Chapter 1 - Introduction to Mobile Broadband Wireless Access

Abstract

This chapter discusses the status of broadband wireless access technologies and the efforts that are made by prominent standardization organizations to materialize the vision and to fulfill the objectives for the next generation of broadband radio access systems. The most important activities in this area are conducted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and 3rd Generation Partnership Project. Wireless broadband technologies provide ubiquitous broadband access to mobile users, enabling consumers with a broad range of mobility and a variety of wireless multimedia services and applications. Broadband wireless access technologies provide broadband data access through wireless media to consumer and business markets. The most common example of broadband wireless access is wireless local area network. There have been continued efforts to deliver ubiquitous broadband wireless access by developing and deploying advanced radio access technologies such as 3GPP UMTS and LTE, as well as mobile WiMAX systems. The broadband wireless access is also an attractive option to network operators in geographically remote areas with no or limited wired network. The advantages in terms of savings in speed of deployment and installation costs are further motivation for broadband wireless access technologies.