WiMax is touted to be the leapfrog technology that can revolutionize the way
Internet works, especially in South Asian countries. Wikipedia defines Worldwide
Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) as communications technology that
provides wireless transmission of data using a variety of transmission modes,
from point-to-multipoint links to portable and fully mobile Internet
access.WiMax is thirty times faster than third-generation mobile technology and
100 times faster than Wi-Fi. It is set to deliver an astonishing speed of 70
Mbps over 50 kilometers. Based on IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers) standard 802.16, it comes in two formats: mobile (802.16e) and fixed
(802.16d). Fixed WiMax provides connectivity to devices like desktops, TVs (IPTV),
whereas mobile WiMax provides connectivity to wireless devices such as mobile
phones, laptops, and PDAs. According to Yankee Group, “The only hope for WiMax
operations in South Asia will be India”; and they also believe that other
developed nations 'cannot be rated as successful' when it comes to
implementation of WiMax. Maravedis and Tonse Telecom recently came out with a
report which also states that India would be the first to initialize the
practical implementation of WiMax in major cities which have the required IT
Infrastructure and are considered as major business hubs. The report also states
that India will have 13 million WiMax subscribers by 2012, making it the largest
WiMax market in the Asia-Pacific. The demand for wireless broadband gear is
going to add up to about $4.5 billion by 2012.
Lack of planning for the layout of fibers and a vast number of unconnected
rural areas make WiMax an attractive solution for India. Once WiMax really takes
off, India is about to witness high speed mobile Internet connections. While the
initial deployment is likely to happen primarily in urban pockets, WiMax will
find relatively greater utility and less competition from competing technologies
in smaller towns and villages. Wireless connectivity also means that connections
will be less interrupted due to flooding or other natural events that would have
typically posed a problem. The advantages that India would achieve if WiMax is
installed and made running at its full efficiency are that it would be able to
connect Wi-Fi hotspots to the Internet, and provide a very good alternative to
cable and DSL for broadband access.
Awaiting Spectrum
As India awaits government action on allocating more wireless spectrum,
leading operators are working together to deploy WiMax networks across the
country. In the meantime, vendors are busy developing equipment to ensure
availability of devices. With a reported target of forty cities and 300 towns,
Tata Communications has major plans for the expansion of its WiMax services in
India. This three-year plan comes at an investment of $500 millon dollars. Apart
from this, Bharti Airtel, BSNL (along with Soma Networks) and Reliance
Communications are some of the telecom operators that have started offering
WiMax services. Bharti Airtel had earlier announced plans to launch services
across 300 cities, while RCom has launched services in Bengaluru and Pune, and
BSNL in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. But, there is a long way to go
as the telecom industry is still awaiting allocation of Broadband Wireless
Access (BWA) spectrum to offer full-fledged services. Once this happens, WiMax
services will also start being offered on the 2.3 and 2.5 GHz spectrum
(considered superior), in contrast to the current 3.3 GHz spectrum. The telecom
ministry also announced allocation for both 3G and BWA spectrum. The WiMax Forum
(India Chapter) had estimated that the delay in auctioning BWA spectrum will
cost around Rs 10,500 crore, excluding the estimated Rs 4,000 crore spectrum
fee. Now all eyes are set on the new government and its stand on giving the
necessary push to the spectrum allocation process.
Priya Kekre
(Source: DQ)