The WiMAX standard has been developed to address a wide range of applications. Based on its technical attributes and service classes, WiMAX is suited to supporting a large number of usage scenarios. Table 1 address a wide range of applications.
Class Description | Real Time | Application Type | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|
Interactive gaming | Yes | Interactive gaming | 50–85 Kbps |
VoIP, video conferencing | Yes | VoIP | 4–64 Kbps |
Videophone | 32–384 Kbps | ||
Streaming media | Yes | Music/speech | 5–128 Kbps |
Video clips | 20–384 Kbps | ||
Movies streaming | >2 Mbps | ||
Information technology | No | Instant messaging | <250 byte messages |
Web browsing | >500 Kbps | ||
Email (with attachments) | >500 Kbps | ||
Media content download (store and forward) | No | Bulk data, Movie download | >1 Mbps |
Peer to peer | >500 Kbps |
Mobile WiMAX is an all-IP network. The use of OFDMA on the physical layer makes it capable of supporting IP applications. It is a wireless solution that not only offers competitive Internet access, but it can do the same for telephone service.
VoIP offers a wider range of voice services at reduced cost to subscribers and service providers alike. VoIP is expected to be one of the most popular WiMAX applications. Its value proposition is immediate to most users. Although WiMAX is not designed for switched cellular voice traffic as cellular technologies as are CDMA and WCDMA, it will provide full support for VoIP traffic because of QoS functionality and low latency. IPTV enables a WiMAX service provider to offer the same programming as cable or satellite TV service providers. IPTV, depending on compression algorithms, requires at least 1 Mbps of bandwidth between the WiMAX BS and the subscriber. In addition to IPTV programming, the service provider can also offer a variety of video on demand (VoD) services. IPTV over WiMAX also enables the service provider to offer local programming as well as revenue generating local advertising.
