EETimes India - December 1, 2008 - (Page 7) In Focus | Mobile handsets WiMAX boosts India broadband market continued from page adoption of broadband across India will first happen with a pocket Internet device—much like the voice service accessed with a mobile phone. The device that will catapult growth in this market should be priced affordably, broadbandenabled, easy-to-use, portable or handheld, and has a large display screen. Since the current mobile phone consumers already understand and prefer the ease-of-use and always-on functionality of a cell phone, adding true broadband capability like WiMAX to mobile devices will make them ubiquitous. Appropriate technology For mobile broadband technology, there are really only two choices available today—WCDMA/UMTS, which are cellular phone-based technologies usually referred to as 3G, and WiMAX Wave 2, which is all IP-based technology referred to as 4G. From a technical perspective, WiMAX enjoys at least five to ten times performance advantages and has very low network latencies (table 2). It also has the advantage of being an all-IP-based solution, which simplifies the network infrastructure and has significant advantages in terms of transitioning to IP-based packet switched network (figure 1). In addition, using 3G for non-voice applications severely degrades available bandwidth for voice calls. It also does not provide the voice offload ability carriers are looking for. By all comparisons, for a mobile broadband-enabled phone, WiMAX is more suitable as it offers better capabilities for data, web access, video, and other interactive services. Single-chip solutions For a mobile phone platform, performance, size and power are key metrics. In order to meet the ever more demanding talk/stand-by times, small Feature Wireless connectivity Screen size/ Resolution Standby time/ Talk Time Dimensions Camera/audio Video Description Mobile Broadband: WiMAX Wave 2 Cellular: GSM/EDGE/GPRS or CDMA 2.8” LCD, 65K colours, VGA 200 hours/3.5 hours Approx. 105mm (L) X 60mm (W) X 15mm (H) 2.0 Megapixel, MP3/WMA/AAC+ playback, FM Radio MPEG4/H.263 playback Table 1: Specifications of broadband-enabled smart phone device for mass-market adoption. 3G Availability Downlink speed Uplink speed Latency/Response time Technology 2005 1-2Mbps 300 – 500Kbps < 180 ms CDMA Circuit-Switched WiMAX 2008 Up to 30Mbps 2-5Mbps < 80 ms MIMO-OFDMA All IP, Packet-Switched Table 2: Comparison between WiMAX-enabled and 3G phone end user benefits. Read more online Mobile internet drives ULC phones’ success The ultra low-cost market offers a huge opportunity as mobile phone manufacturers target developing countries like India. • Nokia plans to move beyond cell phones • Mobile WiMAX enables IP convergence www.eetindia.com Discuss 4G battle: LTE vs. WiMAX Which wireless technology will claim 4G supremacy? “In India, 3G will take long time to advance to LTE. By that time, WiMAX would have claimed the prize.” Discuss. Figure 1: WiMAX simplifies networking and lowers infrastructure costs. size and always-on connectivity, a single-chip, carrier-approved WiMAX solution is essential (figure 2). The chipset should have class-leading power consumption for mobile applications, achieved on the chip level by using low-power design libraries from a 65nm CMOS process, and on the system level through the use of a power reduction mechanism that saves power by turning on only the absolute minimum circuit blocks required at any given moment. However, all of this only guarantees robust per formance within a device. What is also needed is a way to safely ensure robust performance within a WiMAX network. Chipsets need advanced capabilities with a robust WiMAX protocol stack. Similar to 2G and 3G phones today, the value of a stable, well-tested, network-hardened stack is well established. It is the difference between a device that provides good coverage and fewer dropouts, and a device that barely gets reception and cuts off conversation. Since WiMAX was designed for broadband access in a mobile environcontinued on page EE Times-India | December 1-15, 2008 | www.eetindia.com http://www.eetindia.co.in/SEARCH/SUMMARY/technical-articles/DATE/WCDMA.HTM?ClickFromNewsletter_081201 http://www.eetindia.co.in/SEARCH/SUMMARY/technical-articles/DATE/UMTS.HTM?ClickFromNewsletter_081201 http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800525138_1800001_NT_ed18ba37.HTM?ClickFromNewsletter_081201 http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800549737_1800005_NT_024134f9.HTM?ClickFromNewsletter_081201 http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800545799_1800005_TA_811bb78c.HTM?ClickFromNewsletter_081201 http://www.eetindia.com/STATIC/REDIRECT/Newsletter_081201_EETI02.htm http://forum.eetindia.co.in/FORUM_POST_1000039249_1200095422_0.HTM?ClickFromNewsletter_081201 http://forum.eetindia.co.in/FORUM_POST_1000039249_1200095422_0.HTM?ClickFromNewsletter_081201 http://www.eetindia.com/STATIC/REDIRECT/Newsletter_081201_EETI02.htm?ClickFromNewsletter_081201
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