Introduction
Background
Telecommunication has become an integral aspect of our life. The sector has experienced rapid growth that has attracted technological innovations to support the growing demands. WiMAX and fiber optics are some of the most important technologies in telecommunication. These technologies have enabled wireless broadband connectivity to businesses and homes. The current WiMAX technology can support both mobile and fixed internet access, while fiber optic communication technology has largely been used in long-distance transmissions. The advancement in technology and the increasing demands for broadband transmission are propelling innovations such that fiber optic technology is becoming more and more viable for access networks. This proposal aims to explore the two technologies, WiMAX and fiber optics, to determine whether they are complementary or whether one can be a complete substitute for the other. The study will provide an overview of the two technologies, explore their advantages and limitations, and investigate their suitability in the deployment of access networks.
Overview: WiMAX and fiber optics
WiMAX
WiMAX is an acronym for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, and basically, is a telecommunication system that allows mobile and fixed access to the Internet. The system is built upon communication standards known as the IEEE 802.16. These standards are evolving with time and the current version of the standard is IEEE 802.16-2009. It is worth noting that the IEEE 802.16 standards were written with the intent of establishing guidelines for the worldwide operation of high-speed Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN). WiMAX, therefore, is the interoperable realization of the IEEE 802.16 standards for wireless broadband networks.
The 802.16-2004 standards, often abbreviated to 802.16d, form the basis of the fixed WiMAX (Kumar 2008, p218). Notably, the standards lack mobility support. However, amendment of the 802.16-2004 standards resulted in the 802.16e-2005 standards (usually shortened to 802.16e), which introduced more features, including support for mobile users. Thus, the standards are generally referred to as Mobile WiMAX (Zhang & Chen 2007, p2).
Mobile WiMAX has become the embodiment of WiMAX with the most mercantile interest in modern times. The system is currently being utilized in several countries. Zhang and Chen (2007, p3) have consented that mobile WiMAX is rapidly gaining ground as the preferred technology for Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks. This technology provides a basis upon which future WiMAX will be reviewed. The currently approved version, IEEE 802.16-2009, is an improvement of the mobile WiMAX.
Fibre Optics communication
Fibre Optics communication is a technology that utilizes plastic or glass fiber as a medium for transmitting data in form of light pulses. Fiber optics communication systems include optical transmitters that are used in the conversion of electrical signals into the optical form so that the optical signals can travel through the optical fiber before they are eventually converted back into electrical signals by an optical receiver.
Purpose of the project
This study project carries on the professional practice and personal research in the field of communication technology, more so within the field of access networks (or rather, the last mile internet connectivity). There is evidence of continuous innovations in the telecommunication sector and changing technologies regarding the provision of the Internet to the end-users; nonetheless, the apparent and practical importance of inexpensive broadband wireless access for mobile internet users, and the cost benefits of various broadband capacity and speed under the current demands have not received the attention they demand. This research project shall underpin the development of WiMAX systems for deployment of access networks that can support satisfactory high speeds and mobile users, and support the hypothesis that fiber optics remains the most suitable choice for the provision of long-distance transmission. Furthermore, the study will clarify the need to develop fiber-to-the-x (FTTx) systems for last-mile deployment.
The research project
In recent times, there has been increasing demands for high-speed Internet access by businesses, homes, and mobile individuals, prompting the need to explore closely the issue of high-speed (broadband) internet connectivity for mobile and stationary users. Although some researchers have started to explore the viability of broadband internet access to these two classes of users, there has been little attention to the level at which WiMAX can replace fiber optics in regards to the provision of very high-speed data transmission. Standards have been established to promote the development of wireless broadband systems that can support connectivity over a wider area (typically, a metropolitan area); however, it remains hypothetical whether WiMAX will successfully complement the needs and benefits associated with fiber optics in providing broadband Internet access over a wide area. Innovators must adhere to the current WiMAX standards that support both fixed and mobile connectivity and this can be realized by examining the capability of WiMAX systems in allowing broadband access in light of the advantages that fiber optics provides for broadband access.
Aims of the research
To start with, the research project will explore the current levels of both WiMAX and fiber optics networks deployment in businesses, homes, and individuals, and evaluate the limitations that users face in terms of fast data access, cost, network deployment, maintenance, and breakages. Probable activities of the research include structured interviews with end-users to determine the level of satisfaction as well as with the information technology personnel in selected organizations to determine the factors that promote the use of WiMAX systems over fiber optics communication systems in the deployment of last-mile networks. The research will also seek to identify the level of awareness regarding the viability of both WiMAX and fiber optics technology in the deployment of access networks.
The study will also explore the following issues:
- The experience of WiMAX and fiber optic networks users in accessing the Internet, including, cost, reliability, and speed.
- The recent trends in the deployment of access networks in a global perspective.
- The speed levels and extent of coverage that the two technologies, WiMAX and fiber optics technologies can practically satisfy.
- The viability of deploying WiMAX and fiber optics networks as guided by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards given the limitations of resources.
- The level of acceptability of the two technologies by major players, such as equipment manufacturers and internet service providers.
- That capacity of WiMAX and fiber optics systems to support the current market demands for data rate and capacity.
An empirical study will be conducted involving about six business organizations (three on WiMAX network and three on fiber optic network) to examine the challenges of operating and deploying access networks based on the two technologies. Innovators need to understand the factors that drive the demand for a certain technology, and whether the consumers know the technology that can satisfy their needs.
Research questions
Several questions will guide the study. These will be honed after the baseline research and the review of the literature. The questions include the following:
- What are the key opportunities and challenges that users of WiMAX- and fiber optic-based access networks face?
- What are the costs, speed, reliability, and coverage issues associated with the two technologies.
- What are the maintenance and support needs of WiMAX and fiber optics networks in guaranteeing uninterrupted connectivity?
- What are the consequences of alternative innovations in the telecommunication industry such as the third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) technology)?
- Does the WiMAX technology solve the problem of access to mobile users without compromising the benefits of high speed exhibited by fiber optics?
Methods and Methodology
It is visualized that the study will involve a practical study aspect in addition to the theoretical component of the research to explore the study questions raised. Questionnaires will be used to gather qualitative data from users and implementers of WiMAX and fiber optics networks. This will be complemented by interviews and case studies. The main objective of collecting the qualitative data is to determine the user experience of the two types of telecommunication technologies. The investigation tools will first be used as pilot data collection methods before their application in the main part of the study. Factors such as location, economic status of the area under study, and speed of technology adoption will also be considered in the investigation. Secondary data for the research project will be sought from various literature.
Tests on the WiMAX and fiber optic systems will be done to determine their practical speed, coverage, and reliability. However, given the complexity and challenges associated with testing, it is likely that data will be obtained from reliable practical experiments on the three aspects. The sources of these data will include the IEEE and the WiMAX Forum. Therefore, practical investigations of the speed and coverage of the two technologies will be accessed from the IEEE and WiMAX Forum official reports, as well as other credible tests.
Literature Review
The literature review will form the basis for the research project. Examination of related information will guide the research.
Benefits of WiMAX over Fiber Optics
Several factors give WiMAX technology a considerable advantage over fiber optics communication as a means of providing Internet access. The basic advantage of WiMAX over fiber optics is wireless connectivity (Ghosh, D, Gupta & Mohapatra, 2008). The technology can provide broadband Internet access over a wide area – about 30 miles – without the need for intensive cabling characteristic of optic fibers and copper wire networks. WiMAX is capable of supporting a data rate of up to 75-Mb/s in a single channel and can cover a distance of up to 30 miles (Lu, Qian, Chen, & Fu 2008, p. 2).
A WiMAX network is relatively less inexpensive to deploy when compared to a fiber optic network. In addition, WiMAX networks take relatively less time to deploy. The time taken to deploy a network can have serious financial implications for the user. It takes relatively less time to deploy a WiMAX network than it would take to deploy a fiber optic network
Mobility advantage
It is common knowledge that fiber optics communication technologies cannot singly support wireless connectivity. Therefore, it is not possible to provide Internet access to mobile users. On the contrary, the latest version of WiMAX, IEEE 802.16 standards, supports broadband mobile connectivity. Teo, Tao, and Zhang (2007, p.144) reveal that mobile WiMAX can provide broadband access at a “vehicular speed of up to 120km/h.”
Fiber optics advantage over WiMAX
WiMAX has several limitations that can be solved by fiber optics. Whilst WiMAX can support broadband access, the highest speed at which WiMAX can transmit data is way below the maximum speed provided by fiber optics. Teo, Tao, and Zhang (2007, p.144) reveal that WiMAX can support speeds of up to 40Mb/s. Nonetheless, Lu, Qian, Chen, and Fu (2008, p. 2) and Weinschenk (2010) have revealed that WiMAX is capable of supporting data rates of up to 75-Mb/s in a single channel. In comparison, optical fibers can transmit information at much higher data rates. Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (2006) has highlighted the ultra-huge capacity transmission of about 14 Terabytes per second (about 111 gigabytes per second (Gb/s) for each of the 140 channels) by the fiber optics. The highest transmission capacity recorded besides this is 10 Terabytes per second (tbps) (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, 2006; Alfiad, 2008). However, Ciena (2007) and Yao (2003) identify 10 Gb/s and 40 Gb/s as the characteristic data rates in deployed networks.
WiMAX is also limited in terms of coverage. The technology can link users over a distance of only about 30 miles. On the contrary, fiber optics is suitable for long-distance connections because attenuation of the light used for transmission is small as compared to the loss of signals associated with copper wires transmission and wireless technologies. Few repeaters are needed in fiber optic systems to allow transmissions over very long distances.
Additionally, and in comparison to WiMAX, fiber optics technology has the advantage of less electromagnetic interference (or rather crosstalk). Bailey and Wright (2003, p5) have confirmed that fiber optics transmissions do not suffer from interference characteristics in radio and electromagnetic transmissions. A field test performed by Satellite Interference Reduction Group (SUIRG) showed that WiMAX transmission can experience interference if a single channel is used for two different systems (Ames, Edwards & Carrigan, 2008).
Last-mile
However, it is worth noting that WiMAX is suitable for the “last mile” (Ghosh, Gupta & Mohapatra, 2008) connectivity; usually for an area within the limits of a Metropolitan Area Network. The term last mile has often been used and is used in this context to refer to an access network – a communication network that directly links subscribers to a service provider (Keiser, 2006, p.301). Therefore, WiMAX cannot be considered as generally competing with fiber optics communication technology. Teo, Tao, and Zhang (2007, p.144) highlight that WiMAX competes with and complements the third generation wireless technology (3G) and the wireless local area networks technologies in regards to data rates and coverage.
The viability of fiber optic technology in last-mile networks has been considered, and in some cases, fiber optics-based access networks have been deployed. The last mile connectivity using fiber optics technology has often been referred to generically as fiber-to-the-x (FTTx) (Keiser, 2003, p.301). The x is used to designate the point at which the fiber terminates so that wireless links or copper wires can be used. Therefore, there are several FTTx configurations. They include the following (Keiser, 2006, p.14):
- Fibre-to-the-neighbourhood (FTTN), which is an optical fiber network originating from the core network to the main distribution framework situated to an outdoor housing within a neighborhood.
- Fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) refers to an access network where the optical fiber runs immediately from the core network to an outside housing on curbs close to business surroundings or homes. A different medium, often copper wires, links the users within the business or home.
- Fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) runs from the central office of the telecommunication company offering the service to a particular building that can be either a business or a dwelling house.
- Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) refers to a fiber optics network running directly to a business or home.
Despite fiber optics advantage over WiMAX of high bandwidth, the challenges to address the last mile problem with fiber optics still exist, and the realization of fiber-to-the- x (FTTx) has been slow. The increasing demands for high bandwidths are, nonetheless, pushing the progress for FTTx. For instance, Japan, Korea, and China have made considerable progress in the provision of the fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service. Fransman (2006. p. 59) identifies Japan as the “global leader” in FTTH, while Korea and China are noted as having significant progress in FTTx and broadband.
Equations for optic fiber
Attenuation in fibre optics is given by the equation below (Agrawal n.d.):
α(dB/Km) = – 10/L log10 (Pout / Pin) = 4.343 α
Where, α represent the wavelength.
Relative delay (∆T) for an L meter long fiber is given by,
∆T = L (∆ß1)
For an L long fiber, the transit time (T) is given by,
T = L/vg = ß1L,
Where VG is speed, and ß1 is the wavelength.
Equations for WiMAX
Signal to interference ratio (SIR) is given by (Guo, Zhang & Maple, 2003),
I = (N – 1)) S + ŋ,
Where N is the number of users within a cell, S is the signals, and ŋ is the thermal noise.
Power received at a base station from a mobile user1 can be represented as,
S = S1 – P (d) – Z,
Where S1 is the user transmission power, while p(d) is the propagating loss at distance d from mobile station to base station, and Z is the shadow fading.
Expected Outcomes
The expected outcomes of the research include the following:
- The suitability of fiber optics and limitations of WiMAX in the deployment of long-distance networks.
- Evidence of the challenges such as cost and slow deployment associated with fiber optics.
- The capacity of WiMAX to satisfy a large percent of demands for broadband connectivity.
- The potential of WIMAX to provide broadband access for mobile users.
It is also expected that fiber optics has far greater advantages over WiMAX in terms of speed, coverage, capacity, while WiMAX is superior in terms of wireless connectivity, fast network deployment, and cost.
Conclusion
WiMAX networks have the advantage of supporting broadband access to mobile users, as opposed to fiber optics networks that support only fixed broadband access. In addition, WiMAX is deployed fast, and less expensively than fiber optic networks (FTTx). Therefore, fiber optics technology has the advantage of transmitting ultra-large data capacity at higher speeds to a level that WiMAX can barely reach. Despite this advantage, fiber optics has not been embraced in last-mile deployment. On the other hand, WiMAX is rapidly gaining ground in the deployment of last-mile networks. However, WiMAX technology is limited in terms of speed, coverage of data transmission. The research study will investigate whether the high speeds provided by fiber optics have practical benefits considering WiMAX speeds.
Reference list
Agrawal, G.P., N.d. Fiber-optic communication systems. The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester. Web.
Alfiad, M. S., 2008. 111 Gb/s POLMUX-RZ-DQPSK Transmission over 1140 km of SSMF with 10.7 Gb/s NRZ-OOK Neighbours. ECOC 2008, 1(117), Pp. 21-25.
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Fransman, M., 2006. Global broadband battles: why the U.S. and Europe lag while Asia leads. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
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Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, 2006. 14 Tbps over a Single Optical Fiber: Successful Demonstration of World’s Largest Capacity. Web.
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Yao, S. 2003. Polarization in fiber systems: squeezing out more bandwidth, The Photonics Handbook, Laurin Publishing.
Zhang, Y. & Chen, H. 2007. Mobile WiMAX: toward broadband wireless metropolitan area networks. CRC Press, United Kingdom.