Overview of mobile WiMAX technology and evolution

Mobile WiMAX is a fast growing broadband access technology that enables low-cost mobile Internet applications, and realizes the convergence of mobile and fixed broadband access in a single air interface and network architecture. Mobile WiMAX combines OFDMA and advanced MIMO schemes along with flexible bandwidth and fast link adaptation, creating a highly efficient air interface that exceeds the capacity of existing and evolving 3G radio access networks. WiMAX networks, built on all-IP network architecture for plug and play network deployments, can support a mix of different usage and service models. While some consider mobile WiMAX as a candidate for the fourth generation of mobile networks, others view it as the first generation of mobile Internet technologies emerging from a wider ecosystem targeting to extend the success of WiFi over wide area networks supporting mobility. This article provides a high-level overview of mobile WiMAX technology and its evolution roadmap from both radio and network perspectives.     

移动WiMAX中结合关联级别2且利用R6信令交互进行参数协商的硬切换机制

移动WtMAX技术具有传输距离远、接入速度高、支持移动性等特点,该系统网络的切换是支持移动性的关键技术,如果切换时延越大,会造成MS在越长的时间内无法与服务BS交互媒体面数据,从而使网络服务质量大幅下降。本文针对移动WiMAX现有切换机制的时延进行了分析,发现其切换时延极大的影响了WiMAX的服务质量,因此本文在分析了约束切换时延优化的主要因素上提出一种新的结合关联2且利用R6信令进行参数协商的硬切换机制,经过模拟测试和性能分析得出该机制可以有效减小硬切换时延,能够满足移动WiMAX较高服务质量的要求。     

基于IP的WiMAX移动网络的研究

基于IEEE 802.16的WiMAX网络的应用正成为业界的讨论热点,IEEE 802.16m更被选为下一代无线通信标准（IMT-advanced）的候选方案之一。在此深入探讨构建基于IP技术的WiMAX应用网络架构。首先分析IEEE 802.16e规范为支持移动性在物理层和媒质接入层引入的增强技术。随后基于移动IP技术和WiMAX网络参考模型给出基于IP的移动WiMAX网络的可行的应用模型。该应用方案可为基于IEEE 802.16技术的应用提供一个参考。     

WiMAX点对点宽带无线接入容量分析

随着通信技术的迅猛发展,移动宽带化和宽带移动化是通信网发展的必然趋势。WiMAX城域网无线宽带接入技术,可提供大范围及高速率无线接入,同时支持视距传输和非视距传输,能提供面向互联网的高速无线连接。WiMAX可作为线缆和用户数字线的无线扩展技术,实现无线宽带接入。首先简要介绍WiMAX的应用模式,然后重点分析其点对点应用中上行链路和下行链路的通信容量,提供相关工程技术人员进行方案设计的参考。     

Multicast Broadcast Services Support in OFDMA-Based WiMAX Systems [Advances in Mobile Multimedia]

Multimedia stream service provided by broadband wireless networks has emerged as an important technology and has attracted much attention. An all-IP network architecture with reliable high-throughput air interface makes orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access (OFDMA)-based mobile worldwide interoperability for microwave access (mobile WiMAX) a viable technology for wireless multimedia services, such as voice over IP (VoIP), mobile TV, and so on. One of the main features in a WiMAX MAC layer is that it can provide'differentiated services among different traffic categories with individual QoS requirements. In this article, we first give an overview of the key aspects of WiMAX and describe multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) architecture of the 3GPP. Then, we propose a multicast and broadcast service (MBS) architecture for WiMAX that is based on MBMS. Moreover, we enhance the MBS architecture for mobile WiMAX to overcome the shortcoming of limited video broadcast performance over the baseline MBS model. We also give examples to demonstrate that the proposed architecture can support better mobility and offer higher power efficiency.     

An Adaptive QoS Power Saving Scheme for Mobile WiMAX

With the rapid development of Internet and wireless communication technology, ubiquitous network services become more and more popular. WiMAX is widely used to solve the last mile in network deployment. To enhance the mobility, mobile WiMAX is launched to support the mobile usages. Due to the limited power of mobile devices, power saving becomes a key issue for mobile WiMAX applications. Though plenty of efforts have been proposed to save power on the mobile devices, the problems are partially solved. Among others, sleep mode operations are widely adopted to save power in wireless communications. Generally, longer sleep time can reduce power consumption at the cost of increased packet response delay. To improve the quality of services, an adaptive power saving scheme for mobile WiMAX is proposed in this paper. Parameters related to power management are dynamically set according to current network traffic load. The analyses and simulation results show that the proposed scheme presents superior power efficiency and packet response delay in the context of mobile WiMAX.     

Advancement of MIMO technology in WiMAX: from IEEE 802.16d/e/j to 802.16m

WiMAX is the first cellular standard that employs OFDMA technology and provides true integrated services for both fixed and mobile broadband access. Among the many new technologies adopted in WiMAX, MIMO antenna technology plays an essential role in delivering fast, rich-content, mobile broadband service reliably over extended coverage areas. In this article we provide a survey on the state of art of MIMO technologies in current WiMAX standards with an emphasis on practical engineering considerations. Moreover, we also briefly discuss the ongoing MIMO technologies in the evolution toward the next-generation WiMAX network.     

移动WiMAX的安全性分析与改进

结合移动网络技术的发展,IEEE802．16标准的修订,移动WiMAX网络技术的充分利用,文章对移动WiMAX网络存在的未认证消息、未加密管理通信、多“与”广播服务中的共享密钥等三个方面安全缺陷引发攻击者对网络有效攻击的分析,提出对部分敏感的未认证消息加密、通过对管理通信进行加密、多“与”广播服务密钥更新算法的改进方案,使移动WIMAX的安全性可以得到很大提升。     

移动WiMAX全面挑战3G

随着WiMAX技术和产业链的成熟,WiMAX仍然没有寻找到一个全球统一的可用频段,这使得WiMAX很难在全球市场获得突破,更加难以形成规模效应。在这种情况下,WiMAX阵营决定加入ITU-R的3G及4G标准,无疑使WiMAX与现有各个3G技术将展开全面的竞争。目前,移动WiMAX产业仍然不算成熟,但商用进程却在逐步加快。最值得关注的仍然是移动WiMAX今后在移动通信技术领域中的地位。移动WiMAX已经不满足定位于3G的补充技术,而是直接与其进行正面交锋,这给今后的移动通信市场格局增加了很多变数,尤其是很多设备厂商在发展3G的同时也涉足于WiMAX产业,而运营商也将在众多移动通信技术中进行选择。     

An overview of next-generation mobile WiMAX technology - [WiMAX update]

The growing demand for mobile Internet and wireless multimedia applications has motivated the development of broadband wirelessaccess technologies in recent years. Mobile WiMAX has enabled convergence of mobile and fixed broadband networks through a common wide-area radio-access technology and flexible network architecture. Since January 2007, the IEEE 802.16 Working Group has been developing a new amendment of the IEEE 802.16 standard (i.e., IEEE 802.16m) as an advanced air interface to meet the requirements of ITU-R/IMT-advanced for 4G systems, as well as for the next-generation mobile network operators. Depending on the available bandwidth and multi-antenna mode, the next-generation mobile WiMAX will be capable of over-the-air datatransfer rates in excess of 1 Gb/s and of supporting a wide range of high-quality and high-capacity IP-based services and applications while maintaining full backward compatibility with the existing mobile WiMAX systems to preserve investments and continuing to support first-generation products. This tutorial describes the prominent technical features of IEEE 802.16m and the potential for successful deployment of the next generation of mobile WiMAX in 2011+.     

Path Loss Modeling Based on Field Measurements Using Deployed 3.5 GHz WiMAX Network

WiMAX technology carries the promise of broadband access and wireless coverage. Developing countries throughout the world have been fast at adopting and employing the new technology to bridge the digital divide. The deployment of WiMAX networks enables the validation and testing of the technology. It is imperative that the technology be tested in different environments and the results shared and compared. Jordan provides a unique environment in its architecture, building construction materials, usage model, topology and vegetation. This work considers a mobile WiMAX network operating at 3.5 GHz deployed in Amman, Jordan. The work presents a new model for predicting path loss based on the results of field measurements of signals power and it compares proposed model and measured data to different propagation models.     

Energy‐efficient network selection with mobility pattern awareness in an integrated WiMAX and WiFi network

To provide wireless Internet access, WiFi networks have been deployed in many regions such as buildings and campuses. However, WiFi networks are still insufficient to support ubiquitous wireless service due to their narrow coverage. One possibility to resolve this deficiency is to integrate WiFi networks with the wide‐range WiMAX networks. Under such an integrated WiMAX and WiFi network, how to conduct energy‐efficient handovers is a critical issue. In this paper, we propose a handover scheme with geographic mobility awareness (HGMA), which considers the historical handover patterns of mobile devices. HGMA can conserve the energy of handovering devices from three aspects. First, it prevents mobile devices from triggering unnecessary handovers according to their received signal strength and moving speeds. Second, it contains a handover candidate selection method for mobile devices to intelligently select a subset of WiFi access points or WiMAX relay stations to be scanned. Therefore, mobile devices can reduce their network scanning and thus save their energy. Third, HGMA prefers mobile devices staying in their original WiMAX or WiFi networks. This can prevent mobile devices from consuming too much energy on interface switching. In addition, HGMA prefers the low‐tier WiFi network over the WiMAX network and guarantees the bandwidth requirements of handovering devices. Simulation results show that HGMA can save about 59– 80% of energy consumption of a handover operation, make mobile devices to associate with WiFi networks with 16–62% more probabilities, and increase about 20–61% of QoS satisfaction ratio to handovering devices. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

移动WiMAX网络的移动IP机制分析

移动IP是移动WiMAX核心网络中的关键技术.本文分别从Client Mobile IP(CMIP)和ProxyMobile IP(PMIP)两种方式阐述移动IP在移动WiMAX网络中的实现原理,并对这两种方式进行了比较分析,最后从移动WiMAX网络运营的角度,对移动IP的具体实现进行了探讨并提出建议.     

Improvements to seamless vertical handover between mobile WiMAX and 3GPP UTRAN through the evolved packet core - [LTE part II: 3GPP release 8]

Recent mobile devices are integrated with multiple network interfaces. Users want their devices connected to the network anytime anywhere. It is highly feasible for a user to change connection to another network for users that leave the service area of its current serving network, where handover needs to be executed seamlessly such that ongoing service sessions are not interrupted. The handover operation not only requires switching the interfaces within a device but also involves seamless reconfiguration of the supporting networks. In this article, an improved IP-based vertical handover technology for mobile WiMAX [1, 2], 3GPP legacy systems (i.e., Global System for Mobile communications and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) [3, 4], and 3G Long Term Evolution [5, 6] is presented, which is based on existing optimized handover techniques between mobile WiMAX and 3GPP accesses [7?9]. Formerly proposed 3GPP WiMAX optimized VHO solutions introduced new elements, such as the forward attachment function and access network discovery and selection function. The ANDSF supports the discovery of target access, and the FAF provides the functionality that authenticates the UE before the execution of VHO. However, the previous technique has limitations that result in data loss and abnormal disconnection to the source access [7?9]. This article provides a solution by introducing an additional network element called the data forwarding function (DFF) that eliminates the data loss during VHO execution. In addition, the DFF resolves the problem of abrupt disconnection to the source network. The simulation results show that the proposed VHO technique is effective in minimizing data loss during VHO execution between mobile WiMAX and 3GPP networks. As the proposed solution of this article is an IP based handover solution, it can be similarly applied to other communication networks.     

Seamless integration of mobile WiMAX in 3GPP networks

As the wireless industry makes its way to the next generation of mobile systems, it is important to engineer solutions that enable seamless integration of emerging 4G access technologies within the currently deployed and/or evolved 2G/3G infrastructures. In this article we address a specific case of such a seamless integration, that of mobile WiMAX in evolved 3GPP networks. In this context we investigate the architecture and the key procedures that enable this integration, and we also introduce a novel handover mechanism that enables seamless mobility between mobile WiMAX and legacy 3GPP access, such as UTRAN or GERAN. The core characteristic of this novel handover mechanism is that mobile terminals do not need to support simultaneous transmission on both WiMAX and 3GPP accesses; therefore, it mitigates the RF coexistence issues that exist otherwise and improves handover performance. In addition, we provide a brief overview of mobile WiMAX and the evolved 3GPP network technologies, and we set the appropriate background material before presenting our proposed handover mechanism. Our main conclusion is that integrating mobile WiMAX in evolved 3GPP networks is a compelling approach for providing wireless broadband services, and mobility across WiMAX and 3GPP access can become seamless and efficient with no need for mobile terminals to support simultaneous transmission on both types of access.     

Video distribution techniques over WiMAX networks for m-Health applications

In this paper, we propose a novel approach for video distribution over IEEE 802.16 networks for mobile Healthcare (m-Health) applications. The technique incorporates resource distribution, scheduling, and content-aware video streaming taking advantage of a flexible quality of service functionality offered by IEEE 802.16/WiMAX technology. The proposed technique is thoroughly investigated using network simulator software under various real-life m-Health scenarios, which include streaming video over medium access control layer service connections. It is shown that the technique is fully compatible with the WiMAX standard specification and allows a 9-16% increase in the overall network throughput, which is dependent upon the initial system configuration and the selection of WiMAX user parameters.     

Seamless IP mobility support for flat architecture mobile WiMAX networks - [WiMAX update]

The growing demand for wireless Internet services is accelerating the evolution of wireless networks toward all-IP architecture, and the mobile WiMAX network is a prominent example. Although currently deployed mobile WiMAX networks use hierarchical architecture, flat architecture is feasible and specified as a design alternative in the mobile WiMAX standard. In flat architecture the functionalities of the ASN-GW and BS are consolidated into a single element. In this article we first discuss the benefits and challenges of flat architecture mobile WiMAX networks. We then present a scheme to deal with the seamless mobility issue, which is one of the key challenges of the flat architecture. The proposed scheme combines two standard IP-mobility protocols, Proxy Mobile IP and Fast Mobile IP, and customizes them for IEEE 802.16e-based mobile WiMAX networks. This provides interoperability with existing mobile WiMAX networks. We demonstrate the viability of the proposed scheme through simulations using NS-2.     

TD-SCDMA与WiMAX系统的QoS类别分析及映射研究

在介绍了TD-SCDMA与WiMAX系统的QoS体系的基础上,详细分析了两个系统的QoS要求及其业务类别,尤其是考虑了当TD-SCDMA蜂窝移动网络与WiMAX宽带无线网络进行融合时,两种不同的QoS业务类别的映射需求,并提出了一种映射方案。     

移动WiMAX无线网络规划的流程和方法

WiMAX无线网络规划是当今宽带移动通信领域一个重要的研究课题。本文首先介绍TWiMAXN络结构,接着描述了移动WiMAX无线网络规划的流程,其中详细论述了传播模型校准、链路预算,最后给出了详细规划中频率规划和系统级仿真的过程和方法,为移动WiMAX的大规模建设提供了参考和经验。     

Capacity estimation and TCP performance enhancement over mobile WiMAX networks - [WiMAX update]

The mobile WiMAX system is based on IEEE 802.16e, which defines radio interface supporting several classes of Internet Protocol applications and services. While the mobile WiMAX system is being deployed, IEEE 802.16m TG is developing an amendment to the IEEE 802.16e to greatly improve the system performance, and it is focusing not only on the PHY and MAC performance but also on a level of end-to-end performance improvement that includes the scope of the network and application to embrace the strong market request and interest. To evaluate the mobile WiMAX system capacity and performance, all the aspects of performance evaluation ? from air link to application ? are required. For the network and application-level capacity and performance analysis, we first provide an overview of mobile WiMAX systems, especially of the OFDMA/TDD systems of IEEE 802.16e and then describe subscriber and application profiles that include traffic-mix ratio, data-session attempts for applications, diurnal-application traffic distribution, and the application-traffic model. Afterward, the simulation results of network- traffic characteristics and demand estimation are provided. Finally, in the last section, we provide simulation results of end-to-end application performance evaluation using the examples of VoIP and a TCP/IP performance-enhancement method that can be implemented in the mobile WiMAX MAC or MAC/IP cross layer.