The International Telecommunication Union agreed to include WiMAX technology in the global family of advanced wireless technologies. The win is a major victory for vendors and service providers on the eve of the World Radiocommunication Conference that the Bush administration hopes to build on during the next four weeks in Geneva.
“Including WiMAX in the IMT [International Mobile Telecommunications] category sets the stage for the WRC to consider the future spectrum availability for further generations of broadband mobile services,” said Ambassador Richard Russell, associate director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and head of the U.S. delegation. “The industry often refers to these over-the-horizon networks as ‘4G’ systems, many of which promise landline broadband download speeds and high bandwidth to mobile handsets and laptops.”
The WiMAX air interface is technically called OFDMA TDD WMAN.
Push for 700 MHz
The ITU Radio Assembly decision to add WiMAX to an IMT field that already includes CDMA2000, W-CDMA, UWC-136, DECT and TD-SCMDA came days before the Oct. 22 start of WRC-07. The conference, which runs through Nov. 15, will consider more than two dozen items. One of the more contentious issues will involve candidate frequencies for global IMT recognition. The U.S. delegation is pushing to have the 700 MHz band included in the mix of IMT frequencies, while fighting to keep other spectrum from being classified as such.
“We strongly believe in an approach that includes as many technologies as possible, within the appropriate technical parameters, because diversity will lead to greater competition, lower prices and more benefits to consumers,” said Russell.
The U.S. wireless broadband industry applauded the inclusion of WiMAX in the IMT category.
“This puts us on equal-opportunity-footing with the other five IMT standards,” said Jayne Stancavage, worldwide WiMAX spectrum policy manager at Intel Corp. “It will really have an impact in terms of economies of scale.”
“This action puts WiMAX on a level global playing field with the GSM and CDMA families of technology and will help ensure that carriers are free to implement technology based on user requirements rather than being limited by regulatory fiat,” said Steve Sharkey, director of spectrum and standards strategy in Motorola Inc.’s government relations office. “The strong support from many administrations, manufacturers and wireless licensees around the world, and in particular the committed and active support of the U.S. government, was critical in achieving this important milestone.”
Sharkey sits on the board of directors of the Wireless Communications Association International. WCA is the national trade group for the wireless broadband sector.
“The broadband wireless industry and its consumers around the world will greatly benefit from the clear inclusion of WiMAX into the IMT-2000 bands,” said Andrew Kreig, president of WCA. “Service providers will have more technology options, while WiMAX consumers and service providers will benefit from the economies of scale stemming from global harmonization. WCA has long been active before the ITU on industry issues that are vital to efficient deployment of services in harmonized spectrum bands that enable technology choice and a minimum of interference hazards.”
