The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 protocol is currently the dominant protocol suite for broadband wireless networking equipment used in public deployments. 802.16 is IP, not Ethernet, allowing longer distances than the more widely known 802.11 wireless LAN.
802.16 has a range of up to several kilometers. 802.16 allows for the strict reservation of bandwidth and QoS. 802.16 uses polling and not the contention access method found in 802.11. 802.16 allows for automatic adaption of radio operating parameters to meet changing traffic loads and interference levels.
The 802.16 protocol suite includes several millimeter microwave frequency secondary standards.
- 10GHz to 66GHz – 802.16
- 2GHz to 11GHz – 802.16a
A mobility standard is in the works – 802.16e
8
02.16 equipment is certified for interoperability by WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). So far only a handful of pre-standard products are available and WiMax has not certified any 802.16 products.
Related articles
- Network Development (siskomb.wordpress.com)
Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.