Join the Revolution
The government has clear guidelines on the type of companies that can build networks and deliver broadband wireless access (BWA) services with the associated criteria they need to fulfill. Such operators would partner with vendors and system integrators for rolling out these networks and undertake network deployment and integration activities on a turnkey basis or as per the requirements of the specific operator.

WiMax-based wireless broadband network rollouts have many commonalities with those associated with building cellular networks or microwave-based point to multi-point networks. Solution providers and system integrators with prior experience in delivering life-cycle services involved with these wireless networks would be the natural choice for the service providers to deploy their WiMax networks.

Most WiMax networks are likely to be initially deployed in urban cities across the country and then quickly spread in rural districts and villages, leveraging existing cellular network assets and investments to the maximum extent possible. Service providers would evaluate the quality of resources, past experience and presence of the solution provider across the country (through service and project offices) as important criteria during the selection process.

802.16e networks require huge R&D investments by equipment providers so as to ensure that the product provides performance and conformance to the WiMax 802.16e standards. These investments are required to be made on a continuous basis to evolve the solution roadmap and provide enhanced features and services. Vendors with the ability to offer the complete solution including core equipment, customer premise equipments (CPEs) and handsets as well as content and applications, all under the same roof, would enjoy a differentiated market position as compared to others. Additionally, operators would consider long-term commitments to WiMax standards and their evolution, past financial health and track record, global and local presence and wins of the vendor as important criteria during the selection process.

Practically, every WiMax network that will be deployed by service providers will need solution providers to do the actual installation and basic access provisioning. In addition, depending on the service provider-or even the customer (eg, a state government), solution providers will need to help deploy the various value-added services that the customer wants to enable.

According to Yadav of Aperto, the basic minimum requirement for a partner to become a WiMax integrator includes: one RF engineer, one network engineer, a sales team with an understanding of connectivity and the various aspects of technology.

Kolkata-based Epitom Networks is one of the few solution providers to have explored the WiMax opportunity at an early stage. Taking about his experience with WiMax, Rajarshi Ghosh, MD, Epitom said, "The convenience and the mobility which a WiMax solution can offer will have a large fan following in days to come. I feel it's a matter of two years when WiMax will be at the center of any business communication."

Mature Enough?
There are different views on the level of maturity solution providers have for getting into the WiMax business. WiMax deployment is similar to deploying a cellular network (albeit a lot simpler). Service providers need to plan the network deployment carefully-so that the service has both adequate coverage and adequate capacity. Existing cellular providers have an advantage since they can re-use a good part of their back-haul. Once the basic access network is deployed, various value-added services can be layered on top, and this provides huge opportunities for various solution providers.

According to Yadav, solution providers are not really matured enough to understand WiMax technology, because they don't try to understand business requirements: "In the name of growth they just want more and more business. There have been cases where partners with just three to five engineers have shown interest in doing business across India, which is not good. They don't understand the practicalities of this business and end up frustrated,".

Some kind of homework from the partners end is what is required to begin with. Secondly, it is important for them to invest in terms of time, team and money. "There are partners who don't provide laptops to their engineers, which is a pre-requisite for such a business. Management should have a vision and interest for this business, and then there will be no stopping the partner," Yadav adds.

Dr Mohan of Intel agrees: "As is the case with every new technology, there is a ramping period. At the moment there are a few fully qualified WiMax network solution providers in India, but this number is growing quickly. Those who are already there are fully capable of deploying WiMax networks from the ground up".

However, the Indian cellular story has demonstrated in an exemplary manner, how, despite a slow start and many ups and downs, it has in just 11 years, scaled to being the fourth largest subscriber base in the world with presently the fastest rate of growth compared to any other country.

The above success would not have been possible without a keen understanding of the technology and the business acumen of service providers and the industry at large to be able to run pan-India services profitably, despite having the lowest levels of per subscriber revenues globally.

"India is equipped with this enormous wealth of experience, keen understanding of needs of each market segment, a technological pool of talent, and the ability of every member of the value chain to play their respective roles in ensuring that it becomes viable to build such networks and deliver affordable services that stimulate mass adoption. India should feel most confident of leading the global march from the forefront and demonstrating a similar success story as in cellular, without having to play catch up from behind," stressed Tarvinder Singh, head, Marketing and Product Management, Networks and Enterprise Business, Motorola India.

From the service providers perspective, Nokia, an active WiMax solution provider is very positive of the success of WiMax in India. According to Prashant Agnihotri, director, Product Management, Radio Networks, Nokia India, "Indian service providers and consumer have shown in the past that they are fast to adopt new technologies and applications.

Laws and Procedures
A WiMax solution typically compromises base stations/access points (AP) and CPEs. The APs are deployed at the base station site using the existing site infrastructure that may be available with the service providers, while the CPE needs to be deployed at the customer premise, in the form of outdoor installation, desktop indoor installation or to be used as PCMCIA cards in the laptops.

WiMax 802.16e-based APs and CPEs are currently being rolled-out for commercial pilot systems and are expected to be available through multiple vendors for volume deployments by the middle of 2007. The WiMax forum, driven by leading telecommunications equipment vendors and service providers, is helping the industry to promote the adoption of 802.16-compliant equipments amongst BWA operators while ensuring the interoperability of WiMax equipments from multiple vendors. The forum is currently taking up wave one certification in the 2.3GHz and 3.5GHz frequency band, and the wave two certification for these bands, and 2.5GHz is expected to start in the second half of this year.

In order to benefit from WiMax technology advantages and the expected economies of scale, it is important for service providers to deploy the WiMax network in the spectrum harmonized with global deployments. Service providers have the option of choosing the spectrum from three of the harmonized bands, which are in 3.5GHz, 2.5GHz and 2.3GHz. Currently, portions of the spectrum in these bands are with the Department of Space, the Army and other enterprise units for satellite and private use. The regulatory and licensing bodies in India are working towards helping service providers to get the necessary spectrum in these bands realizing the benefits of economies of scale that India needs for these rollouts to be able to deliver cost effective broadband services.

There are clearly defined norms and entry criteria given by the government on which companies are eligible to offer WiMax services. The current understanding is that existing cellular and fixed line service providers (USAL) in India can deploy WiMax solutions for providing triple play or quad play services. Existing ISPs can currently deploy WiMax solutions for providing broadband data services only and would need to extend their license to USAL for providing VoIP and video solution using WiMax. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended allocation of at least 15MHz of spectrum to each WiMax operator. More details are likely to be made available once the DoT comes out with its policy on spectrum and defines the procedure and related details for allocation of the same to interested operators.

Meanwhile, the ministers and telecom commission are very supportive, but a lot of things need amendments. "First, a major problem is with getting the Special Import License. To even move an equipment from point A to B, one needs to have four extra people. In doing so, the cost of equipment goes up. The government should minimize the paper work required to smoothen the process. Intimating the government is a good idea but taking permission for every small little thing is not feasible," said Yadav of Aperto.

Nelson Johny
With inputs from Subbalakshmi BM in Bangalore and Piyali Guha in Kolkata
maildqindia@cybermedia.co.in

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