In 2007, Saudi Telecom (STC), the largest telecom operator in Saudi Arabia, chose Huawei to deploy its new WiMAX 16e commercial network in the Middle East. The agreement will see Huawei supply full wireless broadband access services to users in three major cities including the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The IEEE802.16e-based end-to-end WiMAX solution Huawei will provide for STC includes a full range of essential equipment such as distributed base stations, access gateways, NMS and AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting).
It was back in 2001 that Huawei first began to track and study key WiMAX technologies. To date, more than 1,200 Huawei engineers worldwide have helped to research this area and refine its future developments and applications. Over the years, Huawei has also been an enthusiastic supporter of activities organized by the WiMAX Standard Organization, thus helping to make a significant contribution to the setting of both the IEEE and WiMAX Standards. At present, Huawei owns more than 100 WiMAX-related patents which makes up for 5 percent of all WiMAX patents., Ultimately, Huawei's expertise in this field has greatly accelerated the successful development of the WiMAX industry.
Huawei remains one of only a handful of manufacturers worldwide who can provide a truly end-to-end mobile WiMAX solution. In leveraging advanced MIMO and OFDMA technologies, Huawei's mobile WiMAX technologies share a common platform with future LTE/ALE. As such, they provide a performance guarantee of broader bandwidth, wider coverage and higher capacity. Huawei's leadership in WiMAX is the result of its outstanding end-to-end integration and planning capability in the wireless and IP fields. Leveraging its unrivalled understanding of operators' needs, Huawei has now perfected an end-to-end WiMAX solution that is capable of being integrated with 2G, NGN/IMS and Wi-fi networks to create a genuinely integrated mobile broadband network for customers.
The Advantages of Huawei's End-to-end 802.16e-2005 WiMAX Solution
Given the continuous development of telecoms systems, it is becoming increasingly costly and complex to construct a new network. Ultimately, regardless of whether an operator shares the new network with existing 2G technologies or erects a completely new site, costs are becoming prohibitively expensive. Leveraging advanced distributed base station platform architecture and a modular design, the WiMAX system solves many of these problems. Specific areas in which WiMAX can greatly simplify operators' lives include the obtaining of sites and the facilitating of network planning and optimization. WiMAX can also significantly speed up network construction times, lower manpower, power and space resources occupancy levels. The end result of choosing a WiMAX solution can be a reduction of over 30% in total cost of ownership (TCO).
Incorporating advanced MIMO and OFDMA technologies, Huawei's mobile WiMAX solution improves operators' system capacities and link reliability ratings. While reducing the number of sites needed to construct an effective network, WiMAX also provides wider coverage and better mobility. The solution's other major advantage is that it shares its telecom-level platform and IP network architecture with future LTE/AIE. This not only ensures a flatter network, but also paves the way for increased operational and maintenance efficiency, significantly lowering investment and operation costs in the process.
It has long been widely recognized across the telecoms industry that networks are steadily evolving towards an ALL IP format. As a result, when WiMAX technology came into being it was designed on the basis of IP architecture. The completion of technologies such as end-to-end QoS and security authentication further underlines the effectiveness of WiMAX as the way forward for operators upgrading to over-IP networks.
Fully leveraging the advantages of the company's extensive past technological track record in the mobile and IP fields, Huawei's mobile WiMAX is an innovative, "strong-strong" system. In other words, when used in an ALL IP structure, the system can seamlessly integrate with core network technologies such as the IMS, NGN, application, transmission, convergence, billing, authentication and security mechanisms. At the end of the day, very few other technologies offer operators such a comprehensive blanket of end-to-end solutions.
To satisfy operators' growing future requirements, Huawei's mobile WiMAX solution uses a future-oriented platform and new technology. The ultimate aim is to assist operators who wish to migrate their existing network to the new IP era and construct a high-quality WiMAX network incredibly quickly and economically.
Wireless DSL - Taking Users into a Rich and Colorful Broadband World
As you know, WiMAX (the industry short form for "Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access") is a standard wireless technology that provides the last-mile high-speed broadband access. The system is so flexible it can be used to benefit not only families, but also enterprise and mobile wireless network users.
Huawei's wireless DSL solution ensures users can access affordable and stable broadband Internet services in areas which existing DSL or wired networks fail to cover. Users in such areas can also enjoy full use of portable and mobile applications, enjoying the same high service quality as their 2G/3G counterparts.
As we've seen, the trend is steadily moving towards everything over-IP. Providing voice services over the WiMAX wireless network is a core strength of Huawei's wireless DSL solution in this area. To meet their end-users' requirements at different phases of construction, operators can flexibly configure their NEs, leveraging easily affordable, high-speed WiMAX services to win a bigger share of the fiercely competitive wireless access market. During the initial network construction phase, for example, operators can quickly deploy their Huawei DSL solution-enabled network to offer subscribers high-speed Internet access and voice services that require zero management. As their network evolves and end-user requirements increase, the Huawei solution can easily be integrated with the IIMS/NGN network. Such a step not only provides a reliable guarantee of network evolution for operators, but also easily operable VoIP and integrated services for their subscriber base.
To ensure operators can achieve a leadership position within different market segments, Huawei wireless DSL offers individual solutions such as L2/L3-based VPN services and end-to-end QoS that focus on the different demands of family, enterprise and individual users. Even more conveniently, the Huawei mobile WiMAX solution is capable of running over all frequencies in the 2.3/2.5GHz to 3.5GHz waveband.
How a WiMAX and IMS/NGN Integrated Solution Paves the Way for Truly Innovative Multimedia Services
As one of the world's top mobile communications solutions providers, Huawei has long played a significant role in development of wireless and core networks, and even within various layers such as service applications. Because of this leadership, Huawei already owns advanced WCDMA, TD-WCDMA and CDMA2000 solutions and a considerable share of the IMS market. Combining the advantages of future-oriented IMS core networks and wireless broadband access technology, Huawei's mobile WiMAX + IMS platform is a unified broadband solution which is easily capable of bearing multiple services.
As future-oriented, core network architecture which is widely accepted by the industry, IMS is all set to greatly simplify service development configurations and speed up market launches. This ensures operators can more quickly introduce new services, and save on operation costs. Ultimately, the most important fact here is undoubtedly IMS' ability to provide rich multimedia services backed by a proven platform for innovative applications and "killer" services.
In which case, who provides the best support platform for innovative applications and rich multimedia services? Huawei's WiMAX broadband wireless access network is an excellent platform for running innovative applications and rich multimedia services with outstanding performance characteristics in the areas of bandwidth, throughput and coverage. The Huawei platform is also extremely strong in terms of reliability and support mobility.
Using unified IMS core network architecture for hybrid networking, Huawei's WiMAX+IMS represents an operable and manageable mobile broadband solution which provides unified authentication and bills for end-users. WiMAX-based VoIP, meanwhile, is an operable solution capable of providing these subscribers with the same high service satisfaction levels as traditional networks. The fact that this solution can also connect with 3G, 2G and PSTN systems means it can even switch seamlessly between voice and data services.
As services evolve, Huawei WiMAX+IMS solution will enable the realization of several attractive multimedia applications. Specific examples include the SharingX voice and multimedia sharing service, Push to X, Voice Call Continue (VCC), Multimedia conference, Converged IP Centrex, Multimedia Ring Back Tone (MRBT), and Multimedia Caller ID (MCID).
WiMAX and 2G integration - A Truly Integrated Mobile Voice and Data Network
For mobile operators who already run 2G networks, the introduction of WiMAX technology will enable the provision of differentiated services for end-users. Such a mobile operator could also use WiMAX to create a hybrid network with 2G, fully leveraging the technology's high-efficiency spectrum and lower unit cost characteristics. The impressive end result would be an affordable data network capable of offering an abundance of multimedia services.
By sharing existing site resources, antenna feeders and transmission, a Huawei WiMAX and 2G integrated solution would enable operators to make substantial savings on network construction costs. Such a step would also eliminate the need to locate and secure site spaces, saving a great deal of time in the network construction process. When used within the core network, then, the Huawei WiMAX solution can share verification, authentication and billing with existing 2G technologies. Effectively removing the need for repeated investment, such a network would offer end-users the same high service levels as a more traditionally constructed alternative. |
