The WiMAX Forum has launched a global initiative to accelerate advanced WiMAX features that are designed to enhance the average performance of its current Release 1 technology by more than 50% while still complying with IEEE 802.16e. Based on this accelerated schedule, the organization expects certified products using these enhancements in late 2010.

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According to the WiMAX Forum, this initiative won’t delay the development of WiMAX Release 2, or WiMAX 2. In support of the expected completion of IEEE 802.16m in the second half of 2010, the group is fast-tracking profiling and certification activities to prepare for WiMAX 2 product certification in late 2011.

The WiMAX Forum says that WiMAX operators are providing an unprecedented amount of data, with some networks delivering more than 10 Gbytes per month to the average user. Even without dramatic growth in average demand, successful expansion of the customer base can threaten network overload. The organization says that it has recognized operator needs for more advanced technologies to future-proof their networks in the face of these trends.

“With the global demand for 4G wireless broadband services experiencing explosive growth, WiMAX service providers need faster networks with greater capacity and efficiency, and the WiMAX community has responded,” said Ron Resnick, president and chairman of the WiMAX Forum.

“There is no country where this demand is as pronounced as it is in India, where there is less than 3% broadband penetration. WiMAX can address this demand as well as the growing needs around the globe. Plus, we’re committed to taking performance to the next level in an unmatched timeframe,” Resnick said.

Enhancements under development include support for additional multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) on the basestations (four transmit antennae instead of two), higher-order (64QAM) modulation on the uplink, downlink beamforming, and improved fractional frequency reuse (FFR) to increase performance in reuse 1 deployments while ensuring multi-vendor interoperability. These new features have the potential to double peak data rates and increase average and cell-edge end-user performance by 50%.

With the completion of IEEE 802.16m later this year, the WiMAX Forum says that it is set to expedite WiMAX 2 technology into the hands of operators and consumers. Because the market already is seeing 802.16m products in development, the WiMAX Forum is preparing for the certification of Release 2 products in late 2011.

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