WiMAX Release 2 offers many improvements with respect to Release 1. A core enhancement is support for the WirelessMAN-Advanced air interface of IEEE 802.16m. This follow-on from IEEE 802.16e promises up to double the air interface capacity.
WiMAX operators may desire to deploy WiMAX Release 2 air interface and increase capacity on the air interface without changing the core network components. Since network upgrade capex could be considerable relative to the total upgrade cost, it is highly desirable to provide an upgrade path with no impact on the network.
This white paper explains how the air interface migration to WirelessMAN-Advanced is feasible without spending significant capex to upgrade the core network elements, such as AAA servers, home agents, and ASN-GWs. This approach maintains forward compatibility.
In order to exploit the full advanced feature set in WiMAX Release 2, it is required to upgrade the network elements to those developed as part of Mobile WiMAX Release 2 specifications.
This white paper originally published on the WiMAX FORUM
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