WiMAX vendors throw support behind 802.16m update

The WiMAX market is set for a speed boost as a number of chip providers and equipment makers said they plan to accelerate the interoperability of the WiMAX 2 standard. The update is based on the IEEE 802.16m standard and is to build on the current WiMAX technology that uses the 802.16e standard.
The new initiative is entitled the WiMAX 2 Collaborative Initiative and will be focused on ensuring that the WiMAX 2 standard is backward compatible with current WiMAX networks. The air interface definition for the new standard is expected to be completed later this year.
The WiMAX Forum noted that the new standard meets the International Telecommunications Union’s requirements for IMT-Advanced services, which are expected to be the basis for a 4G standard. Those standards are expected to include peak data rates in excess of 300 megabits per second, lower latency and increased Voice over Internet Protocol capacity.
Vendors involved in the WCI program include Alvarion Ltd., Beceem Communications Inc., GCT Semiconductor Inc., Intel Corp., Motorola Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Sequans Communications, XroNet and ZTE Corp. The group said it plans to issue detailed milestones and delivery schedules within the next 6 months with the goal to support the WiMAX Forum’s readiness to certify commercial products by late 2011.
Many of the companies involved are suppliers to domestic operator Clearwire Corp., which is in the process of building out a WiMAX network using the current 802.16e standard. Clearwire, which is also wholesaling access on its network to Sprint Nextel Corp. and a handful of cable television operators, expects to have 120 million potential customers covered with its WiMAX network by the end of the year. Clearwire recently hinted that it could also deploy LTE technology on its network, which is the standard being used by a number of traditional cellular operators to upgrade their network beyond the current 3G standard. Verizon Wireless is in the process of deploying an LTE network across the U.S. with plans to cover 100 million pops by the end of the year.