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+.     

The Mobile Broadband WiMAX Standard [Standards in a Nutshell]

Mobile worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) is a wireless standard that introduces orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) and other key features to enable mobile broadband services at a vehicular speed of up to 120 km/h. WiMAX complements the and competes with wireless local area networks (WLANs) and the third generation (3G) wireless standards on coverage and data rate. More specifically, WiMAX supports a much larger coverage area than WLAN, does not require line of sight for a connection, and is significantly less costly compared to the current 3G cellular standards. Although the WiMAX standard supports both fixed and mobile broadband data services, the latter have a much larger market. Therefore, this article will briefly present the Mobile WiMAX standard, the technologies deployed for the air interface and the network, and the development of the standards to support mobile multihop relays in a WiMAX network.     

QoS support for an all IP system beyond 3G

Mobile radio systems beyond the third generation will evolve into all-IP systems, integrating Internet and mobile system advantages. The BRAIN project is developing a system architecture which combines local coverage broadband radio access systems based on HIPERLAN/2 with several wider-coverage mobile radio systems, enabling full coverage of seamless IP-based services for users in hot spot areas and on the move. End-to-end QoS provision is one of the major challenges in the design of such a system and must be supported by the application, network, and wireless access layers. This article proposes a QoS system architecture, including the terminal architecture, the IP-based access network, and the main characteristics of the enhancements to the air interface based on HIPERLAN/2 focusing on its wireless QoS support     

PAPR reduction in mobile WiMAX: a novel DST precoding based random interleaved OFDMA uplink system

Mobile WiMAX is a 3rd generation broadband wireless technology that enables the convergence of mobile and fixed broadband networks through a wide area radio-access. Since January 2007, the IEEE 802.16 working group has been developing a new amendment the IEEE 802.16 standard i.e. IEEE 802.16 m as an advanced air interface to meet the requirements of ITU-R/IMT-Advanced for 4G systems. The mobile WiMAX air interface adopts orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) as multiple access technique for its uplink and downlink to improve signal performance affected by multipath distortion. All OFDMA based networks, including mobile WiMAX, experience the problem of high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). This paper presents a discrete-sine-transform precoding technique based random-interleaved OFDMA (RI-OFDMA) uplink system for PAPR reduction in mobile WiMAX. The PAPR of proposed system is analyzed with root-raised-cosine pulse shaping filter to keep out of band radiation low and to fulfill the spectrum mask requirements. Simulation results show that, the proposed system has low PAPR compared to the Hadamard transform precoded RI-OFDMA uplink systems and the conventional RI-OFDMA uplink systems.     

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.     

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.     

BRAIN—an architecture for a broadband radio access network of the next generation

The tremendous growth rates of the Internet as well as the area of mobile communications give rise to the chance that the mobile Internet is most promising by combining both the Internet and mobile communications. These prospects are the motivation for the European research project BRAIN (Broadband Radio Access for IP‐based Networks), which is developing an open architecture for a broadband wireless mobile access network offering an integrated communication platform across heterogeneous networks and, thus, goes beyond current third generation systems and towards the mobile Internet. The project covers three major technical areas: support of seamless service provision in a mobile environment; the design of an IP‐based access network that will support non‐cellular technologies such as wireless LANs; and requirements of a broadband air interface suitable for hot spots. BRAIN is going to integrate HIPERLAN/2 with UMTS by means of an IP access network. The work is guided by a user‐centric top‐down approach ensuring that user functionality is the key driver of the project. This article will focus on that part of the BRAIN work which specifies the main interfaces of the BRAIN architecture and deals with aspects related to the support of Quality of Service and mobility. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

WiMAX宽带无线接入在SDH宽带光城域网的应用模型

WiMAX是一种应用于城域网并提供宽带无线接入的技术。针对我国宽带IP城域网建设的实际情况,结合WiMAX技术优势和应用特点,建立了采用WiMAX接入技术的城域网的网络结构,提出了网络配置方案和各种WiMAX设备的接口要求,并对该应用模型所对应的协议栈进行了分析和设计。对今后WiMAX技术在SDH宽带IP城域网的应用具有实际意义。     

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.     

移动WiMAX无线技术研究

移动WiMAX作为移动和固定宽带网络融合的宽带无线解决方案,具有宽频无线接入技术和灵活的网络结构,在宽带移动网络的演进过程中必将发挥重要的作用。研究了移动WiMAX采用的无线技术,介绍了波束形成、空时编码和空间复用技术,分析了具有自适应MIMO转换技术的自适应智能天线系统,为了保证边缘用户的连接质量,引入了有别于传统频率复用技术的部分频率复用技术,最后简单介绍了移动WiMAX支持的多播和广播业务。     

A millimeter wave broadband wireless access technology demonstratorfor the next generation Internet network reach extension

We report design and implementation scenarios for a gigabit-capacity and high-data-rate fixed wireless access technology demonstrator. The system is based on a broadband wireless access concept and implementation techniques utilizing millimeter-wave and newly introduced free-space optical wireless high-speed links. The demonstration platform is to provide broadband “last mile” access and networking solutions to Internet users in densely populated areas with homes and businesses (e.g., building-centric and inner city environments) in need of high bandwidth not served by the fiber infrastructure. The investigation focuses on the radio link design, network architecture, system integration, and a compatible interface to the existing ATM fiber and satellite core networks in support of the next-generation Internet (NGI) reach network extension by the wireless technology     

OpenRAN: a new architecture for mobile wireless Internet radioaccess networks

Cellular telephony networks depend on an extensive wired network to provide access to the radio link. The wired network, called a radio access network, provides such functions as power control and, in CDMA networks, combination of soft handoff legs (also known as macrodiversity resolution) that require coordination between multiple radio base stations and multiple mobile terminals. Existing RAN architectures for cellular systems are based on a centralized radio network controller connected by point-to-point links with the radio base transceiver stations. The existing architecture is subject to a single point of failure if the RNC fails, and is difficult to expand because adding an RNC is expensive. Also, although a network operator may have multiple radio link protocols available, most RAN architectures treat each protocol separately and require a separate RAN control protocol for each. We describe a new architecture, the OpenRAN architecture, based on a distributed processing model with a routed IP network as the underlying transport fabric. OpenRAN was developed by the Mobile Wireless Internet Forum IP in the RAN working group. The OpenRAN architecture applies principles to the radio access network that have been successful in reducing cost and increasing reliability in data communications networks. The result is an architecture that can serve as the basis for an integrated next-generation cellular radio access network     

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.     

Improved VoIP capacity in mobile WiMAX systems using persistent resource allocation

Efficient support of voice traffic has always been one of the key metrics for evaluating and selecting radio access technologies. Even for next-generation broadband wireless technologies primarily focused on the mobile Internet, special handling of VoIP traffic in the physical and MAC layers is required to maximize voice capacity. While Mobile WiMAX Release 1.0 and 802.16e have all the key features necessary to support mobile VoIP traffic, special attention is given in Mobile WiMAX Release 1.5 and 802.16REV2 to further optimizing VoIP capacity through reduction in the MAC layer overhead associated with signaling messages. This article focuses on features and solutions used in Mobile WiMAX and the 802.16 standard to support voice traffic and the expected performance in Release 1.0/802.16e-2005, as well as gains from optimization concepts such as persistent allocation added in Release 1.5/802.16REV2. In each case, MAP overhead reduction and the projected improvements in VoIP capacity are presented using typical industry accepted models and assumptions. The results show about 15 percent increase in bidirectional VoIP capacity.     

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。     

The Universal Mobile Telecommunication System

The concepts, requirements, and technologies of Europe's third generation mobile communication system-the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)-are discussed. The cellular architecture, radio resource, adaptive resource allocation and handover enabling techniques for realizing an effective UMTS access network are described. The modulation schemes, multiple access methods, and duplexing methods used in the third generation mobile system's flexible radio interface are also described. The architecture, mobility support, and protocol development of the UMTS fixed network are outlined     

Ethernet services over mobile WiMAX

Ethernet services represent a steadily growing portion of the fixed telecommunication market. To enable the provisioning of Ethernet services over IEEE 802.16e, the mobile WiMAX network architecture supports transparent Ethernet transport as an optional extension to the IP services architecture. Ethernet support is tightly aligned to the IP services network model, and leverages many data path and control plane functions from its IP sibling to keep the implementation and operation overhead low for the Ethernet extension. Mobile WiMAX provides IP services as well as Ethernet services over the same mobile access network. The intrinsic mobility support may create new deployment opportunities for Ethernet services. Initially, the Ethernet extension may be mostly used to realize wireless access for DSL networks based on the same network interfaces defined for the wired Ethernet-based DSL aggregation.     

Enhancing the performance of secured handover protocols in UMTS-WiMAX interworking

Interworking UMTS and WiMAX networks offers global roaming and cost effective broadband wireless Internet access. Designing efficient Intra and Inter WiMAX handovers in the interworking architecture is a challenging problem. Handovers must be instantaneous and secure at the same time. We attempt to solve this problem by designing Intra and Inter WiMAX handover protocols which are capable of operating in the UMTS-WiMAX interworking architecture and perform mutual pre-authentication between the mobile station and the target network prior to handover. Due to the pre-authentication procedure, our proposed handover protocols outperform standard handover protocols by dispatching fewer handover signaling messages, experiencing less handover delay and preserving computation resources of critical nodes in the interworking architecture. Furthermore, our proposed handover protocols meet essential security requirements and defend against common attacks affecting handover protocols.     

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.     

Wireless LAN access network architecture for mobile operators

The evolution of IP-based office applications has created a strong demand for public wireless broadband access technology offering capacity far beyond current cellular systems. Wireless LAN access technology provides a perfect broadband complement for the operators' existing GSM and GPRS services in an indoor environment. Most commercial public wireless LAN solutions have only modest authentication and roaming capability compared to traditional cellular networks. This article describes a new wireless LAN system architecture that combines the WLAN radio access technology with mobile operators' SIM-based subscriber management functions and roaming infrastructure. In the defined system the WLAN access is authenticated and charged using GSM SIM. This solution supports roaming between cellular and WLAN access networks and is the first step toward an all-IP network architecture. The proto-type has been implemented and publicly verified in a real mobile operator network