IEEE 802.16e

Jun 11, 2005 16:11 GMT  ·  By

Yesterday, Nokia and Intel have announced their collaboration for the development and standardization of WiMAX.

But what is this WiMAX everybody is talking about? You read about it on Google, you hear the names of major companies: Nokia, Intel etc., numbers, standards, but I think that this subject is still shrouded in mystery.

Let's take a trip into the past and find out more about the mysterious WiMAX.

The first set of standards for broadband wireless communication within metropolitan area networks, or MAN if you like, was published in December 2001 by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). The original 802.16 standard, published in December 2001, specified fixed point-to-multipoint broadband wireless systems operating in the 10-66 GHz licensed spectrum.

An amendment, 802.16a, approved in January 2003, specified non-line-of-sight extensions in the 2-11 GHz spectrum, delivering up to 70 Mbps at distances up to 31 miles. Officially called the WirelessMAN specification, 802.16 standards are expected to enable multimedia applications with wireless connection and, with a range of up to 30 miles, provide a viable last mile technology.

Now, after this "brief" history lesson, let's get back to our time.

Cooperation between Nokia and Intel will focus on IEEE 802.16e, a mobile version of the technology that will offer broadband Internet access to users on the move. This standard is currently under development, although Intel and Nokia said they expect it to be finalized next year.