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Chapter 1: Introduction to Broadband Wireless (Cont)
What are the applications that drive this growth? Broadband users worldwide are finding that it dramatically changes how we share information, conduct business, and seek entertainment. Broadband access not only provides faster Web surfing and quicker file downloads but also enables several multimedia applications, such as real-time audio and video streaming, multimedia conferencing, and interactive gaming. Broadband connections are also being used for voice telephony using voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. More advanced broadband access systems, such as fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and very high data rate digital subscriber loop (VDSL), enable such applications as entertainment-quality video, including high-definition TV (HDTV) and video on demand (VoD). As the broadband market continues to grow, several new applications are likely to emerge, and it is difficult to predict which ones will succeed in the future.
So what is broadband wireless? Broadband wireless is about bringing the broadband experience to a wireless context, which offers users certain unique benefits and convenience. There are two fundamentally different types of broadband wireless services. The first type attempts to provide a set of services similar to that of the traditional fixed-line broadband but using wireless as the medium of transmission. This type, called fixed wireless broadband, can be thought of as a competitive alternative to DSL or cable modem. The second type of broadband wireless, called mobile broadband, offers the additional functionality of portability, nomadicity[1] and mobility. Mobile broadband attempts to bring broadband applications to new user experience scenarios and hence can offer the end user a very different value proposition. WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) technology, the subject of this book, is designed to accommodate both fixed and mobile broadband applications.
In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of broadband wireless.
The objective is to present the the background and context necessary
for understanding WiMAX. We review the history of broadband wireless,
enumerate its applications, and discuss the business drivers and
challenges. In Section 1.7, we also survey the technical challenges
that need to be addressed while developing and deploying broadband
wireless systems.
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