WiMAX in China? No
Wimax.com is running an interview with GCT Semiconductor’s Alex Sum, who notes there is still a possibility that WiMAX will be used in China. That’s hard to envision, at least in the short term. The government and operators are totally focused on rolling out 3G services, and have little interest in confusing consumers -- or themselves -- with another broadband wireless access alternative.
Sum notes that WiMAX could be used in the 700MHz spectrum, which is currently used by UHF broadcasters and belongs to SARFT, a government regulator. SARFT is pretty parochial, and has a track record of favoring local technology, such as CMMB, China’s mobile TV standard. Still, Sum says GCT is looking into it as part of a research project with IEEE ComSoc-SCV and SVC Wireless.
I recently had a chat with one of Intel’s standards guys in China, who noted that all of their test networks with the mobile operators had been shut down by government decree. If Intel can’t make this happen, then no one can. The best WiMAX advocates can hope for is that once 3G gains more traction in China, the government may let an operator try out WiMAX.
But will operators here want it? China Telecom may be interested, since they will need a path to migrate from CDMA EV-DO. It makes sense for China Unicom to move toward FDD-based Long Term Evolution (LTE), and for China Mobile to take up TDD-based LTE. (It’s already doing tests.)
Then there is also the question of whether China will look to implement its own WiMAX variant, possibly based on a tech known as McWiLL (Multicarrier Wireless internet Local Loop). It saw some action in Qingdao during the run-up to the Olympics, where it was used to test the relay of race information back to shore. The technology is based on SCDMA, still used in China in the 400MHz band. It looks like McWiLL is at least being considered as a component of 4G by the NDRC, but whether it emerges as a realistic option remains unclear.
Here’s a slightly more techie rundown of its capabilities.
McWiLL combines SCDMA’s traditional use in narrow-band voice and introduces a nomadic broadband data service that ties into an IP-based core network, according to developer Xinwei Telecom Technology. It is based on CS-OFDMA adaptive modulation, and uses dynamic channel allocation and smart antennas to enhance its throughput.
Using 5MHz of radio frequency in the 1.8GHz band, a single base station can achieve throughput of 15 megabits per second for 1 to 3 kilometers in an urban setting, or an aggregate of 45 megabits in a three base station sector. Using the 400MHz band, its reach ranges from 20 to 60 kilometers in rural settings, where it is being used to connect remote villages to Internet based government services.
Xinwei has claimed client side devices using a 1MHz sub-carrier can reach download speeds of up to 1Mbps and upload speeds of 500Kbps while traveling at 120 kilometers per hour. Xinwei has several devices in production, including phones, access points, PCMCIA cards and modules for PDAs.
That's it from Shanghai.
mc
PS: For info on the WAPI/Wi-Fi fight in China, see WAPI handsets in China open the door for Wi-Fi.
Sum notes that WiMAX could be used in the 700MHz spectrum, which is currently used by UHF broadcasters and belongs to SARFT, a government regulator. SARFT is pretty parochial, and has a track record of favoring local technology, such as CMMB, China’s mobile TV standard. Still, Sum says GCT is looking into it as part of a research project with IEEE ComSoc-SCV and SVC Wireless.
I recently had a chat with one of Intel’s standards guys in China, who noted that all of their test networks with the mobile operators had been shut down by government decree. If Intel can’t make this happen, then no one can. The best WiMAX advocates can hope for is that once 3G gains more traction in China, the government may let an operator try out WiMAX.
But will operators here want it? China Telecom may be interested, since they will need a path to migrate from CDMA EV-DO. It makes sense for China Unicom to move toward FDD-based Long Term Evolution (LTE), and for China Mobile to take up TDD-based LTE. (It’s already doing tests.)
Then there is also the question of whether China will look to implement its own WiMAX variant, possibly based on a tech known as McWiLL (Multicarrier Wireless internet Local Loop). It saw some action in Qingdao during the run-up to the Olympics, where it was used to test the relay of race information back to shore. The technology is based on SCDMA, still used in China in the 400MHz band. It looks like McWiLL is at least being considered as a component of 4G by the NDRC, but whether it emerges as a realistic option remains unclear.
Here’s a slightly more techie rundown of its capabilities.
McWiLL combines SCDMA’s traditional use in narrow-band voice and introduces a nomadic broadband data service that ties into an IP-based core network, according to developer Xinwei Telecom Technology. It is based on CS-OFDMA adaptive modulation, and uses dynamic channel allocation and smart antennas to enhance its throughput.
Using 5MHz of radio frequency in the 1.8GHz band, a single base station can achieve throughput of 15 megabits per second for 1 to 3 kilometers in an urban setting, or an aggregate of 45 megabits in a three base station sector. Using the 400MHz band, its reach ranges from 20 to 60 kilometers in rural settings, where it is being used to connect remote villages to Internet based government services.
Xinwei has claimed client side devices using a 1MHz sub-carrier can reach download speeds of up to 1Mbps and upload speeds of 500Kbps while traveling at 120 kilometers per hour. Xinwei has several devices in production, including phones, access points, PCMCIA cards and modules for PDAs.
That's it from Shanghai.
mc
PS: For info on the WAPI/Wi-Fi fight in China, see WAPI handsets in China open the door for Wi-Fi.
Posted by Michael Clendenin at 2/27/2009 10:56 AM 
Categories: McWiLL, China Telecom, Intel, China Mobile, CMMB, WiMAX, China Unicom, CDMA EV-DO
Tags: McWiLL China Telecom Intel China Mobile CMMB GCT Semiconductor WiMAX China Unicom China CDMA EV-DO
Categories: McWiLL, China Telecom, Intel, China Mobile, CMMB, WiMAX, China Unicom, CDMA EV-DO
Tags: McWiLL China Telecom Intel China Mobile CMMB GCT Semiconductor WiMAX China Unicom China CDMA EV-DO
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