Attempts to introduce third -generation networks in the Russian Federation have not yet brought tangible results. Buying more and more models of phones, smartphones and communicators, sellers persistently recommend us exclusively “for future use”, citing the fact that if not now, then soon the useless functions of the devices will be fully implemented in full. What to object to it? WHO 3G and now there, but on the Russian threshold, meanwhile, for some time it shifts from foot to foot and waits for it, when will it finally be let out, 4G technology. Or simpler – mobile wimax.
Wi-what?
We turned your attention to WIMAX mobility for a reason. This is the second important point that we will talk about. The first will be WIMAX to Wi-Fi. Only a few understand the difference between these technologies, and most people are sure that this, in principle, is the same. Apparently, on blue advertising billboards with the word " Yota "And an incomprehensible man, everywhere read on the streets of Moscow, their views were not lingering, and the free Internet" through the air "in the restaurants" McDonald's "no longer seems to them a difficult sorceress.
WIMAX (Worldwide Interoperance for Microwave Access) is a protocol of broadband radio communications. Designed by a consortium WIMAX forum in June 2001 and was adopted in January 2003 as a standard IEEE 802.16 , which is also called Wireless Man (Metropolitan Area Networks), wireless networks of city scale.
The townsfolk often confuse WIMAX and Wi-Fi, for their names are consonant, their standards are similar (IEEE, both begin with "802."), Both technologies use a wireless connection and are used to connect to the Internet and data transmission. Meanwhile, the tasks that are set before the two technologies are great. Wi-Fi is a short-acting system, usually covering hundreds of meters, which uses unlicensed frequency ranges to ensure access to the network. Usually Wi-Fi is used for Connect to personal local networks, not even related to the Internet. Moreover, at each specific point in time, a person can be connected to only one base station, a “seamless” transition between them is impossible. Due to the low cost and ease of installation, Wi-Fi is often used to provide customers with quick Internet access by various organizations. Most cafes, hotels, stations and airports usually have free Wi-fi-doors.
WIMAX – long -range system covering kilometers of space. She usually uses licensed frequency spectra (although technically it is possible to use and unlicensed frequencies) to connect with the Internet type of “point”. Different standards of the family 802.16 provide different types of access-from a fixed (simple alternative to wire access) to a mobile (allowing device-receiver to move in space). Actually, the main difference between technologies is that the fixed WIMAX allows you to serve only “static” subscribers, and the mobile is focused on working with people moving at a speed of up to 120 km/h (that is, in the car or train). Roaming and Handover (transfer of the subscriber’s service from one base station to another in the process of movement without breaking the connection) in this case are implied. But sometimes mobile WIMAX is also used to serve users who are sitting on the spot and are not going to go anywhere.
In general, the developers, of course, were looking for optimal solutions for both fixed and mobile use of technology, but they failed to combine all the requirements within the framework of one standard. Focus on different market niches led to the creation of two separate strongly different standards. Each of WIMAX specifications defines its operating frequency ranges, radiation power, transmission and access methods, signal coding and modulation methods, principles of re -use of radio frequencies and other indicators. Therefore, WIMAX systems based on versions of the IEEE 802 standard.16 e and d, practically incompatible.
Stationary WIMAX networks are easily deployed and scaled. This is very important when it is necessary to deploy a large network as soon as possible. For example, after the tsunami, which occurred on December 26, 2004 in Indonesia and recognized by the most deadly natural disaster in modern history, at the site of the disaster, access to the Internet was organized precisely with the help of WIMAX.
Now the mobile WIMAX is actively introduced in the USA, South Korea and, of course, in Japan, who has truly Napoleonic plans in this matter – to ensure full coating (97% of the population) by 2013. WiMax appeared in Russia about four years ago. But so far we have only worked for a fixed WIMAX, in which, as you already know, when crossing between the zones of the basic stations, the connection breaks off. And so she came ..
Table 1 Comparative table of wireless communication standards
Technology standard use capacity of frequency range radius
Wi-Fi 802.11a WLAN up to 54 Mbit/s up to 100 m 5 GHz
Wi-Fi 802.11B WLAN up to 11 Mbps up to 100 m 2.4 GHz
Wi-Fi 802.11G WLAN up to 54 Mbit/s up to 100 m 2.4 GHz
Wi-Fi 802.11n WLAN up to 480 Mbps up to 100 m 2.4–2.5 or 5 GHz
WIMAX 802.11d Wman up to 75 Mbps/s 6-10 km 1.5-11 GHz
WIMAX 802.11e mobile wman up to 30 Mbps/s 1-5 km 2-6 GHz
Era "Four"
For a long time Russian company "Scartel" Many were known only as a member of the organization WIMAX forum. And September 2, 2008, when Skartel publicly announced the launch of mobile WiMAX networks in Moscow and St. Petersburg under the brand Yota ( www.Yota.ru ), many were puzzled by the back of the head. But in less than six months, the company’s logo standing on the head, the company’s logo became a sign of many Muscovites and Petersburgers (which residents of Ufa, Sochi and Krasnodar recently joined).
By the time the start, both networks totaled 230 base stations Samsung Electronics (150 in Moscow and 80 in St. Petersburg) working in the range of 2.5-2.7 GHz. As in the case of another hero of the New Age, the company " Sky Link ", Which, incidentally, until recently was the only supplier of high -speed mobile access on the Internet, it was very interesting for us to monitor the changes in the coating map presented on the Yota website. If at first in Moscow everything was limited by a garden ring, and in St. Petersburg-Vasileostrovsky and Petrograd regions (in practice in order to find a patch of confident coating, it was necessary to move from one edge of the bench to another), today 4G cities are almost covered with a network of 4G. fully.
The mobile WIMAX can ideally produce a speed of up to 10 Mbps – in reality, of course, smaller, but not much. And thanks to the Handover regime, it can also use broadband access to mobile subscribers, on which, in fact, the technology is designed (WiMAX subscribers " Sinterra "And Wi-Fi Network" Beeline-Golden Telecom »Such an opportunity is not available).
A little later, in January 2009, having launched its test networks of the mobile WIMAX, he joined the competition with Yota " Komstar-Otts ". But there was no real competition: the Komstara business model is somewhat different than that of the Scartel, and the service of the mobile WIMAX is an addition to existing networks of fixed broadband access. Yota positions itself not as an operator, but as a company, the main purpose of which is the provision of various service services. People here are attracted not so much by crazy online skills as a “developed network infrastructure” like huge media storages and IP-telephony.
Table 2 Modern data transfer standards
Mobile WiMax Wi-Fi 3G (HSDPA) 2.5G (Edge) parameters
The mobility of the subscriber is complete limited full
QOS (choice of priority of the width of the channel and speed) yes no no no
The average data transfer speed is up to 10 Mbps ≈ 2-3 Mbps << 2 Mbps/s <120 kbit/s
The average coverage area of the base station in conditions of dense urban development ≈ 1.5-3 km ≈ 0.1-0.3 km ≈ 1-2.5 km ≈ 1-2.5 km
The bandwidth of the base station ≈ 1000 subscribers ≈ 50 subscribers ≈ 300 subscribers ≈ 20 subscribers
The possibility of using voice yes no yes yes
Where to go to the network, Morpheus?
Now the development of technology is in two directions: communication operators deploy networks, and equipment manufacturers master the release of mobile electronics with built -in supporting WIMAX. The mass production of equipment has already begun world leaders – Samsung, Asus , Intel and others. Meanwhile, National WIMAX networks are built in Russia (YOTA), USA (XOHM), Korea (KT Wibro), Japan (UQC) and other countries.
Although WiMax is similar to Wi-Fi, but all devices used for access are blocked in competitors' networks. Therefore, the choice of iron is very important. For example, the Comstar 2501 USB modem will never work with Yota, and the ASUS and Samsung WIMAX models support only this operator. The largest selection of devices is now with Yota: if Sinterra and Komstar offer only modems and Internet centers, then Yota works with communicators, and with laptops, and even with media players. By the way, about laptops – some manufacturers, like MSI and ASUS, release more and more models with WIMAX modules instead of Wi-Fi. Moreover, such chips are built not only in the top models, but even in netbooks and in computers of the middle price category.
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Mobile WiMax will be interesting not only for somewhere going to businessmen and technologists, but also to ordinary people who are tired of wired communications and endless prevention on lines. In addition, this connection is sometimes cheaper than the Internet of Wending. Let's say one of the most popular wired providers of Moscow, the company " Stream ", A tariff at a speed of 10 Mbps and unlimited traffic costs 1180 rubles. per month, for " Corbines " – 850 rubles. (but when the threshold is exceeded 100 GB, the speed drops to 1.5 Mbit/s), and in YOTA – 500 rubles. per month for owners HTC Max 4G and 900 rubles. – For owners of modems and laptops. True, you can’t be 100%confident in your apartment, it is impossible to catch a signal normally: so it’s better to check first first.
Residents of Sochi and Ufa Yota will completely open the doors to the Internet: they will be able to instead of 1,500 or Bronze Casino sister sites 1800 rubles. (such prices offer " Sochi telecom " And Ufanet respectively) pay only 900 rubles. and receive not only high speed and unlimited traffic, but also access to a large media storage. In addition, Yota offers to start only one account for all your mobile devices – so that you can remain in touch all the time, regardless of where you are. By the way, in those countries where WiMAX is developing as a national project, the networks are deployed at the same frequencies as Yota, therefore, the company's subscriber will also receive an international Internet rocking. Today, the roaming programs of Yota are already operating in Venezuela, Brazil and Nicaragua.