Extending mobile wireless demands conformance Testing WiMAX, testing

摘要

WiMAX has become the poster child of the mobile Internet world-a world where anything and anybody can be connected from anywhere. WiMAX stands for World Interoperability for Microwave Access. The first leg in the WiMAX race is to provide broadband wireless access to a range of computing devices by extending the reach of current Wi-Fi nodes. Wi-Fi typically operates over 300 feet, depending on how close the user is to a basestation, while WiMAX extends that range to some 30 miles. Of course, capacity and demand can be limiting factors. But WiMAX devices, terminals and basestations require rigorous testing and conformance to tight specification standards, more so than those required for Wi-Fi. "The Wi-Fi Alliance has pretty much lost control of Wi-Fi," said Craig Mathias, principal of Farpoint Group consultancy. "There are lots of uncertified products on the market and no one really seems to care anymore-as long as the chips and reference designs are interoperable."