WiMAX: Applications

As the demand for broadband services continues to grow worldwide, traditional solutions, such as digital cable and fiber optics, are often difficult and expensive to implement, especially in rural and remote areas. The emerging WiMAX system satisfies the growing need for high data-rate applications such as voiceover IP, video conferencing, interactive gaming, and multimedia streaming. WiMAX deployments not only serve residential and enterprise users but can also be deployed as a backhaul for Wi-Fi hotspots or 3G cellular towers. By providing affordable wireless broadband access, the technology of WiMAX will revolutionize broadband communications in the developed world and bridge the digital divide in developing countries. Part of the WiMAX Handbook, this volume focuses on the applications of WiMAX. The book describes the logical architecture of IEEE 802.16, introduces some of the main IEEE 802.16 family standards, compares WiMAX to Wi-Fi, and studies the feasibility of supporting VoIP over WiMAX. It also looks at the residential use of WiMAX as well as the strategies of using WiMAX in remote locales and rural communities. In addition, the book examines the backhaul requirements of a large fixed wireless network and the problem of centralized routing and scheduling for IEEE 802.16 mesh networks. With the revolutionary technology of WiMAX, the lives of many will undoubtedly improve, thereby leading to greater economic empowerment.