Page 179 - DMGT505_MANAGEMENT_INFORMATION_SYSTEM

Management Information Systems

Notes or long reach, but not both simultaneously. The other feature to consider with WiMAX is that
available bandwidth is shared between users in a given radio sector, so if there are many active
users in a single sector, each will get reduced bandwidth. However, unlike SDSL where contention
is very noticeable at a 5:1 ratio if you are sharing your connection with a large media firm for
example WiMax does not have this problem. Typically each cell has a 100 Mbps backhaul so
there is no contention here. On the radio side in practice many users will have a range of 2, 4, 6,
8 or 10 Mbps services and the bandwidth can be shared. If the network becomes busy the
business model is more like GSM or UMTS than DSL in that it is easy to predict the capacity
requirements as you sign more customers and additional radio cards can be added on the same
sector to increase the capacity.

Notes How WiMax differ from Wi-Fi?

Comparing WiMax to WiFi is akin to comparing apples to oranges. Initially it’s easy to
see why the comparison would exist, as most people think WiMax is merely a more robust
version of WiFi. Indeed they are both wireless broadband technologies, but they differ in
the technical execution and ultimately their business case is very different. In addition to
the technical differences that exist, the marketplace difference is that equipment is more or
less non-existent for WiMax and certainly not geared towards a residential environment
with very high pricing to be expected. It will take at least 2 years to see equipment of mass
market uptake pricing.
WiMax will not be commercially available until the second half of 2005, and even then at a very
controlled level. This is primarily due to standardization issues. In fact, it won’t be until 2006
that a robust production and implementation will happen due to the ramp-up period for
manufacturers. This is certainly one challenge to the widespread adoption of WiMax.
Additionally, WiMax will have issues of pricing, and will remain far more expensive than WiFi.
WiMax will be primarily adopted by businesses to replace or displace DSL, and offices that want
to cover a lot of territory without entering the world of endless repeaters that are necessary with
the 802.11 technologies.

Notes It will take some time (2 years) for WiMax to significantly reduce its price-point for
residential uptake. WiMax will not displace WiFi in the home because WiFi is advancing
in terms of speed and technology. Each year brings a new variant to the 802.11 area with
various improvements.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:

5. ................................ is a wirless digital communications system also known as IEEE 802.16,
that is intended for wireless “metropolitan area networks”.
6. In areas without pre-existing physical cable or telephone networks, WiMAX will, it appears,
be a viable alternative for ................................ that has been economically unavailable.

9.4 EVDO

Evolution-Data Optimized or Evolution-Data only, abbreviated as EV-DO or EVDO and often
EV, is a telecommunications standard for the wireless transmission of data through radio signals,

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