IP: intellectual property. Despite the maneuvering today, it is possible that in a few years the two will blend together.
The next year or so will be a good deal of fun for folks who like mano-a-mano competition, price pressure, glitzy ads -- and high-speed wireless networks. At the end of the day, it almost certainly is destined to end up as expected:
LTE will be the top dog, with WiMax a strong supporting player.
WiMax vs. LTE: Which Will 'Win' in a Fast Deployment Cycle?
One of the biggest stories during the next year or so will be the rollout and subsequent marketing of 4G wireless networks.
It will be an interesting process as the two approaches – Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMax – vie for supremacy. The die already seems to be cast, however: WiMax, through Clearwire and its Clear service, is first out of the gate. LTE, however, through its use by Verizon and AT&T, seems positioned to be the dominant player when the dust settles.
WiMax suffered a bit of a blow earlier this month when Cisco decided not to build radios for the platform:
Technology is not an either/or game.The Cisco move clearly is not good news for WiMax, both in terms of image and because the vendor brings a lot to any table at which it chooses to sit. It’s also clear that WiMax will not be as big as LTE. All that said, however, it is apparent that WiMax remains a significant wireless networking force.
…WiMax is making strides with at least one significant niche category: smart grid networking. Earth2Tech reports that startup Arcadian Networks has released the AE20r gateway, a WiMax-focused device. The story says that Arcadian, which owns spectrum in the middle of the country, sells smart grid services to utilities. The story notes other vendors in the smart grid/WiMax arena, including Grid Net, General Electric, Alvarion and National Grid.
To be sure, Clearwire is not backing down:
Clearwire seems to be at the center of cable’s move to mobilize voice and advanced mobilized applications. FierceWireless, in a general report about Clearwire’s progress, said that the company plans to introduce a WiMax-enabled smartphone during 2010. The aim, according to CEO Bill Morrow, is to have the device in the field during the second half of the year. The story says that Sprint is planning 3G/4G phones, also by the end of 2010.
On the other side of town -- or of the R&D lab hallway -- is LTE. While WiMax was first out of the gate, the LTE sector is making up for lost time:
The LTE trial and test phase is white hot.
Driven by the increase in demand caused by fixed-rate data plans, coupled with the popularity of the iPhone and other advanced devices, the pace of testing of one of the two flavors of 4G technology, Long Term Evolution (LTE), is accelerating.
LTE is particularly active on the international front. ABI Research says that as of the end of September, 100 mobile networks were holding trials or were set to start. More than 40 of the trials are ongoing in the Asia-Pacific region – led by Japan and South Korea, with 33 contracts awarded. ABI Research says that though the first networks won’t start commercial operation until the end of next year, a robust 32.6 million subscribers will be served by LTE by 2013. The pressure is so great that many operators are taking the interim step of upgrading 3G networks to High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) status.
The stage was set once AT&T and, especially, Verizon made their choices:
Details are emerging on Verizon Wireless’s LTE rollout. Softpedia reports that the carrier, in one configuration, will offer per-user data speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps). The system will support video sharing, surveillance, conferencing and streaming. The story runs through the other advantages that Verizon Wireless is touting, and some of the challenges to older technologies that it supposedly alleviates.
The interesting thing is that LTE and WiMax are fairly close from the technical point of view. That means that it is theoretically possible for differences to be overcome and competition to become a thing of the past. While possible, it is thought unlikely:
On one hand, the battle for the future of 4G between LTE and WiMax will be fully joined. However, both are IP-based and use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and, experts say, are relatively close on the telecommunications family tree. Indeed, the biggest difference may concern the other IP: intellectual property. Despite the maneuvering today, it is possible that in a few years the two will blend together.
The next year or so will be a good deal of fun for folks who like mano-a-mano competition, price pressure, glitzy ads -- and high-speed wireless networks. At the end of the day, it almost certainly is destined to end up as expected:
LTE will be the top dog, with WiMax a strong supporting player.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
The Future of 4G: LTE vs. WiMAX
LTE, the 4G mobile broadband technology backed by major cellular network equipment providers and operators, casts a long shadow across the WiMAX landscape—even though LTE products are thin on the ground and no operator has launched commercial service using it.
Verizon, however, has committed to rolling out LTE (Long Term Evolution)... (in joking mode they called it as "LTE: Late to Evolve") starting next year, delivering ten times the data throughput of current 3G technologies. Others, including NTT DoCoMo in Japan, France Telecom, Vodafone in the UK, AT&T, and T-Mobile, have also said they will adopt LTE rather than WiMAX.
Meanwhile, Sprint, Clearwire, and Comcast in the U.S., UQ Communications in Japan, and Yota in Russia are all aggressively rolling out mobile-capable “4G” networks using the current version of WiMAX, 802.16e (2 to 10 Mbps), in urban markets where they will inevitably compete with 3G (and later, LTE) providers.
The WiMAX Forum claims that 504 operators in 145 countries have deployed WiMAX, but many use older 802.16d technology that cannot provide mobile services, and many are small operators in developing countries or rural regions.
How will the market unfold? Are LTE and WiMAX on a collision course? If so, which will prevail. Or will the two technologies co-exist, even complement each other? The answers are far from clear, and depend to a large extent on who you ask.
Sprint and Clearwire’s use of the term 4G to describe their 802.16e technology does not reflect adherence to international standards, Redman pointed out. It refers to the fact that this is the fourth generation of mobile wireless technology deployed in North America.
How and when either camp will deliver a standard that does meet the yet-to-be-finalized ITU specs remains to be seen. It is anticipated that LTE will get there with revision 10 and WiMAX with a projected 802.16m. Estimates of when equipment based on these advanced standards will appear ranges from 2011 to 2015.
Despite the similarities of the two technologies, and despite suggestions from some that the two camps are notnecessarily on a collision course, discourse between and around them can get heated.
“Politics rules everything,” he said, explaining the reasons so many major mobile operators chose LTE rather than WiMAX as their upgrade path to 4G.
Those operators—Verizon, AT&T, NTT, et al—didn’t really choose the technology, Redman believes. They chose their suppliers: Ericsson and Nokia, tried-and-true Tier 1 mobile infrastructure equipment manufacturers that had decided not to back WiMAX.
If operators wanted to go with WiMAX, they had to bet on smaller Tier 2 suppliers, such as Motorola, Alcatel-Lucent, and Alvarion. “It’s all about who you feel most comfortable with,” Redman said. Better the devil you know?
The Tier 1 suppliers, in turn, backed LTE over WiMAX because they saw that, for a variety of reasons, they could make more profit selling LTE. “In many cases, it was more a political decision than one based on technology or cost,” he said.
Redman has reportedly gone as far as urging businesses to hold off on investing in WiMAX, at least until the equipment ecosystem evolves to make dual-mode 3G-WiMAX devices more readily available.
This enraged some elements in the WiMAX camp. One Intel blogger characterized Gartner’s analysis of the market as “the most recent attempt at ‘drive-by kneecapping’” of the technology.
When we repeated to Proulx Redman’s suggestion that WiMAX vs. LTE might be analogous in some ways to the showdown between VHS and Betamax video cassette formats in the 1970s—with WiMAX taking the doomed Betamax role—her response was blunt.
“It’s a silly analogy and it’s unfortunate it’s been repeated so often,” she said. Proulx noted that Betamax was a proprietary technology, backed by one supplier (Sony) and was more expensive than its competitor—none of which is remotely true of WiMAX.
Proulx was similarly direct in responding to Redman’s suggestion that 802.16m is a more uncertain proposition than LTE Rev 10 and may not even be backward compatible to 802.16e. “From day one,” she said, “the first [design] requirement [for 802.16m] was that it be fully backward compatible. I think you’ll see evidence of that very soon.”
Chua apparently does not raise the ire of the WiMAX community to the same extent as Redman, but his perspective is not so different.
IDC believes operators rarely have made or will make either/or choices between LTE and WiMAX. More often, decisions will be made for them because only one technology or the other can meet all their needs—given time-to-market, desired business model, and other considerations.
“We characterize WiMAX and LTE as two circles that overlap,” Chua said. “Inevitably there will be some competition, but competition is not the overriding market scenario. It’s not what defines those two markets.”
IDC will publish a forecast later this year showing sales of LTE equipment surpassing WiMAX equipment sales some time in 2012.
But it may not be as simple as 3G mobile users in developed markets sticking with their current providers and waiting for LTE (because of LTE is "Late To Evolve"), while WiMAX is relegated to a niche role delivering portable rather than mobile service in developing countries and rural regions.
For one thing, the WiMAX camp believes the momentum it’s currently building in those developing markets will drive development of an ecosystem, help harden the technology—and put it in good position to be a full competitor in the 4G mobile market down the road.
Indeed, the fact that WiMAX lets operators in those markets start small and build businesses organically without investing billions of dollars is one of its key advantages over LTE, Proulx said. Operators may start by providing DSL replacement services, but can easily evolve to offering true mobile services when they have the breadth of coverage and market demand.
And then there are the implications of exceptional initiatives in more developed markets—Clearwire in the U.S., Yota in Russian, UQ in Japan. Yota is currently signing up 2,000 new subscribers a month in St. Petersburg and Moscow and already has 200,000 since launching last fall, Proulx said.
While Clearwire has been slow to introduce WiMAX-powered phones or dual-mode 3G-WiMAX phones that would help it attract customers away from 3G providers, Yota is already building much of its marketing around a dual-mode device from HTC.
Most observers agree that the winners in the 4G market will be those that offer the widest coverage, the most reliable service and the best choice of devices. Redman is skeptical Clearwire can build its network out quickly enough to give it the breadth of coverage needed to attract 3G customers. The company will need another big infusion of capital next year just to continue its current pace, he added.
But Proulx believes WiMAX can compete with 3G operators, if not immediately in the U.S. then soon—and perhaps sooner in Japan. There, she said, UQ expects to have 90% of the Japanese population covered by its network by the end of 2010. If true, that would be before NTT is even out of the gate with LTE.
Redman and Chua may be underestimating the market strength of WiMAX—or not. Either way, no one is seriously suggesting it will be blown out of the water by LTE. The two will co-exist, whether or not peacefully remains to be seen.
Indeed, the picture is unclear and may be no clearer until 2011 when commercial services using both will be available in the U.S. and elsewhere. Stay tuned.
Verizon, however, has committed to rolling out LTE (Long Term Evolution)... (in joking mode they called it as "LTE: Late to Evolve") starting next year, delivering ten times the data throughput of current 3G technologies. Others, including NTT DoCoMo in Japan, France Telecom, Vodafone in the UK, AT&T, and T-Mobile, have also said they will adopt LTE rather than WiMAX.
Meanwhile, Sprint, Clearwire, and Comcast in the U.S., UQ Communications in Japan, and Yota in Russia are all aggressively rolling out mobile-capable “4G” networks using the current version of WiMAX, 802.16e (2 to 10 Mbps), in urban markets where they will inevitably compete with 3G (and later, LTE) providers.
The WiMAX Forum claims that 504 operators in 145 countries have deployed WiMAX, but many use older 802.16d technology that cannot provide mobile services, and many are small operators in developing countries or rural regions.
How will the market unfold? Are LTE and WiMAX on a collision course? If so, which will prevail. Or will the two technologies co-exist, even complement each other? The answers are far from clear, and depend to a large extent on who you ask.
Defining “4G”
The ITU, the International Telecommunications Union, is developing specifications for 4G mobile. Neither WiMAX, 802.16e, nor the current LTE standard, revision 8, meet basic preliminary objectives for 4G, said Phillip Redman, a vice president of research at consulting and analyst firm Gartner Inc.Sprint and Clearwire’s use of the term 4G to describe their 802.16e technology does not reflect adherence to international standards, Redman pointed out. It refers to the fact that this is the fourth generation of mobile wireless technology deployed in North America.
How and when either camp will deliver a standard that does meet the yet-to-be-finalized ITU specs remains to be seen. It is anticipated that LTE will get there with revision 10 and WiMAX with a projected 802.16m. Estimates of when equipment based on these advanced standards will appear ranges from 2011 to 2015.
Despite the similarities of the two technologies, and despite suggestions from some that the two camps are notnecessarily on a collision course, discourse between and around them can get heated.
In this corner
Redman wrote in a report last year, "WiMAX drives the hype for 4G, but LTE will be the dominant standard," A WiMAX skeptic and a perceived thorn in the industry’s side, he believes LTE’s dominance is not a question of technological superiority or even cost, but of market politics.“Politics rules everything,” he said, explaining the reasons so many major mobile operators chose LTE rather than WiMAX as their upgrade path to 4G.
Those operators—Verizon, AT&T, NTT, et al—didn’t really choose the technology, Redman believes. They chose their suppliers: Ericsson and Nokia, tried-and-true Tier 1 mobile infrastructure equipment manufacturers that had decided not to back WiMAX.
If operators wanted to go with WiMAX, they had to bet on smaller Tier 2 suppliers, such as Motorola, Alcatel-Lucent, and Alvarion. “It’s all about who you feel most comfortable with,” Redman said. Better the devil you know?
The Tier 1 suppliers, in turn, backed LTE over WiMAX because they saw that, for a variety of reasons, they could make more profit selling LTE. “In many cases, it was more a political decision than one based on technology or cost,” he said.
Redman has reportedly gone as far as urging businesses to hold off on investing in WiMAX, at least until the equipment ecosystem evolves to make dual-mode 3G-WiMAX devices more readily available.
This enraged some elements in the WiMAX camp. One Intel blogger characterized Gartner’s analysis of the market as “the most recent attempt at ‘drive-by kneecapping’” of the technology.
When we repeated to Proulx Redman’s suggestion that WiMAX vs. LTE might be analogous in some ways to the showdown between VHS and Betamax video cassette formats in the 1970s—with WiMAX taking the doomed Betamax role—her response was blunt.
“It’s a silly analogy and it’s unfortunate it’s been repeated so often,” she said. Proulx noted that Betamax was a proprietary technology, backed by one supplier (Sony) and was more expensive than its competitor—none of which is remotely true of WiMAX.
Proulx was similarly direct in responding to Redman’s suggestion that 802.16m is a more uncertain proposition than LTE Rev 10 and may not even be backward compatible to 802.16e. “From day one,” she said, “the first [design] requirement [for 802.16m] was that it be fully backward compatible. I think you’ll see evidence of that very soon.”
Chua apparently does not raise the ire of the WiMAX community to the same extent as Redman, but his perspective is not so different.
IDC believes operators rarely have made or will make either/or choices between LTE and WiMAX. More often, decisions will be made for them because only one technology or the other can meet all their needs—given time-to-market, desired business model, and other considerations.
“We characterize WiMAX and LTE as two circles that overlap,” Chua said. “Inevitably there will be some competition, but competition is not the overriding market scenario. It’s not what defines those two markets.”
Going to market
That said, he too believes WiMAX will have a tough time overcoming market factors arrayed against it. He argues that LTE will be building from a customer base of 4.6 billion mobile users worldwide, while WiMAX mainly has appeal as a replacement for DSL, especially in developing markets where wireline broadband technologies are not available. It will be building from a much smaller base: fewer than a billion customers worldwide.IDC will publish a forecast later this year showing sales of LTE equipment surpassing WiMAX equipment sales some time in 2012.
But it may not be as simple as 3G mobile users in developed markets sticking with their current providers and waiting for LTE (because of LTE is "Late To Evolve"), while WiMAX is relegated to a niche role delivering portable rather than mobile service in developing countries and rural regions.
For one thing, the WiMAX camp believes the momentum it’s currently building in those developing markets will drive development of an ecosystem, help harden the technology—and put it in good position to be a full competitor in the 4G mobile market down the road.
Indeed, the fact that WiMAX lets operators in those markets start small and build businesses organically without investing billions of dollars is one of its key advantages over LTE, Proulx said. Operators may start by providing DSL replacement services, but can easily evolve to offering true mobile services when they have the breadth of coverage and market demand.
And then there are the implications of exceptional initiatives in more developed markets—Clearwire in the U.S., Yota in Russian, UQ in Japan. Yota is currently signing up 2,000 new subscribers a month in St. Petersburg and Moscow and already has 200,000 since launching last fall, Proulx said.
While Clearwire has been slow to introduce WiMAX-powered phones or dual-mode 3G-WiMAX phones that would help it attract customers away from 3G providers, Yota is already building much of its marketing around a dual-mode device from HTC.
Most observers agree that the winners in the 4G market will be those that offer the widest coverage, the most reliable service and the best choice of devices. Redman is skeptical Clearwire can build its network out quickly enough to give it the breadth of coverage needed to attract 3G customers. The company will need another big infusion of capital next year just to continue its current pace, he added.
But Proulx believes WiMAX can compete with 3G operators, if not immediately in the U.S. then soon—and perhaps sooner in Japan. There, she said, UQ expects to have 90% of the Japanese population covered by its network by the end of 2010. If true, that would be before NTT is even out of the gate with LTE.
Redman and Chua may be underestimating the market strength of WiMAX—or not. Either way, no one is seriously suggesting it will be blown out of the water by LTE. The two will co-exist, whether or not peacefully remains to be seen.
Indeed, the picture is unclear and may be no clearer until 2011 when commercial services using both will be available in the U.S. and elsewhere. Stay tuned.
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