By Tim Burke, Liberty Global and Tony Werner, Comcast Cable
This paper examines the economic and technical capabilities of 802.16e WiMAX technology and contrasts it to fixed line technology. Technical capacity assessment of burst rates, statistical load capabilities and performance under streaming and heavy Peerto- Peer (P2P) environments are compared. It also identifies frequency re-use plans and antenna sectorization for varying subscriber densities. Performance analysis includes uplink and downlink performance and throughput based upon the available modulation, coding profiles and network configuration settings. Various CPE is compared identifying the trade-off of embedded CPE and network design. The cost and performance trade-offs for mobility are also defined. Economic analysis takes industry averages and builds an end-to-end per subscriber cost analysis based upon various homes passed densities, in building coverage, subscriber speeds and mobility assumptions. The costs include site acquisition, construction, base station, backhaul, CPE and installation costs. The conclusion section contrasts these economic and technical characteristics to fixed line and identifies the areas