Navini & Fujitsu claim first 'Smart WiMAX' interop demo

Stuart Corner
Monday, 15 October 2007 08:54

Business IT - Technology

Navini Networks, the current network supplier to WiMAX wannabe, Unwired Australia, has claimed the first demonstration, with Fujitsu, of multi-vendor interoperability using Smart WiMAX technology.

Smart WiMAX technology uses both smart beamforming with multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) on a Mobile WiMAX (802.16e) network and, according to Navini, will provide an estimated doubling of system capacity and twice the coverage of simple WiMAX networks in a fully mobile setting. Navini claims to have developed the technology which is now incorporated into the Mobile WiMAX standard.

The demonstration took place in Navini's test facility in Richardson, Texas using Navini's Ripwave MX8 base station running Mobile WiMAX software and a CPE reference design prototype based on the Fujitsu MB86K21 802.16e-2005 Mobile WiMAX chip. According to the participants, Smart WiMAX beamformed connectivity was achieved using 'dedicated pilots', a mandatory feature for all Wave 2 mobile station subscriber devices required for certification under published WiMAX Forum profiles.

"Navini, with others, led the inclusion of beamforming and beamforming plus MIMO into the profiles for Mobile WiMAX interoperability testing," said Sai Subramanian, Navini's VP product management and strategic marketing. Makoto Awaga, general manager of the mobile solution division at the Electronics Devices Group of Fujitsu, claimed that "Navini and Fujitsu are the technology leaders in beamformed MIMO...Subscriber modems using the Fujitsu MB86K21 will use this advanced technology to offer the best possible performance when using Mobile WiMAX."