Mobile WiMAX Certification Q&A

Mobile WiMAX Certification Q&A
October 2007

Background:

Certification is at the core of the WiMAX Forum® mission.  WiMAX Forum Certified™ equipment gives operators a powerful platform to roll out advanced services and applications across a wide range of devices.  The availability of WiMAX Forum Certified equipment will accelerate the adoption rate of the technology over the next few years by promoting the introduction in the market of a large selection of devices from multiple vendors, at affordable prices and with multiple form factors.

Since the announcement of the first WiMAX Forum Certified products in January 2006, the certification program has rapidly expanded its scope, addressing new profiles and expanding its global presence. There are now nearly 30 certified Fixed WiMAX™ products.  The market is anxiously anticipating certification of Mobile WiMAX.

The enclosed messages, questions and answers are intended to update the market and WiMAX Forum members with latest information on mobile WiMAX Certified products.

Key Messages:

• Mobile WiMAX certification is on track and meeting WiMAX Forum schedules to deliver WiMAX Forum Certified products into the market.

• Signed cooperative agreement with ETSI in 2005 for joint test specification development
• Certified 16d devices in 2006
• Validation testing for Mobile in progress for mandatory and advanced features

• 5 certification labs operating by the end of the year in Spain, Taiwan, China, U.S. and Korea
• With three more labs (India, Japan, and a second in Taiwan) planned to be opened in 2008

• The first certified products will be available for the 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz frequency bands in 1H08, enabling interoperable Mobile WiMAX products to quickly enter the marketplace in a variety of forms for businesses and consumers in 2008.

• More than 35 vendors are participating in the 4th Public, Mobile WiMAX Forum Mobile PlugFest signaling the rapid expansion and development within the WiMAX ecosystem

 Questions and Answers:

1. What is the timeline for Mobile WiMAX Forum Certified products? 
The WiMAX Forum expects the first mobile WiMAX products to become WiMAX Forum Certified in early 2008.  

2. What initial mobile features will be certified for interoperability?
Products gain certification based on their ability to pass a set of tests that are designed to demonstrate that they can meet interoperability requirements.  The WiMAX Forum calls the initial set of tests Wave 1.  Wave 1 tests ensure that WiMAX products must meet a minimum set of mandatory requirements.  Products can also seek certification for advanced features which may include MIMO and Beamforming.  The WiMAX Forum anticipates that additional advanced features may be added to testing as technology advances and the market matures.  Wave 2 certification includes Wave 1 requirements in addition to an advanced set of features which include MIMO and Beamforming.

3. But I've heard about Wave 1 and Wave 2, what does that mean? 
Wave 1 and Wave 2 were initially internal terms used to define product features as the WiMAX Forum began to approach certification testing.  They have become widely used in the market.  The WiMAX Forum calls the initial set of tests Wave 1.  Wave 1 tests ensure that WiMAX products meet a minimum set of mandatory requirements.  For advanced features, WiMAX Forum calls the tests Wave 2.  Wave 2 certification includes Wave 1 requirements in addition to an advanced set of features which for mobile certification include MIMO and Beamforming.

4. How will products be categorized in the WiMAX Forum certification process?
The WiMAX Forum certifies product features for certain frequencies and bandwidths which you may have heard referred to as profiles.  Products may seek certification for mandatory or advanced features within frequencies.  A profile is tied to a specific frequency and bandwidth.  The WiMAX Forum assesses market conditions and market readiness for new profiles based on availability of frequency bands around the globe and the products that our members are designing and manufacturing for these frequencies. 

5. What initial mobile profiles will be addressed by WiMAX Forum Certification?
The first certified products will be at 2.3 GHz and will meet the regulatory requirements of the Korean market, followed by 2.5 GHz, a frequency band that is widely used in the global market.  WiMAX Forum Certified™ products for Mobile WiMAX will be certified under these initial profiles starting in Q1 2008. Over time, the certification process will continue to add additional bands.  As such, with what we are currently seeing in the market we anticipate that 3.5 GHz will be added as the next frequency that the WiMAX Forum will certify which may begin as early as 2008.

6. Why do we need certification profiles and what are they?
A certification profile is tied to a specific frequency.  Frequency requirements vary by country, and WiMAX technology has the flexibility to operate in multiple frequencies. The specific certification profiles that are supported can vary across different countries and service providers.  WiMAX subscriber stations can have multiple radios that operate in multiple frequencies just like mobile phones.

7. What are the first types of equipment that will be certified for Mobile WiMAX?
Subscriber stations such as:  notebook computers, Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), PC cards (PCMCIA), PC Express, and Mini PCI cards.

8. What’s involved in certification testing? 
To meet the minimum mandatory requirements for WiMAX Forum Certified, products have to pass a given number of tests.  These tests are currently being finalized by WiMAX Forum Certification Working Group.  Vendors submit products for certification.  If all tests are not passed, vendors have the opportunity to make updates to their products and resubmit for final approval.  Once a product passes all interoperability tests it is WiMAX Forum Certified and may be marketed as such.

9. Is backward and forward compatibility preserved as WiMAX standards evolve?
Yes, all products based upon 802.16e-2005 will be backwards and forward compatible, and forward to the future 802.16m IEEE standard. The need to update and extend the certification program has to be carefully balanced with the need to preserve continuity in the marketplace and to ensure that equipment already deployed will interoperate with new equipment. The WiMAX Forum is committed to ensuring backward compatibility for all WiMAX Forum Certified devices. Any new certified product will be backwards compatible with all products certified within the same certification profile and under the same or previous Waves.

10. In which labs will the initial mobile certification take place?
Initial certification always begins at our lead lab, AT4 wireless.  The lab, located in Spain, is the WiMAX Forum's lead lab and serves as the primary test bed and validation facility for Mobile WIMAX certification. Validation activities have been underway at AT4 wireless dating back to Q406.  Following initial certification, Mobile WiMAX certification will be duplicated at four additional labs by the end of 2007.  These labs are located in Korea, China, Taiwan and the U.S. All other certification test beds will be modeled after the AT4 wireless lab.

11. When will the WiMAX Forum begin work certifying FDD mobile WiMAX products?
The WiMAX Forum and its members are tracking the IEEE work on this.   As such, we have no specific date at this point.

12. How many vendors are you expecting for mobile WIMAX Certification?
To date more than 30 vendors are building Mobile WiMAX products.  In addition, nearly one-quarter of the WiMAX Forum membership is represented by systems vendors.

13. Who are the test equipment vendors making WiMAX Forum test equipment? 
World leading test vendors are building test equipment including: Agilent, Anite, AT4, Azimuth, Innowireless, Tektronics, Rohde and Schwarz and Sanjole. 

10/19/2007 – WiMAX Forum®