CORE SERVICES NETWORK | WIMAX NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

The CSN is the transport, authentication, and switching part of the network. It represents the core network in WiMAX. It consists of the home agent (HA) and the AAA system and also contains the IP servers, gateways to other networks, i.e., public switched telephone network (PSTN), and 3G.

WiMAX has five main open interfaces which include reference points R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 interface. The R1 interface interconnects the subscriber to the BS in the ASN and is the air interface defined on the physical layer and Medium Access Control (MAC) sublayer. The R2 is the logical interface between the mobile subscriber and the CSN. It is associated with authorization, IP host configuration management, services management, and mobility management. The R3 is the interface between the ASN and CSN and supports AAA, policy enforcement, and mobility management capabilities. The R4 is an interface between two ASNs. It is mainly concerned with coordinating mobility of MSs between different ASNs. The R5 is an interface between two CSNs and is concerned with internetworking between two CSNs. It is through this interface that activities such as roaming are carried out.

The unbundling of WiMAX divides the network based on functionality. The ASN falls under the network access provider (NAP). The NAP is a business entity that provides WiMAX network access to a network service provider (NSP). The NSP is a business entity that provides core network services to the WiMAX network and consists of the CSN. The Applications services fall under the applications service provider (ASP).

If network operator wants to reap the full benefits that WiMAX and its all-IP architecture can deliver, they need to carefully select the ASN and CSN solutions that best suit their requirements and provide all the functionality required while avoiding unnecessary complexity in their network.