WiMAX or 3G?

I agree with him when he said, most people are having different solutions of Internet connectivity at different places like DSL at home,office and data cards while on move. WiMAX is going to provide one solution for all these kind of locations...Do you believe..single solution? Ok...lets check out the claim.

Report says that around 130million people will be using WiMAX by the end of year 2012.In India BSNL,Airtel, RCom,Tata are slowly making WiMAX services available to its subscribers. Lets take Tata, along with TelismaCommunication is it planning to acquire 2,00,000 subscribers by year end 2009.RCom is also not far behind. BSNL is really showing its potential of WiMAX deployment when it announced the first rural WiMAX network rollout by the end of this year(My last blog Two good news has some details.)So most of the Indian opertors are moving well towards deploying WiMAX in coming near future. Scenario is really happening out there.

But do you really know the capabilities of WiMAX? Okay ..in simple terms it sounds really good thing.Arund 70Mbps data rate in theory..easy download of movies on wireless link..playing 3D games online while on move..so on and on. I am really happy to hear it...but sorry I don't do anything of that sort..and I am not convinced about 70Mbps...

Do we people of India know that in many towns and villages there is still no telephone and wire connectivity? Why so? We can certainly deploy ...isn't it? yes we can deploy telephone cables out there is some of the rural areas...but ROI is very tough to predict...and many times it becomes unfeasible to deploy wireline solution at those places.WiMAX, has solution for this. Deploy a WiMAX base station out in those areas for connectivity...it is cost effective..it is easy to implement...and it is robust...Thats good news ...Hmmm...it is indeed...

WiMAX is meant for nomadic population...population which resides sparesly across wide area ...where wired solution is not at all practical way to provide connectivity...

But where is the problem? Why are we not deploying it then?

Problem lies in spectrum allocation by GOI. No spectrum is yet released yet for WiMAX as such yet. There are 3 frequency bands used for WiMAX 2.3,2.5 & 3.4GHz but each is having its own issues in India.Current allocated spectrum in India is 3.3-3.4GHz which is different from rest of world (3.4-3.6Ghz).So for operators it is really going to be tough to solve this.And you know RCom,TATA etc are really deploying WiMAX base stations in cities like B'lore and Pune. I really don't know what is happening? I dn't stay at B'lore and nor I am worried about people's concern about WiMAX speed rate in B'lore. Why I should be? First, resolve spectrum issue...then deploy...why to rush for it?

So you got my concern...Spectrum release by GOI..is real problem...But you know some people out here in India in their remarks claim hype about WiMAX. Someone says it is better than 3G...or advanced version of 3G..so u may call it 3.5G..? Dose it matter for you and me..if you call WiMAX 3.5G or even 4.5G? Does it matter? Not really...unless you love jargons and love to play with it...as you want. Theory says that WiMAX utilizes Spectrum allocated in better way that 3G. It uses the modulation technique called OFDM..Orthogonal Frequency Division Multilplexing...Baapre......No more details please...

Yes OFDM is 4G technology...but why the hell I am bothered about 4G right now? WiMAX uses 4G technology right now...so it is better than 3G...they say...but boss..lets talk in practice...where are we in the front of implementation...? What are real scenarios out there on field? Is it better ..bad...worst...best...? No one really knows..everyone has polished the concepts...but lots of talk without practice dosen't make anything clear ...it just make chaos...and confusion...

WiMAX is basically a Data oriented technology while 3G is mainly Voice + Data addon. It is good thing that only WiMAX forum certified products are going to hit stands..but what are current scenario of such products launch in India? There are power and antenna design issue with WiMAX products I heard, are they sorted out? And see..people have started almost rolling out their networks out in some cities...It is business boss...communciation is a big business...now...it is going to be biggest thing in coming years in India...and no one wants to leave any stone unturned..when it comes to money making...All are in hurry...from operators to consumers...give a second thought to upgradation also..What is future upgradation modes of WiMAX? Intel and Sprint are strongly backing it..but think when 3G comes will you carry a data card which supports high 3G data rate along with WiMAX/Wi-Fi card of Intel...which will you use? Both...? Or WiMAX...? God only knows...

WiMAX is IT origin technology and 3G is basically a real telecom technology meant for voice + data, and at current scenario of 01.% broadband penetration in India...both seems to have a great oppertunity to increase the penetration rate and user base for BB in India. But despite the GOI mantra of Rural penetration most of the operators are rolling out networks in metros like Pune and B'lore where people are almost connected ...where the rural connectivity comes into picture? BSNL is going to do it ...in Haryana I heard...lets see...I see GOI Nara of Rural connectivity is going to remain on paper..as everyone is targeting cities...or it will take more time to realize...who knows...

What about handover issues in WiMAX? There are some handover pain in WiMAX and 3G (and 4G) has headstart in this area...how WiMAX is going to handle high speed vehicle internet access handovers is real question for me. And there are HSPDA and Korean WiBro who are equally competing with WiMAX. What about them? Intel is really good in doing business...

WiMAX is certainly a good contender for rural connectivity...as I mentioned before also..but all the applications and capabilities of WiMAX are of no use to them...at least I feel so..In case of emergency where normal telecom network fails to provide connectivity..WiMAX deployment is easy ...so WiMAX has some point to think about it ...

Currently in India...all operators are considering 3G seriously than WiMAX I feel...and what's wrong in it? We have 2G...just upgrade it...instead of deploying something new...and investing billions in it...Who will take risk...?? And when 4G will come..in form of Long Term Evolution(LTS) it is going to give a real edge over WiMAX ...it is going to happen...not tomrrow..but in next 7-8 years...then what will we do with WiMAX...?

I personally believe unless we sort out spectrum issues there is no point in connecting ourselves to WiMAX. Who knows GOI may make your whole buyout useless...!! It is not about technology..it is about business which will make technlogy successful. How we market it.. How we sell it..and how we perceive it ...though WiMAX is strong technologically...3G is going to hit stands with gurantee of relaible track of ugradation and quality of service..Unless we feel everything out there in market is for purchase and latest relased movies should be stored on your personal Hard Drives...going 3G way is better option...coz in my last blogs..I mentioned..we need Internet revolution to use its apllications..where most of the people are much bothered about Voice and Speech...It is a bit risk in going WiMAX way..but show is equally poised at the moment to decide anything...