Broadband Wireless Access Technology
As the demand for broadband access continues to grow Plextek continues
to undertake the design of broadband wireless access systems and products
for a range of clients such as Airspan. We
are able to provide design and development services for standards based
broadband wireless access technologies such as WiMAX
as well as designing custom broadband wireless access systems. We have
many years of proven experience in the design and development of broadband
wireless access equipment and are a member of the Broadband
Wireless Association.
WiMAX is regarded as particularly important as it is the first set
of international standards for broadband wireless access, which means
that equipment vendors and end users will benefit from economies of
scale in equipment production. There have also been concerted efforts
to secure common frequency allocations around the world centred on 2.5GHz,
3.5GHz and 5GHz. Market forecasts predict that by 2010 there will be
around 15 million broadband wireless access subscribers worldwide, 11
million of these using WiMAX connections.
In 2004 and again in 2006 Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, selected Plextek to lead two major research studies, the first on mobile mesh broadband networks and the second on “last mile” broadband access technology.
One of the broadband wireless access systems
for which Plextek undertook extensive development was an innovative
radio access network for the delivery of broadband telecomms services
to commercial and residential subscribers. The system employed a "Mesh"
network of point-to-point microwave
links between "Nodes" at customer premises, forming a distributed
trunking network over which voice and data services could be routed
using ATM technology. The radio access network was initially targeted
for operation in the 28GHz and 42GHz mm-wave
bands. Traffic routing through the radio network
employed an ATM transport platform and the service delivery interface
was via ATM Circuit Emulation System.
Our work on the system development included:
- Design and development of a demonstration system. A pilot network
of radio links deployed in the Cambridge area
providing valuable practical experience of Mesh network deployment.
- Definition of the end-to-end service realisation system architecture.
Development of ATM routing platforms and the associated service delivery
interfaces.
- Modelling the Mesh radio network, traffic routing through the network,
and its deployment planning.
- Radio coverage field trials including RF channel sounding.
- Complete definition of the radio sub-system:
- Millimetric front-ends
- IF sub-system.
- Ultra-low noise synthesisers required to maintain modulation
fidelity with high order 64 QAM modulation schemes.
- Design of full-custom mm-wave MMICs
- A DSP modem platform offering configurable
high-order QAM modulation schemes, sophisticated synchronisation techniques,
error correction, and configurable multplexing techniques.
- ODU development: Designs for switched arrays and steerable arrays
involving the development of novel manufacturing
techniques including plastic waveguide structures, and low
cost solid state mm-wave switches.
Other work, which we have undertaken in the area of broadband wireless
access includes:
- The design of an InDoor Unit (IDU) for multi-mode (upto SDH-1,
155Mb/s) 16-QAM point to point links
- Enhancement of a range of OutDoor Units (ODUs) to move from QPSK
to 64-QAM operation
- Development work for a high data rate Free Space Optics (FSO) system
If you would like to discuss how Plextek could help you with the development
of broadband wireless access systems or products please contact
us.
