Dimensioning Cellular WiMAX Part I : Singlehop Networks

Providing diverse broadband services economically to everyone is a major challenge for the telecommunication community. WiMAX or IEEE 802.16 is one of the most promising radio access technology to offer performances similar to wired xDSL systems, which surpass current 3G mobile data rates. Different deployment concepts are foreseen for WiMAX networks. They can cover isolated areas such as rural hot spots, private campus networks, and remote neighborhoods. Even more promising is WiMAX deployed as a cellular network that offers ubiquitous broadband services over large geographic regions to mobile subscribers. This paper discusses an analytical approach to dimension cellular OFDM-based WiMAX networks. Achievable UL and DL Carrier to Interference and Noise Ratios (CINRs) are calculated. A worst case analysis results in valuable indications for dimensioning cellular WiMAX networks within various singlehop scenarios.