Table of Contents

Welcome

Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1: Introduction to Current and Upcoming Technologies
1.2: Why Traditional Models Won't Work in Rural Canada
1.3: Overview of the Structure of This Thesis

Chapter 2: Internet Use in Northern Ontario
2.1: Communities and Infrastructure
2.2: Community Based Networks and Their Efforts
2.3: Computer, Internet and Broadband Adoption Statistics
2.4: Outlook for Northern Ontario

Chapter 3: Wired Networks
3.1: Fibre Optic Networks
3.2: DSL
3.3: Cable
3.4: BPL

Chapter 4:Wireless Networks
4.1: WiFi
4.2: Broadband Cellular
4.3: MMDS and LMDS
4.4: Motorola Canopy
4.5: WiMAX

Chapter 5: Satellite Networks
5.1: KU-band and KA-band
5.2: Satellite as a Pipeline

Chapter 6: Broadband Funding Programs
6.1: Government Support for Broadband
6.2: Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)
6.3: Satellite Internet for Remote Areas (SIRA)
6.4: Federal Funding

Chapter 7: Infrastructure Feasibility Algorithms
7.1: The Need for Algorithms and the Definition of Feasibility
7.2: Reasoning Behind the Algorithms
7.3: Broadband Pipeline Physical Feasibility Algorithm
7.4: Broadband Last Mile Infrastructure Physical Feasibility Algorithm
7.5: Case Study: The Cottage
7.6: Case Study: Village of Hilton Beach
7.7: Afterthoughts on the Algorithms

Chapter 8: Conclusion

Appendix A: List of References
Appendix B: Glossary

4.5: WiMAX

In order for a technology to truly be embraced and become a household name, it has to be approved as a standard by an international organization like the IEEE. Standardization publishes the design and requirements of a technology, so that devices adhering to that standard can be mass-produced by several manufacturers. This drives down costs and makes these devices widely available. Motorola Canopy is a proprietary technology developed by just one company, which is why it's not widely known or available. Within the past six years or so, WiFi was introduced as the standard for wireless local area networking, and Bluetooth was introduced as the standard for wireless personal area networking. These technologies have since exploded onto the scene. WiFi and Bluetooth devices are widely available through several manufacturers, they're very inexpensive, and they are interoperable because they adhere to published standards. Wireless metropolitan area networking was without a standard until June 2004, when the first production WiMAX standard was approved by the IEEE. WiMAX, an acronym for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, promises to provide inexpensive wireless last-mile connectivity and can also serve as a reliable wireless pipeline. This exciting technology's potential implications are enormous: WiMAX could bring every populated corner of the world onto the high-speed Internet. Indeed, as Intel has said, WiMAX could very well be “the most important thing since the Internet itself” [25].

The IEEE 802.16 working group was created back in 1999, and the first WiMAX standard was approved in April 2002. It went through a few amendments, finally arriving at 802.16-2004 (Fixed WiMAX) in June 2004, the first production-ready amendment. In December 2005, the 802.11-2005 (Mobile WiMAX) amendment was released, which added roaming ability to the standard [80]. WiMAX technology is still in its infancy, with the first 802.16-2004 Fixed WiMAX products having only hit the market in January 2006 [81]. It is expected that over the next year or two, Fixed and Mobile WiMAX networks will be implemented around the world, and WiMAX devices will be sold in computer stores on the shelf next to WiFi equipment. Laptops will eventually begin shipping with built-in Mobile WiMAX connectivity, just as they do with WiFi. By offering broadband Internet service over a wide geographic area, WiMAX will not only pose a serious threat to DSL, cable and 3G cellular data providers, but it will also make broadband Internet service feasible in rural areas where these other networks aren't available.

The similarities between Motorola Canopy and WiMAX are many. The developers of the WiMAX standard wanted it to be extremely flexible, so it's available in four versions that operate in different frequency bands: one using frequencies from 10 to 66 GHz and the other three using licensed and unlicensed frequencies below 11 GHz [43]. At the time of this writing, 14 WiMAX products have been certified since January 19, 2006, and most if not all use the licensed 3.5 GHz band. This middle-of-the-road frequency band provides a good balance of speed and range, plus the ability to operate where no line of sight is available. Like Canopy, WiMAX uses modular access points, subscriber units and backhaul units. The access point infrastructure is very similar in some cases to Canopy APs. Redline Communications' AN-100U WiMAX access point module has a 60-degree beam width, and can be pole-mounted in a cluster of 6 modules to provide 360-degree coverage [63]. This access point cluster, which must be connected to a high-capacity Internet pipeline, can be installed on a tower or tall building to cover a large area. A single access point can serve hundreds of homes and businesses within a 45km line-of-sight range (3km non-line-of-sight), with impressive speeds of up to 50 Mbps per subscriber. These same access points can be used as backhaul modules, perhaps with a parabolic antenna, over a range of at least 45km, providing speeds of at least 50 Mbps. A backhaul link can serve as a pipeline to an access point from some remote backbone or pipeline in the same fashion as a Canopy backhaul link. Subscriber modules, such as Redline's SU-O or SU-I [64], can be mounted outdoors or sit on a desk indoors, depending on the subscriber's proximity to the access point. It is connected to the computer through a simple cat-5 Ethernet cable. Interference between subscribers is not an issue because WiMAX uses a scheduling algorithm to give each subscriber a time slot on the access point. This means that each subscriber station will be given a turn to transmit and receive data to and from the access point, so that no two stations transmit at once resulting in a collision (interference). This increases the reliability and quality of service of WiMAX.

Since WiMAX is just getting its feet wet in the market, not a lot of specific pricing information is available. It is expected, however, that pricing will start out somewhere in the range of Canopy, with base stations costing about $15,000 and subscriber modules having a cost in the low hundreds [31]. Once WiMAX equipment is being manufactured in bulk, probably within the next year or two, these prices should drop significantly just as they did with WiFi and other new technologies. A WiMAX card for laptops will eventually be under $100, and WiMAX base station equipment may even find its way into computer stores so anyone could set up their own network.

This is an exciting time: 2006 is the breakthrough year for WiMAX. As corporate support for this technology grows and more products enter the market, Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) will deploy WiMAX towers across Canada and the world. The low deployment cost, long range and eventual widespread product availability means that broadband Internet access will finally be feasible and widely available in rural areas and small, under-served communities. While Motorola Canopy has all of the same qualities as WiMAX, the fact that it is a proprietary technology means that Canopy will likely be deprecated and replaced by WiMAX as it continues to lose ground in the Wireless MAN market. Indeed, Motorola is also on the WiMAX bandwagon and will likely be releasing a line of its own WiMAX products this year. Once laptops start shipping with built-in WiMAX connectivity, this technology will likely explode onto the scene, lowering deployment costs and making proprietary platforms like Canopy a thing of the past. The next two or three years will likely see widespread deployment of WiMAX networks, and broadband penetration in Canada will climb ever higher.

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© Jake Cormier, 2006 [jake (at) stormcloudstudios.com]
Completed as a partial requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Science (specialized)
Department of Computer Science :: Algoma University College :: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario :: Spring 2006