Among various broadband technologies, WiMax is expected to be one of the
most preferable to meet the needs of Indian users. The Global WiMax Forum
recently forecasted that by 2012, the Indian market would support 27.5 mn WiMax
users and 19 mn WiMax subscribers, constituting around 20% of the global WiMax
user-base. The WiMax Forum is a worldwide consortium focused on the global
adoption of WiMax and is chartered to establish certification processes that
achieve interoperability, publish technical specification based on recognized
standards, promote the technology, and pursue a favorable regulatory
environment. In an exclusive interaction with Voice&Data, Ron Resnick, president
and chairman of the WiMax Forum gives insights on the prospects of this
technology in India, and various trends and challenges in its adoption. Excerpts
It's been several years now since the WiMax Forum, through its various
channels and platforms, has been trying to convince operators in India. Where do
you think we have reached as of now?
Six years ago, there was not much interest in WiMax. During that time there
was no significant existence of broadband. Everything was dial-up. Broadband was
of interest mainly for the enterprises. The whole model of the Internet has
changed today which has necessitated broadband for the common man.
India requires a price effective business model. Earlier the market model was
not there but now things have changed. The recent announcement of the Department
of Telecom to auction WiMax spectrum in the 2.3 and 2.5 MHz band is a welcome
move. Ideally we would love to see some more spectrum but we are happy with the
overall progress. I believe the spectrum will be allocated soon, and it would be
fruitful for the overall development of the country. The Indian market and
operators are quite excited after the announcement and are ready to spend money
on the WiMax.
With fewer than 5 mn broadband subscribers, India lags behind most of its
counterparts in broadband growth. Do you think WiMax can actually help solve the
broadband problem in India?
Globally, all the countries have started to recognize the potential of
broadband. Governments of various countries have realized that broadband growth
can help an economy to grow tremendously. There are various studies available
that summarize the skyrocketing GDP growth of an economy.
WiMax is perfectly suited to the Indian needs. Its widespread access will
greatly increase economic productivity by becoming the cornerstone for important
initiatives such as distance learning, telemedicine and e-government. Also, it
can meet the India-specific requirements in a much more cost-effective manner.
The technology has the potential to carry out the challenging task of bridging
the rural-urban divide in a speedy and effective manner. Further more, robust
quality of service and low latency make this technology suited for real time
applications such as VoIP, online gaming, content streaming, etc.
What are your India-specific plans?
As I mentioned, India is a central point of WiMax growth. We are in the
process of planning a WiMax applications lab at the Indian Institute of
Technology. This will be the third lab of its kind-the other two are in Taiwan
and the US. The lab is set to add more diverseness as compared to the existing
labs. IIT Delhi has an operating WiMax test bed and serves as a Nonpareil
location to host this lab. The lab has been created with the support of DoT and
will focus on enhancing the quality of experience, and WiMax services for the
underserved areas. We look forward to explore various programs such as
telemedicine, distance learning and e-government through the creation of this
lab. We are building capacities to research and develop various such
applications in India.
What are your projections for the Indian market?
The WiMax Forum projects that the WiMax market, including devices, would be
worth $13 bn or Rs 52,000 crore by 2012. Also, there will be around 27.5 mn
WiMax users during that period in India. The global figure for the same period
is forecasted to reach to over 133 mn.
What are some global trends in WiMax deployments?
Currently, there are over 407 deployments of WiMax networks in more than 133
countries. Also, there are over 480 WiMax-enabled devices that are under
development by over 80 suppliers. WiMax is being deployed in the 2.5 GHz band in
countries like the US, Taiwan, Russia, Japan and Mexico. In 2.3 GHz, it has
already been deployed in countries such as Malaysia, South Korea, and Singapore
and is expected to be deployed in Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.
Further, it has already recognized itself in the 3.5 GHz band with deployments
in most regions. By 2012, nearly 70% WiMax subscribers will utilize mobile and
portable WiMax devices to access broadband Internet services and the total user
number in India will overtake those in the US.
With technologies like HSPA also gaining wide acceptance among operators,
do you think WiMax growth will be flattened by it?
WiMax is an open Internet business model and has already established itself in
the 3.5 GHz band with deployments in every region. Also, the RoI for WiMax is
more than HSPA and other competitive technologies. Further, cellular base
technologies such as HSPA and LTE (long term evolution of 3G) are not at all a
threat. There are many price-effective devices coming in the WiMax space, and
the whole business model is a serious challenge for our competitors. There are
many competitors who don't want to see the auction take place. They are adopting
various tactics to delay the same.
While WiMax is already being deployed, LTE networks are new upgrades. The
necessity to connect the Indian rural population can only be met by WiMax, as
other competitive technologies will initially succeed in the metros. Considering
the market developments, WiMax would be the most preferable among other
alternate technologies, particularly in developing economies. It can really act
as a great enabler to fulfill the needs of broadband in India
Jatinder Singh
jatinders@cybermedia.co.in