Product Certification Ramps for Mobile WiMAX

ARTICLE

Product Certification Ramps for Mobile WiMAX

By Jeff Orr, Senior Analyst - Consumer Electronics
Contact the author at jeff@maravedis-bwa.com

The number of mobile WiMAX Forum Certified products based on the IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard for mobile broadband reached eighteen this last week. Ten additional products were announced during the WiMAX Global Congress in Amsterdam. The WiMAX Forum has set a goal of 1000 product certifications by the end of 2011. How does this ramp-up compare to HSPA protocols and does the equipment vendor ecosystem support the rapid four-year forecast?

The new products represent 125% growth from the first certification announcement in April, but only achieve 18% of the WiMAX Forum’s prediction of 100 certified products by the end of 2008. The industry forecast is based on equipment manufacturer surveys to understand priority and timing of products anticipating submission to the certification testing labs. The trade association further estimates that the number of certified base stations (infrastructure) and mobile stations (devices) will reach 1,000 by 2011. At this early stage of certification, both the 2008 and 2011 milestones are difficult to guarantee.

Figure 1
WiMAX Forum Certified products and Forecast, 802.16e-2005
Source: WiMAX Forum press releases

While certification is seen as the official stamp of approval for network operators, the process hasn’t stifled companies from announcing a variety of consumer electronics hardware using the latest WiMAX air interface. In 2007, Maravedis predicted over 100 devices (mobile stations or MS) based on 802.16e-2005 announced or commercially available by the end of 2007. As part of February’s “WiMAX, LTE and Broadband Wireless (Sub-11GHz) Worldwide Market Trends 2008-2014 - 5th Edition”, the number of devices had already reached 130 even though the formal certification process kicked off only two months earlier. This number should easily surpass 200 before the year is out.

HSPA+, also called HSPA Evolution, has the potential to provide speeds up to 42 Mbps per base station sector, similar to those found in initial Mobile WiMAX systems and future LTE installations. HSDPA is the most widely deployed form of the HSPA protocol family, while HSUPA is in the early stages of deployment. In comparison to the progress of the WiMAX Forum, the GSM Association lists 516 devices from 111 suppliers for the HSPA family of protocols. Base stations are not included in the total. When the first HSDPA products emerged in 2005, only two devices were introduced. The total increased to 127 during 2006 and gained 266 more in 2007. Assuming market demand for mobile broadband networks is protocol agnostic, the broader vendor ecosystem in place for WiMAX technologies is expected to develop devices at a similar or faster pace than those found for HSDPA/HSUPA. As OFDM-based protocols take hold, vendors developing systems for both WiMAX and LTE will gain favor.

Certifications for mobile WiMAX products are occurring over multiple profiles that vary by frequency band, duplexing scheme, and channel size. The ideal frequency band for 802.16e-2005 operators is expected to be the 2500~2690 MHz band. This swath of radio spectrum was recommended by the ITU as a harmonized home for mobile broadband late last year. One of the criticisms about the WiMAX Forum’s control over certifications has been the limited number of product permutations approved for testing. Radio equipment using frequency division duplexing (FDD) instead of time division duplexing (TDD) are not addressed in 802.16e-2005 certification profiles. The organization’s Certification Working Group (CWG) volunteers have started planning an interim set of certification program guidelines that will expand to support FDD in years to come. While attempting to focus on a few profiles initially, the WiMAX industry falls prey to gaps in emerging market opportunities if it cannot respond quickly and develop certification profiles that meet evolving needs.

The next profile expected to yield certified WiMAX products is at 3.5 GHz. Unlike the pair of mid-2 GHz profiles already achieving certification, radios at 3.5 GHz are mostly for use in fixed and stationary wireless applications due to signal propagation. Does this spell the end for 802.16-2004? Some vendors contend that 802.16e-2005 is a better protocol technically than 802.16-2004, though a stronger business case can be made for aggregating all chipset volumes under a common protocol to achieve a lower-cost solution. Systems built on 802.16-2004 still have life left in them. The mobile aspect of 802.16e-2005 is a more costly proposition with the additional of multiple antenna arrays (MIMO and beamforming). A fully developed mobile WiMAX system also requires an extra box -- an Access Service Network (ASN) Gateway -- to manage base station handoffs. While a valuable addition to a flat, mobile wireless network, these extras only serve to burden the cost of a wireless DSL service.

Certifying 100 mobile WiMAX products in 2008 has a long way to go. As vendors achieve first 802.16e-2005 certifications, the experience gained will accelerate success for multiple product models. Solutions for multiple frequency bands will be another means to broaden portfolios and offer more choices to operators that are locked into a specific spectrum band plan. Device manufacturers need confidence that infrastructure is in place for regional and nationwide WiMAX networks so more versatile applications such as vehicle-based networks can emerge. One hundred WiMAX products certified by the end of 2008 is not only a goal for the industry, it is a measuring stick for the acceptance of mobile broadband in general.

For more information you can contact the author: jeff@maravedis-bwa.com