3.2 WiMAX for Utilities:
Utilities rely on information and communication technologies to monitor the transmission and distribution process in grid. This ensures reliability and safety of transmission and distribution networks. WiMAX fulfills the need for a secure, wide area broadband communication network for distribution and substation automation which otherwise is difficult to achieve by using other communication networks. WiMAX supports real-time two-way broadband communications between the utility’s operations center and the consumer’s meter.

It also provides connectivity of high speed mobile data to the ground fleet vehicle with the use of graphics and the mobile workforce management application.
Utilities adopt proprietary networks or public networks in deploying smart grid applications. It is observed that utilities prefer to deploy private networks as there is a concern for data control, security and reliability in public networks. WiMAX finds application in the middle mile for power distribution that connects the utility control center with the AMI networks. The AMI networks constitute the last mile connectivity which can also be enabled by WiMAX. Middle mile application is said to be more scalable than the last mile in a smart grid application for WiMAX. Utilities have realized the option of leasing/leveraging the capacity on the existing operator’s network because in most countries the spectrum is owned by the service providers. Spectrum that is licensed by telecom players is usually preferred by the utilities for implementing the smart grid technologies. The need for an additional dedicated spectrum for smart grid in the US is recommended to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

3.5.1 Debate over WiMAX or LTE
Long Term Evolution (LTE) is based on OFDMA and MIMO technology and is technically similar to WiMAX. LTE is expected to be a substitute technology to WiMAX. Commercial deployments of LTE may hinder the growth of WiMAX technology as it is more cost effective. However, industry experts opine that the market for WiMAX applications for utilities will co exist with other competing technologies as WiMAX is more suitable for smart grids.

“The WiMAX market for utilities will not be immediately affected by the implementation of LTE, as the application areas are quite different, and WiMax is more appropriate for the smart grid sector. This will hold true despite the fact that LTE is more cost effective.” – Eytan Wiener, COO, Quantum Networks, LLC.

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Wimax News continues its dialogue with Green Packet in Part II of its interview with the company’s Senior General Manager, Kelvin Lee. (Read Part I)

With Long Term Evolution (LTE) to be launched in the near future, do you think that Green Packet will eventually incorporate LTE into its strategy? Being a next generation broadband solutions provider, we have been catering for all the broadband networks that has emerged over the years, both IP-based and GSM networks. LTE is an evolution from the GSM network to an all IP-based network. Naturally, we will support LTE as well. In fact, we are currently involved in R&D efforts in order for our solutions to support LTE.

Would you consider deploying WiMAX networks in the US along with your American partner Intel ? Green Packet was founded in the Silicon Valley, so the US is technically our home and we have one component of our R&D team based there. Intel is indeed a partner in that they are an investor in Greenpacket and Intel has indicated that in Malaysia (the location of our head office) we would be its preferred partner for all things WiMAX. To date,  we have been focusing on emerging markets looking to deploy WiMAX because we have valuable and unique experience  in this area.  We supplied the CPE and Connection Manager to our sister company Packet One (P1) which was the first company to deploy WiMAX in Malaysia (an emerging market).  So we are able to share our first-to-market experience with other Operators and supply them with our field-tested and interoperability proven products. In 2008 we attended the World WiMAX Exhibition and Conference in Chicago and we were very well received by both Operators and potential business partners who supply to WiMAX operators.  We will attend the Conference again this year and hope to explore opportunities with US-based Companies who can see the potential in the value we bring to the table.

How has the global economic slump impacted your international deployment of broadband wireless networks ? If you follow WiMAX Forum and various analyst’s comments on the wireless broadband industry,  you’ll see that wireless broadband deployments are still active. But what I’ve noticed is that many vendors have changed their strategy because of the crisis crunch. They are now financing deployments (through their partnerships with financial institutions) – Operators then pay for the investment in installments.
Another trend is that while wireless broadband deployments go on, vendor margins are getting thinner, vendors are looking for more innovative ways to finance deployment projects.
Now, Green Packet is ideally positioned to expand its business through partnerships with Operators and suppliers in most regions including South East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. We (Greenpacket) have had a very successful year to date.  We signed an agreement with GCT Semiconductor earlier this year to develop a truly seamless solution for wireless devices to roam between WiFi and WiMAX networks; the world’s first on a single chipset. We also signed an agreement with Tatung which will see Green Packet provide a customised and enhanced edition of our Intouch Connection Management Platform to deliver  seamless mobility across networks over secured mobile VPN (Virtual Private Network).  So, to summarize, although we have been cautious this year in light of the economic slump, we have managed to secure strategic agreements with key players in the WiMAX ecosystem which puts us in a strong position for the near future and long-term.

Kelvin Lee is the Senior General Manager of Green Packet Berhad. In his current role, he helms the Division’s operations, sales and marketing, product development, engineering and business development functions across SEA, Oceania, Greater China, Europe, Middle East and the Indian sub-continent. Today, he is focusing on building world recognition for Green Packet products and service. In addition he has spearheaded various strategic alliances with leading innovators within the WiMAX ecosystem including device manufacturers, chipset makers and infrastructure providers. Kelvin has over 20 years of experience in IT and telecommunications with an impressive track record in consulting, sales and marketing with internationally acclaimed multi-national companies.

Sprint outlined its plan for WiMax services and equipment on Wednesday. Not surprisingly, Sprint’s plans to sell WiMax service lines up identically with Clearwire’s WiMax deployment schedule.

” Sprint continues to lead the wireless industry by harnessing the power of WiMax [...] The availability of Sprint 4G in more places this year and our aggressive expansion of Sprint 4G service demonstrates our commitment to provide 4G capabilities and devices nationwide for our business, consumer and government customers. These capabilities enable significantly enhanced performance and productivity for our customers.” said Todd Rowley, vice president of Sprint 4G, in a statement.

This year, Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia and Portland will get WiMax . In 2010 the service will come to Boston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. In the next two years, Sprint plans to launch multiple 4G devices including a single-mode 4G data card, devices embedded in laptops, a small-office/home-office broadband modem and also a tri-mode phone.

Sprint is pushing to expand its Wimax services before its rivals get going with networks based on Long Term Evolution technology.

Ari Zoldan, CEO of Quantum Networks, recently spoke with Ben Kolada, an analyst with the New Paradigm Resources Group, as part of NPRG’s Conversations with Communications Innovators podcast series. Ari discussed the international reach of WiMAX technology, the potential for WiMAX in the United States, and the implications of the Sprint/Clearwire rollout, including the nature of the relationship of WiMAX technology to Long Term Evolution.

• Listen to the podcast here : Ari Zoldan Discusses WiMAX with NPRG

New Paradigm Resources Group is a strategic consulting and research firm for communications innovators. NPRG’s podcast series, available in full at the NPRG homepage, contains discussions with the leaders who are shaping the telecommunications industry.

Now that Sprint’s long-awaited Xohm service has launched in Baltimore to mostly positive reviews, researchers, bloggers, and journalists are beginning to place their bets on the upcoming battle between WiMAX and long term evolution (LTE), its toughest challenger. Researchers at In-Stat have struck the first blow for WiMAX, concluding in a new report that WiMAX is likely to “outpace” LTE over the next few years, though both technologies are still years away from full implementation. In-Stat argues that because LTE will not be ready for at least another year or two, the timing of network roll-outs favors WiMAX technology. But CNET’s Marguerite Reardon is skeptical, as she draws a comparison between Sprint’s Xohm roll-out and the recent failed efforts by EarthLink to develop municipal Wi-Fi networks. She argues that Sprint’s business model may be doomed to fail because it pits WiMAX against existing 3G data services and cheaper, more consistent broadband options such as Verizon DSL. In the absence of financial incentives and a greater variety of WiMAX-ready devices, Reardon predicts that Xohm will face a tough battle for consumers – not necessarily against LTE, but against HSPA products offered by competitors.

However, while Sprint’s WiMAX network in Baltimore may not be as consistent as existing broadband services — for now, at least — it still offers stronger, faster, and more consistent connections than EarthLink’s Wi-Fi project, which depended on countless access points, each with a limited reach. WiMAX offers the freedom of municipal Wi-Fi, but with far less hassle — so the real goal for Sprint is to convince consumers that its service will make their lives easier, liberate them from coffee shops, and save them the trouble of dealing with routers and modems. Their inability to pull this off is by no means a foregone conclusion. Municipal Wi-Fi, after all, is still an attractive concept in theory, if not in practice. And while it’s true that WiMAX-ready mobile devices and laptops are currently few in number, we can doubtlessly expect to see more of these devices entering the market if the launch of Xohm proves to be successful in the long run.

Reardon doesn’t mention LTE directly, but she does inject a bit of unpleasant reality into the WiMAX vs. LTE debate by pointing out the gloomy state of the economy, and in doing so, she raises an important question: what if delays in WiMAX roll-outs give LTE technology time to catch up? Phil Skeffington, an associate with UK-based consultancy Mott MacDonald Schema, doesn’t see a problem. In fact, if Skeffington is right, the battle between WiMAX and LTE may even result in a draw. Skeffington believes that WiMAX and LTE are “complementary technologies,” with LTE poised to become the preferred technology for mobile handsets, and WiMAX set to corner the market of “nomadic” laptop users because of its superior bandwidth capabilities. Because demand from laptop users is higher right now, WiMAX is still likely to hold on to its early lead. Its ability to emerge from the fight unscathed depends on Sprint’s ability to attract consumers, to create demand for devices, and to convince manufacturers and investors to meet that demand. Fortunately for backers of WiMAX, there is plenty of cause for optimism.

The Canadian equipment manufacturer Nortel is passing on its WiMax operations to Alvarion in order to focus on LTE development, as reported on telecoms.com. Nortel claims the deal allows for both WiMax and LTE, which is projected to get to market faster than anticipated, to be developed on a timely schedule.

But there are other dynamics at play. The most immediate stimulus for the switch may be due to the Clearwire-Sprint deal still fresh in everyone’s minds; such a coalition in support of WiMax technologies has got AT&T and Verizon scrambling to polish the rival technology they’re backing, LTE. Once shipped, LTE hardware will be able to deliver floods of streaming media to mobile users, in as-of-yet unheard of quantities. Is it any surprise that Nortel is eying this development anxiously? In Nortel CEO Mike Zafirovski‘s own words, it’ll put “lots of pressure on the bandwidth of the networks” (TheStar.com). Thus they have prioritized, allowing Alvarion to handle WiMax while they lavish the LTE front with the attention it needs.

Smart move ? It seems so. Nortel’s stock consequently jumped 13% following the announcement. But don’t interpret that as a clear indication of market confidence in LTE–the battle lines are still being drawn on the 4G frontier.

In spite of the failed partnership with Clearwire and their current financial strain, Sprint expects to launch Xohm as planned. We could be experiencing a wireless broadband network from Sprint in several major cities, such as Chicago and Washington DC, as early as spring of this year.

According to the LA Times, Sprint’s Chief Executive Dan Hesse is convinced that WiMAX is the way to go even though Sprint’s bigger competitors Verizon and AT&T have disregarded WIMAX in favor of another 4G network known as LTE (Long Term Evolution). LTE is a project in the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) and is an easier progression from our current wireless networks. While some are concerned that the industry’s two largest carriers are not backing WiMAX, Google, Comcast, and Time Warner are rumored to be jumping on the WiMAX bandwagon. Not to mention, WiMAX was the big buzz word at the CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas. On Tuesday, Nokia presented its most updated version of N180 Internet Tablet, a WiMAX device projected to run on Sprint’s Xohm network. Motorola displayed a WiMAX enabled car with music, video, and data mapping streaming wirelessly from temporary WiMAX towers placed in the city. All of the hype and optimism surrounding WiMAX is great news for Sprint but may be bad news for Sirius and XM satellite radio.

Sirius and XM have just received the long awaited approval from the Department of Justice for the Sirius XM merger that was first announced back in February of 2007. The merger would double their customer base making it much easier to cover fixed costs. Sirius and XM are also hoping that the merger will help ease the highly competitive environment so acquisition and marketing spending can be lowered. However, with the development of WiMAX, Sirius and XM will face competition from Internet radio which could be streamed wirelessly into cars or mobile phones. Sirius and XM have more than just the pending approval from the FCC to worry about.

Though Ali Tabassi, Sprint’s vice president for technology development was recently quoted as (mockingly) branding LTE as an acronym for “Late To Evolve,” there is more to the relationship between LTE and WiMAX than the speed with which the technology evolves. True, WiMAX has arguably stood at an advantage to LTE due to the fact that it is poised to reach the market faster. However, at the same time some at ABI Research forecast that LTE will surpass WiMAX subscriber numbers by 2015 due, in part, to the fact that it has a stronger hold on global carriers. But is it really the inner workings of LTE and WiMAX as technologies that will determine their stronghold on the mobile community?

Gary Kim on TMCNet elaborates effectively on this recurring issue, making the point that the “battle” between LTE and WiMAX will not ultimately boil down to the merits of each technology, but rather to the success of the business models associated with either one. Successful business models would be inclusive of a wide range of devices while providing fast, cost-effective connectivity, among many other factors. This means that WiMAX needs to act now from a business angle in establishing itself as the next big thing in technology. WiMAX’s timetable advantage over LTE is not necessarily enough. Rather, a timely and business-savvy entrance into the market could mean all the difference for developments in the next five years.