WiMAX will have a growing, important role in the telecommunications industry and impact a variety of television-related applications, including backhaul and DBS triple play, according to a new report from market research and consulting firm Northern Sky Research. WiMAX may also produce interference with C-band transmissions, it said.
The report — “WiMAX- Opportunity or Threat for Satellite Communications?” — looked at WiMAX in the broader telecommunications context. While it found that opportunities exist for satellite-WiMAX interworking, the wireless broadband technology poses a real threat to C-band.
The high-power and mobility elements of WiMAX potentially deployed in a ubiquitous matter using the 3.5GHz spectrum bring interference challenges to satellite extended C-band and standard C-band as well, the NSR report said. This issue must not be understated, because wide-scale interference between WiMAX and C-band will greatly affect C-band users and emerging WiMAX services.
While ITU meetings in the future will provide more guidance on this issue, the path toward a win-win situation is not yet entirely clear, the report said.
The report concluded that satellite/WiMAX "inter-working" would produce a variety of distinct opportunities, highly dependant on the frequency band in use and regional competitive considerations. Opportunities range from C-band and Ku-band satellite backhaul in developing regions and remote areas, to DBS/WiMAX triple-play retail bundles in mature satellite TV markets.
For more information, visit www.nsr.com.
