There are three different options to access the Internet-
- Broadband Access (DSL, Cable Modem)
- Wi-Fi Access (Wi-Fi Hotspots)
- Dial-up Access.
Broadband access doesn’t cover all areas and it is quite expensive. Wi-Fi access has very small area coverage and dial-up access has very low speeds. So it was necessary to have a technology to solve all of the above problems. An emerging technology, WiMAX, has answers to these problems. WiMAX provides high speed Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) and covers a large geographical area. So let us see what WiMAX is. WiMAX stands for “Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access”. WiMAX is based upon the IEEE 802.16 standard. In fact, WiMAX is not a technology, it is a certification mark. IEEE 802.16 has designed ‘Interoperability Tests’. The devices which pass these tests get the ‘WiMAX’ certification. This interoperability certification is done by the WiMAX Forum which is a non-profit organization intended to promote WiMAX worldwide. The IEEE 802.16 standard was designed for Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN). WiMAX has two applications- Fixed WiMAX and Mobile WiMAX. Fixed WiMAX is based upon the IEEE 802.16-2004 standard. It deals with wireless communication between fixed devices. It provides BWA up to 30 miles. Mobile WiMAX is based upon the IEEE 802.16-2005 standard (formerly known as IEEE 802.16e). It deals with the wireless communication between a WiMAX base station and portable devices such as laptops and cell phones. It provides BWA up to 3-10 miles.