WiMax: State of the Art

As expected, Intel Introduces New WiMAX Silicon Solution To Expand The Reach Of Broadband Internet Access on April 18, 2005. Its rival, Wavesat who claimed to make the world's first WiMax chips, started to ship their WiMax chips in January. Both companies have partnered with wireless system manufacturers to market WiMax based products.

Quote from Intel's WiMax press release:

Previously codenamed "Rosedale," the Intel® PRO/Wireless 5116 broadband interface device is based on the IEEE 802.16-2004 standard, giving carriers and end-users the confidence that equipment from different vendors will work together. WiMAX solutions based on 802.16-2004 enable the creation of high-speed, fixed wireless broadband networks, providing Internet connectivity, Internet Protocol (IP) and TDM Voice capabilities and IP-based real-time video at high speeds."

Note: the 802.16-2004 is the "fixed" WiMax, whereas 802.16e is the mobilized WiMax. dailywireless.org reports thatMobilized WiMax Solutions from Adaptix, SR Telecom, nex-G, Wi-LAN's Mobilis and Proxim Pre-WiMax are also being promoted - "pre-802.16e" or not.

Quote from DailyWireless.org:

While many vendors have been releasing "pre-WiMax" or "WiMax-like" gear based on their own proprietary technology, no WiMax equipment has yet been certified. The WiMAX Forum will initially certify equipment based on two profiles: TDD and FDD in the 3.5 GHz frequency band with 3.5 MHz channelization. Based on market demand and vendor product submissions, more profiles will be added in 2006. The WiMAX Forum also has committed that all future enhancements to the baseline profiles will support backward compatibility. To demonstrate their commitment to these timelines, several equipment OEMs demonstrated working equipment at the member meeting.

The following figure shows spectrum usage of Wimax.