Publication date: 11 March 2008
With mobile WiMAX now being widely recognized as the important first step in 4G communications, there is little doubt that cellular and WiMAX will be expected both to co exist and to work together within the same handsets. This has been affirmed by the convergence plans announced by major service providers for mobile WiMAX and cellular, and is a trend that will drive demand for flexible and future-proof architectures that are capable of supporting both standards. These architectures are expected to focus on enabling mobile Internet convergence through advanced baseband processors. Leading cellular operators Sprint, Korea Telecom and NTT DoCoMo have either committed to deploy or are conducting trials with WiMAX.
Several handset vendors are already working on converged Mobile WiMAX/Cellular handsets . Sprint and KDDI have announced plans for a converged Mobile WiMAX/Cellular service based on their existing cdma2000 EV-DO networks, where KDDI has already demonstrated its Ultra3G concept in the field during 2006, based on an IMS/MMD service core . Current solutions and demonstrations are ‘Velcro’ solutions, where a mobile WiMAX modem is added to an existing cellular handset. However this results in an increase in valuable E-BOM, board space and power consumption – all critical factors in handset design – adversely affecting the user experience from such devices. As a reference we can learn from the NTT DoCoMo 3G launch experience, where during the first year, NTT DoCoMo managed to attach only a small subscriber base because the size, cost and short battery life of handsets resulted in poor user acceptance. When the second generation of devices came along in May 2001 with improvements in all three metrics, user experience and acceptance were sufficiently enhanced that the subscriber base doubled within a month.
Against this background, the advanced 4G convergence capabilities of the ComMAX™ CM1125 – a flexible multimode OFDM/A baseband processor from Comsys Communication and Signal Processing – are leading the field. ComMAX enables service continuity between cellular and Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e), and provides manufacturers of multimode mobile WiMAX terminals with a comprehensive broadband solution, with MIMO capability, that can operate over multiple bands, and which offers substantial cost and power-savings.
The ComMAX SoC has been specifically designed with a flexible architecture to support current and future Mobile WiMAX profiles including second wave certification. With software/hardware partitioning that has been optimized to meet the specific power and die-size requirements of mobile terminals, the CM1125 incorporates a software-configurable modem core that addresses Mobile WiMAX, 3GPP LTE as well as future 4G standards requirements.
Integrating an advanced MAC engine with optimized neighbor-cell management, ComMAX supports full mobility at high vehicular speeds.
ComMAX is suitable for use by handset OEMs/ODMs, PDA designers, SD Card manufacturers and other wireless CE device manufacturers who are planning to add mobile WiMAX functionality to their products. The processor and accompanying reference designs will be available in the market during the second half of 2007.
Comsys has a background in cellular processor technology, which is proving a real strength in tapping into the potential of cellular/WiMAX convergence. Although WiMAX has it roots in backhaul and fixed wireless broadband access and has been standardized in the IEEE 802 body, the mobile version is fundamentally a cellular technology and has more similarities service-wise with 3GSM than with WLAN. Target mobile WiMAX devices will rely on battery power and therefore the power consumption constraints are similar to those of existing cellular devices. The Comsys multimode integrated solution offers up to 50% power savings compared to alternative suppliers, and provides a cost-effective path towards seamless 4G services.
According to a recent report by TelecomView , it is forecast that WiMAX services will generate $53 billion in mobile revenue in 2011, and will generate $65 billion in mobile capital expenditures between now and then. Over this period, WiMAX is expected to account for at least half of the broadband mobile service revenues in North America, as well as becoming a key technology in Asia. However, the analysts believe that in Europe WiMAX will lag behind the investment being made in 3G and HSDPA.
More details at: http://www.comsysmobile.com
