Can one 4G standard drive the future of mobile broadband?

Equipment vendors are taking sides between WiMAX and LTE, while operators and silicon suppliers ask for harmony. Is a single standard compromise possible in the future?

During the final GSM World Congress in 2007, Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin used his keynote address to warn cellular technology providers that WiMAX was making in-roads and the cellular industry needed to quicken development of competing solutions. In February, the executive augmented his message (at the same event now called Mobile World Congress 2008) to call for WiMAX and 3GPP's LTE (Long Term Evolution) technologies to merge into a single 3GPP project. Sprint's Barry West responded during the WCAI conference in April to Sarin's suggestion that LTE should be merged into WiMAX, since LTE doesn't exist yet and WiMAX is available in many countries today.

The 3GPP Release 8 specification containing LTE isn't slated for completion until end of 2008. Standards development organizations have waged this posturing battle for many years between developments that are led by either European or American constituents. Most are familiar with the Wi-Fi standards that evolved from the IEEE's 802.11 standards effort. The 802.11 protocols won market favor over the HiperLAN program from ETSI. Uniquely, IEEE 802.16e-2005 and the ETSI HiperMAN equivalent are identical, harmonized standards approved by both camps. And did I mention that 3GPP is an ETSI program?

Intel, known as a staunch WiMAX supporter, recently chimed in. The semiconductor manufacturer noted that WiMAX and LTE are very similar at their core - broadband spectrum channels, OFDM modulation, and the requirement of smart antenna techniques. Global economies of scale occur if Intel is able to develop chipsets that support both sets of functionality in one manufacturing process. The result? Significant cost savings for the marketplace.

This has the makings of another battle across the pond, though it is more marketing for a prize fight than a real war. In the end, I don't expect 802.16e and LTE to merge at all. Both are too far along in building their respective ecosystems to upset the apple cart. Instead, the groups should form a liaison relationship to collaborate on a "Super 4G" solution that brings the 802.16m/LTE-Advanced protocols for 100 Mbps mobile broadband into a single specification for consideration by the ITU. My vote is for LTWE (Long Term WiMAX Evolution).

By Jeff Orr

ORR Technology, LLC

Thursday, June 19, 2008 in Applications | Business  | Permalink |  Comments (2)