Wimax coverage map. The shine and poverty of WiMax - an overview of the current market situation

WiMAX is the standard wireless communication, which provides broadband communications over long distances at speeds comparable to cable connections, that is, a synchronous channel of 256, 512, 2048 Kbps and more. The construction of networks based on WiMAX technology makes it possible to provide broadband Internet access in areas where cable networks impractical for various reasons, as well as to organize communication between buildings and other objects located at a distance of up to 15–25 km.

There are two types of WiMAX: fixed and mobile

WiMAX systems based on different versions are incompatible. Brief characteristics of each version are given below.

802.16-2004 (also known as 802.16d and fixed WiMAX). The specification was approved in 2004. Fixed access is supported in areas with or without line of sight. User devices They are stationary modems for installation outdoors and indoors, as well as cards for laptops. In most countries, the 3.5 and 5 GHz bands are allocated for this technology. Many analysts see it as a complementary technology to wired broadband access.

802.16-2005 (also known as 802.16e and mobile WiMAX). The specification was approved in 2005. Optimized to support mobile users, the version supports a number of specific functions, such as handover, idle mode and roaming. Work is possible with or without line of sight. The planned frequency ranges for Mobile WiMAX networks are: 2.3-2.5; 2.5-2.7; 3.4-3.8 GHz. Several projects have been implemented around the world, including Scartel, which was the first to deploy its network in Russia. 802.16e's competitors are all third generation mobile technologies (eg EV-DO, HSDPA).

The main difference between the two technologies is that fixed WiMAX allows servicing only “static” subscribers, while mobile is focused on working with users moving at speeds of up to 120 km/h. Mobility means the presence of roaming functions and “seamless” switching between base stations when the subscriber moves (as happens in networks cellular communication). In a particular case, mobile WiMAX can also be used to serve fixed-line users.

Mobile and fixed WiMAX networks in Russia are being built by:

* “Prestige Internet” under the Enforta brand (more than 80 large cities in Russia)

* Scartel under the Yota brand (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ufa, Krasnodar, Sochi, Samara, Kazan, Chelyabinsk)

* Comstar

* Synterra

* "NTK" (Vladivostok)

* “New telecommunications” under the trademarks “WiTe” and “NEX3”

* "Interproject" under the brand "Freshtel" (Tula, Novomoskovsk, Chekhov, Serpukhov)

* Trivon Networks under the Virgin Connect brand,

* company ZAO MediaSeti under the brand name “UnitLine”

* Sovtest (Kursk)

* DARS TELECOM (Ulyanovsk)

* GLOBALFON (Ivanovo, Sochi, Kuznetsk)

* NewCom (Tyumen)

* as well as more than 20 regional Internet providers

Modern technologies are constantly evolving. This is especially true for Internet communication technologies. If some 10 years ago the demon wired Internet was a curiosity that was not available to everyone, and the cost of such services was very high, and there was no talk of high data transfer rates, but now it is the everyday norm. One such technology is WiMax Internet, which provides users with high-speed wireless broadband.

The technology got its name from the WiMax Forum, an organization that was created in 2001 with the sole purpose of disseminating and developing new broadband wireless technology. At the moment, the organization has become widely known and has about 200 members. It includes such large companies as Intel, Motorola, Fujitsu, Samsung, Siemens and so on.

1. Wireless Internet WiMax

WiMax Internet operates according to the IEEE 802.16 standard. This standard, unlike other types of radio communications, is capable of providing subscribers with a higher data transfer rate, even at fairly large distances in the absence of direct visibility of the base station.

Such technology features are very useful in large and densely built-up cities. Considering the fact that WiMax technology appeared before LTE, it is worth noting that this is the first standard for broadband high-speed mobile communications, which is intended for building networks in large cities. Another goal of developing such technology is to complement WPAN and WLAN and connect all existing subscriber devices that support short-range wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth into a single global network.

1.1. The difference between Wi-Fi and WiMax

Despite the similarity in name, as well as in the standard (Wi-Fi - 802.11, WiMax - 802.16), these are still two different technologies that work according to different standards and principles. For example, WiMax networks operate exclusively in licensed frequency bands that each telephone company has. In addition, the WiMax coverage area (one base station) can reach 50 km, while the point Wi-Fi access has a coverage radius of about 100 meters. If we compare these technologies, WiMax is more like mobile communications, and Wi-Fi - to a landline radiotelephone.

In addition, these technologies have different Quality of Service (QoS) principles. For example, WiMax technology works on the principle of connecting a subscriber device to a base station. In this case, the station is capable of creating many such connections, and each of them has the same priority. In other words, all subscribers connected to one station have equal speed and connection stability.

Wi-Fi, in turn, has a different QoS principle, which is similar to the Internet principle. That is, packets have different priorities. This means that this technology has some limitations on the number of simultaneous connections, and users have different connection speeds and stability. Due to availability and low cost Wi-Fi routers used exclusively for private purposes, for example, in cafes, for creating home networks, and so on

2. WiMax standards

There are two types of WiMax connection:

• Fixed;
• Mobile.

It's also worth noting that there are several different standards:

• 802.16e;
• 802.16d.

At the same time, systems that are based on different versions, are not compatible with each other.

802.16d is fixed WiMax. This standard was approved in 2004. This standard is supported in areas with or without line of sight. The WiMax 802.16d access point is supported by fixed subscriber devices, such as fixed modems, which can be installed indoors and outdoors. Besides this standard Laptop cards are also supported.

802.16e is a standard that is used to build mobile networks. It was approved in 2005. This technology is supported by mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, netbooks and so on. In addition, such networks support the roaming function. These are the networks that are most widespread in Russia. They are built in the following frequency ranges:

• 2.3-2.5 GHz;
• 2.5-2.7 GHz;
• 3.4-3.8 GHz.

The main difference between these two standards (802.16e and 802.16d) is that the first is designed to work with mobile devices that can travel at speeds up to 120 km/h, while the second standard is only supported by stationary devices. In addition, mobile WiMax supports the function of so-called “seamless” switching between base stations when the subscriber moves.

3. WiMax providers

At the moment, many providers are engaged in the construction of mobile and fixed WiMax networks in Russia. These include:

• The Prestige Internet company, which operates under the Enforta brand. This company builds its networks in more than 80 major cities of the Russian Federation;
• One of the most popular companies, Scarlet, which is better known as Yota, is engaged in the construction of WiMax networks in the largest cities of the country - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ufa, Krasnodar, Sochi, Samara, Kazan, as well as Chelyabinsk;
• Comstar Company;
• Synterra;
• NTK is building a network in Vladivostok;
• New Telecommunications Company, which operates under the WiTe and NEX 3 trademarks;
• Interproject company - better known as “Freshtel”;
• "Virgin Connect";
• Trademark “Unit Line”;
• Sovtest Company;
• GlobalFon;
• Dars Telecom;
• New Com.

In addition to these companies, there are more than 20 regional Internet providers that build their networks using WiMax technology.

4. Will WiMax take root in Russia: Video

5. How to set up WiMax

To set up WiMax, you will need a special router that supports wireless Internet of the appropriate technology. Setting it up is no different from setting up a regular router, so if you encounter Wi-Fi setup network at home, you should not have any problems.

First, you will need data - login and password, which are provided by your provider. In order to start setting up, you will need to go to the router interface. To do this, you need to connect it to your computer and enter the address 192.168.1.1 in any browser. After this, you must enter your login and password in the WAN settings.

As a rule, the router automatically receives a static IP address and other necessary data, but for more stable operation of the device they must be entered manually. The provider must also provide this data. For more detailed information on setting up a WiMax router, you need to study the instructions that come with the device.

- market in the country, an assessment of its current state can be reduced to the phrase “not very good yet, but the situation is getting better.” No one has any doubts that this particular wireless communication standard will be leading during the next technological cycle. Unless, of course, you urgently need to implement some 5.5 G.

However, this was not always the case. In 2008, when in many regions of the country there was not even 3 G, claimed to be the “next generation of wireless communications” WiMax. At that distant time, the standard turned out to be the only one capable of providing speed mobile access several megabits and implemented in hardware. It should be noted that at that time the situation with high-speed Internet (and with the Internet in general) was quite sad. At the same time, it was sad not only in the cellular segment, but also in the wired segment. There was no trace of 50 megabit/s for 600 rubles; for that money you could have bought much less. Against this background, proposals from Yota (Skartel LLC) seemed incredible: speeds up to 10 Mbit/s, no traffic threshold, subscription fee of less than a thousand rubles, the ability to use anywhere in the coverage area, no roaming...

After Yota’s excellent start, second-tier operators reached out: Comstar, Freshtel, Soyuz-Telecom, WiTe. Everyone tried to join WiMax and snatch the subscriber base from cell phones. When did the “locomotive” in the person of Yota announce his own phone?"Yota Cosmos" with unlimited calls within the network and affordable prices, mobile operators and it got worse. It’s not surprising - they make a significant part of their revenue in the capital’s markets, as they are the most capacious and solvent. To lose them meant to stand on a par with Tele 2.

However, Yota's plans was not destined to come true. After some time, it was announced that the project to introduce native voice communications would be stopped. The official reason given was the inability to provide acceptable quality, which contains some guile - voice requires noticeably less bandwidth than data. Be that as it may, the project was curtailed and failed to be revived. Around the same time, the triumphal procession WiMax - the operators lost their pace, and the previously vigorous players lost their wings and descended to the sinful earth.

Why didn't it work out? Yota and almost everyone else?

There are several reasons for the failure of the standard in general (and Scartel in particular).

Firstly, the company spread itself too thin. Instead of focusing exclusively on the Russian market, it decided to go international and began building networks in Nicaragua and Belarus. After a short time I had to leave there. The same applies to the phone Cosmos and “the first network in Russia LTE" - all the work was simply thrown away. Net LTE in Kazan was completely empty, since Scartel did not have the appropriate licenses. One of the results of this policy was underfunding and delay in the construction/modernization of networks in Russia.

Secondly, inflexible pricing policy. At the time of launch, only two tariffs were offered: daily (50, and then 90 rubles) and monthly (900 rubles per month). The speed on the tariffs was maximum, so those who needed inexpensive, not too fast, but stable Internet were not covered by the offer.

Thirdly, the company's networks were heavily overloaded. This was a consequence of the pricing policy, which did not imply any restrictions on traffic or speed. As a result, subscribers rushed to download torrents and watch videos, which destroyed a significant number of base stations. Rumors “about the disgustingly functioning Internet” immediately spread across the Internet.

Fourth and finally, the coverage policy is strange. The network's subscribers were residents of multi-storey buildings in the largest cities. Although, as we mentioned above, wired Internet was not very developed at that time, providers did not stand still. The speeds grew, the price fell, they bought WiFi -routers. As a result, Scartel ceased to be an “operator for everyone” and was forced out of apartments as the main channel. The private sector and cities in the regions (Moscow and Leningrad) were carefully ignored by marketers, guided by the saying “There is no life behind the Ring Roads.” But it is precisely there that access to the network is much more necessary than in the capitals, because in those days everything was very bad even in high-rise buildings. Residents of the regions would be happy to use Yota as a fixed channel, even with a strong speed limit (2 or even 1 Mbit/s), because, as at the end of 2013, not everything was in order with the Internet in the private sector.

Other providers have slightly different reasons for shutting down. For example, Comstar through MGTS was purchased by MTS and closed so as not to create competition for the technology LTE. Other operators simply did not have enough money to achieve at least operational payback. Some did not go further at all, limiting themselves to a couple of cities, because they did not see themselves as a competitor to the Big Three. In general, the reasons were different, but the result was the same - curtailment or freezing of almost all projects.

We decided to review proposals WiMax in the country, at the same time seeing how operators are feeling at the moment.

Yota

We talked a lot about it in the previous paragraph. To what has been said, it should be added that nothing remains not only from the original plans, but also from the company itself: its Megafon. In general, the company fully justified its logo in the form of a man standing upside down.

The official website is still active and offers to connect, but this is unlikely to last long. The pricing policies of Scartel and Megafon are fundamentally different.

Comstar

Another operator that fell under the pressure of competitors from the world of cellular communications. In 2011, MTS joined COMSTAR-United TeleSystems, and at the end of the summer of 2012 the network WiMax was finally closed. All clients were redirected online LTE:

Unlike the Yota website, where there was no mention of the technology, on the Comstar website everything was preserved in its original form (without connection and purchase functions, of course) and you can see “how it was.” For example, these are the tariffs:

The operator introduced tariffs with traffic restrictions, but with reasonable prices for overruns. Apparently, Iota’s experience prompted this decision.

Soyuz-Telecom

The first active operator in our review, although it can only be called active with a big stretch. The most recent news is dated 2011, there is no coverage map, and user reviews are extremely negative. Subscribers complain about regularly missing services, inadequate technical support, lack of any information and long equipment repair times:

However, problems arise not only from subscribers, but also from official dealers, who also do not know what to do:

At the moment, the discussion of the provider is almoststopped(all active users switched one way or another). There were rumors about the sale of equipment and the transfer of clients to new operators, but there is no official information on this matter.

The operator himself was brought to justice more than once or twice by the supervisory authority for failure to comply with licensing conditions and for working without the necessary documents. For example, in March 2012 an unscheduledexaminationOffice of Roskomnadzor for the Altai Republic, as a result of which several protocols of administrative violation were issued. The company had problems with commissioning SORM, operating without registration of distribution zones and permits for radio frequencies. In November 2012, residents of the city of Chusovo, Perm Territory, complained about the lack of service. Complaintrecognizedlegal, fined the operator 30 thousand rubles and sent the initiated administrative case to the Moscow Arbitration Court. In addition to the cases described, there were several more violations for which the operator was issued fines and warnings.

What is the provider's problem? In our opinion, it consisted of an attempt to cover everything at once. The company received great amount(47 pieces) licenses that needed to be implemented:

At the same time, they had to be implemented almost throughout the entire country. Soyuz-Telecom proudly stated that “The company has 47 licenses to carry out activities in the field of providing 5 communication services in 80 regions of Russia, including “Communication services for data transmission for the purpose of transmitting voice information”, “Communication services for data transmission with the exception of data transmission services for the purpose of transmitting voice information” , “Telematic communication services”, “Communication services for the provision of communication channels” and “Local telephone communication with the exception of local telephone services using payphones and public access facilities.” Of course, without millions of dollars of investment, these plans could not come true. Most likely, the company's strategy was to quickly gain a minimum number of clients that would pay for its current activities. The calculation did not come true, the cash flow turned out to be less than required and the operator began to sink. All in all, another example of how to bite off as much as you can chew.

There was only one tariff, but with the opportunity to pay for several months and get a discount:

WiTe

Another operator with Napoleonic plans that were not destined to come true. In 2009, it was promised to launch networks in 25 cities in six federal districts within two years. However, the plans were not destined to come true, and as a result, the network started operating in only two cities: Kemerovo and Topki. Most likely, the company simply did not have enough money - the $25 million that was planned to be allocated to cover the regions was too small an amount. Despite the losing “all at once” strategy, the company avoided the fate of Soyuz-Telecom. Having managed not to get involved in the race to increase its presence, the provider concentrated in one place and managed to survive until today.

Although work is announced in two cities, the coverage map is shown only for one:

But the company’s tariffs are fine. The operator did not pursue unnecessary unification and minimalism, but presented a whole line:

The line includes tariffs with and without traffic restrictions. In addition, daily rates are available: WHITE DAY for 50 rubles and WHITE EXPRESS for 75 rubles. Everyone is given 2 days to test the network. If the result is not satisfactory, the failed subscriber can return the funds paid in advance by returning the equipment.

For the city of Topki, tariffs are much lower:

A special feature of the tariffs are the conditions of use. The fact is that tariffs are tied to the type of equipment, and the name of the equipment is misleading. For example, the “White Fix” tariff is available for equipment called “Modem”, although it is meant as USB modem and router. But the equipment called “Router” means an external antenna and a high-performance router. The point is most likely that “routers” have a much more sensitive antenna. Since with a large antenna the signal becomes more stable and the access speed increases, tariffs had to be adjusted towards reducing the traffic threshold or increasing the subscription fee. Otherwise, landline subscribers will create a large load on the base station.

Devices are offered in one model per type: modem, router (mobile and stationary), fixed station and external antenna:

Device	price, rub.
USB modem Seowon SWU-3220A
WiFi router Seowon SWU-8200
Router Seowon SWC-3200
Greenpacket OX 350
External antenna for routers

A set of devices for working in the WiTe network

Reviews about the provider vary. More often, of course, they scold, but this in itself is not an indicator - people scold much more willingly than they praise. People complain about low speeds, unstable connections, and unavailable technical support. Some of the complaints are truly justified - speeds of less than 1 Mbit/s can be considered a problem, but there are also complaints like “I can’t watch movies online.” Unfortunately, not all people understand that watching movies online wirelessly without any restrictions is currently only possible with great luck.

FRESHTEL

The only provider that provides services in several cities and is at least somehow developing, and not on the verge of bankruptcy. The network covers several dozen cities in 12 regions of the country, with most of them located in the Central Federal District. Apparently, the company closely monitored the development (more precisely, how they were bending) of competitors and learned from their mistakes. Therefore, Freshtel is not only developing nearby regions, but is also not trying to compete with wired access providers in high-rise buildings, concentrating on the private sector. For example, this is what the coverage area looks like in the city of Shakhty:

If you enlarge the map, you will see that services will mainly be provided to residents of the private sector. There are also apartment buildings in the zone, but they are low-rise, so wireless Internet services will also be in demand there. The operator is developing not only small cities, but also regional centers. For example, there is also a network in Samara. Alas, not in all areas:

Full list presence in 37 cities:

Some cities were launched quite a long time ago, while others were launched quite recently. The last cities, Samara and Togliatti, were connected in the fall of the outgoing year.

The operator has two tariffs: with a traffic limit of 20 (10) GB and unlimited. They are the same for almost all cities. The first costs 590 rubles, the second - 790 rubles per month. The speed is up to 10 Mbit/s maximum in theory (in practice everything is much more modest). For a tariff with a traffic limit, after it is exhausted, the speed is limited to 256 kbit/s. Modest, but still much better than handouts from mobile operators in the form of 64 kbit/s:

There are quite a lot of devices: two types of modems, five types of routers, an external unit and four external antennas. The price of modems is higher than that of others: 1890 rubles for the ZTE AX320 USB Dongle and 1990 rubles for the Seowon SWU-3220A USB Dongle. Fortunately, since November 7, 2013, the “Internet in your pocket for 99 rubles” promotion has been running, within which modems can be purchased for only 99 rubles. The promotion will continue until the last modems are sold of this type. Promotions are also valid for other devices, but with a time limit:

Separately, it is worth noting the possibility of paying for services. There are several ways to choose from: through terminals, bank cards, electronic money and even Sberbank of Russia:

Such a large number of payment methods indicates that the company understands that it is necessary to fight for the client, and not force him to personally come to the office to give the company his money.

There are many reviews about the operator and the vast majority of them are negative. A significant part of them is that “they promised 10 Mbit/s, but in reality it was much less.” Here, for some reason, the operator decided not to take into account Iota’s experience and walked through the rake with speeds of “up to 10 Mbit/s.” It is clear that the subscriber will be able to see 10 Mbit/s only under the base station, being its only client. Alas, in pursuit of connections, marketers write in tariffs figures that are extremely far from reality. There are a lot of complaints about cut-down torrents, but here we can understand the provider. Torrents will load any communication channel 100%, wireless connection they will not be physically attracted. So for the convenience of other users, torrents must be limited. Claims here can be made for failure to inform subscribers, some of whom connect specifically to download movies and games from trackers. There are also completely unfounded claims:

Wondering which wireless providers offer consistent speeds of 1 Mbps?

In general, subscribers are indignant and threaten to switch to mobile operators. Their speed is indeed higher, as is stability, but for some reason everyone forgets that traffic is strictly limited and after the monthly volume is exhausted, the speed drops to 64 Kbps.

We went in the summer about the takeover of Freshtel by TransTelecom, but they were never confirmed.

Was there a chance?

Having considered the largest federal operators WiMax, we can say that the standard in Russia is more dead than alive. Cellular players have switched to LTE small locals prefer different variations Wi-Fi. For WiMax there is not too much of a niche left corporate clients who cannot connect to the wires for various reasons, but which can be connected for Wi-Fi is not possible.

Looking into the past from today's perspective, we ask ourselves: did we have a chance? WiMax? We think so. Small, but quite real. Standard was lucky twice: first when the crisis came and mobile operators Large construction projects have been frozen. A crisis is not very good for most, but not for those who have money. The cost of equipment, wages, logistics costs - everything is cheaper during a crisis. In addition, contractors have less work to do, which means they can build faster. The standard was lucky for the second time when it turned out that there are 3 full-fledged networks G it is impossible to deploy in some places, and LTE It is not known when it will be launched. At the start of implementation WiMax technologically superior to the third generation networks available at that time several times.

Think about what needed to be doneknowing the purchaselooking at all the successful and unsuccessful steps from the perspective of history is not very correct, but we will try. So, for development WiMax As standard, the following steps were required:

Do not scatter efforts across the entire country, but focus on nearby regions and cities. What's the use of roaming without a surcharge between Moscow and Ufa if the flow of people between them is minimal? But roaming between Moscow and Dolgoprudny would be much more in demand.

Make carpeting in capitals first . Moscow and the corresponding regions are a “cash cow” for operators. A significant part of the country's population, which is solvent, lives here. Belarus is, of course, good, but in terms of financial capabilities it is not comparable to Moscow or St. Petersburg.

Collaborate with local players . One of the obstacles to the development of any wireless technology is the need for infrastructure up to the base station. If you plan to make a fairly dense coating, you cannot do without optical networks from the connection point. Building lines takes time and money. You can buy a channel from local players, but then they will not be interested in developing the network. But an agency scheme or a full-fledged partnership could give a synergistic effect: locals would have the opportunity to connect the private sector, and wireless operators would have the necessary network resources and an interest in success. Most importantly, time would be gained and the networks could be deployed much faster.

Joining forces . You can learn something together much faster than separately. If all providers WiMax divided their zones of influence, but operated under a single brand (this was the model used by cellular companies at the beginning of their journey), things went much faster. Unfortunately, this scenario is even more fantastic than the previous one.

Greater variety of tariffs . We have already touched on this topic. The poor tariff line, which does not allow the subscriber to find exactly “his” tariff, has pushed a number of clients away from the standard. Not everyone needed speeds of “up to 10 Mbit/s” for 900 rubles; some wanted to spend 300 and be able to slowly and without restrictions use mail, read the news and listen to the radio.

Speedy introduction of unlimited voice and release inexpensive phones . Even if the networks WiMax offered one single service in the form of unlimited calls and SMS for a small amount, a lot of people would connect to them. The experience of Tele2 shows that cheap voice communications are extremely in demand. Basic services in the form of voice load the station very little (these are not torrents or even web pages), and the price tag of 300 rubles makes such communication accessible to a wide segment of the population.

If these conditions were met, the situation with WiMax would be completely different. Who knows, maybe now we would They discussed not the introduction of LTE, but WiMax-2.

The average Internet user is necessarily limited by something. One has a high speed and an unlimited tariff, but the wire does not allow it to leave its home or office. Another uses wireless Internet via a cellular network at home, in the car, and in the country, but the speed is nothing but tears, and these tears are not cheap... Well, it’s impossible to surf the Internet normally, you’ll definitely encounter barriers!
A tornado came to Russia. But it is not dangerous; on the contrary, it destroys only what bothers people. Its name is WiMAX! It mercilessly demolishes restrictions called “speed”, “cost”, “wires”, freeing your way to the World Wide Web! With it, you get to the ocean of information and opportunities not on a creaky cart along a country road, singing “creaking wheels, puddles and dirt roads...”, but fly along the high-speed autobahn in a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche! Yes, yes, these are precisely the associations that arise when comparing previously existing methods of accessing the Internet and what WiMAX provides. Unlimited speed of 10 Mbit/s without wires – this is serious!

Let's say right away - we will not compare Mobile WiMAX with Wi-Fi, its close “relative”. In our opinion, Wi-Fi is not at all comparable to Mobile WiMAX technology, since it is intended for organizing landline, not mobile wireless networks, and reasoning on the topic “which is better” will not be entirely correct in its essence. Therefore, we will compare only mobile technologies wireless access.

Third generation (3G) networks are already being put into operation, but the “islands” of coverage that operate in some cities can hardly be considered full-fledged networks. And, while cellular operators were dragging their feet with the introduction of 3G, the Scartel company under the Yota brand and the COMSTAR company had already launched their WiMAX networks. They belong to fourth generation (4G) networks; the network operates in the IEEE 802.16e standard, called Mobile WiMAX. The frequency used is 2.5 GHz. Currently, the network operates in Moscow, Moscow region (partially), St. Petersburg, Leningrad region (partially), Serpukhov, Vyborg, Ufa, Krasnodar, Sochi, Adler. And soon all the largest populated areas of the Moscow and Leningrad regions will be covered, then it will be the turn of other regions.

Coverage map in Moscow:

Coverage map in St. Petersburg:

Coverage map in Ufa:

Coverage map in Sochi:

Coverage map in Krasnodar:

You can always check the current coverage map. In general, WiMAX will first “step on the heels” and then completely “bring to the ground” 3G networks. After all, the coverage of populated areas is not island-like, but continuous. The speed is higher than 3G (10 Mbit/s versus 7). Where there was no coverage yesterday, a signal of excellent quality may appear today. Over time, the question of the possibility of using the network in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities will disappear by itself, and the subscriber will be interested in whether the WiMAX network works in the city where he is traveling. Every year, positive answers to this question will sound more and more often. And whoever didn’t make it in time was late... In Moscow, the coverage area of ​​the WiMAX network is already larger than 3G, since the “third generation” has almost zero coverage. And why do we ever need “islands” with lower Internet access speeds and higher costs for this access?
GSM networks in the field of data transmission are not competitors of the Yota network at all. Compare speeds of 58 kbps (GPRS), 236 kbps (EDGE) and 10 Mbps (Mobile WiMAX). But... In terms of coverage area, WiMAX is now also not a competitor to GSM ( new network now covers a relatively small area), therefore, if you travel outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg and go online in the “outlands”, it is too early to “bury” the GPRS (EDGE) modem, you will still need it. However, coverage is an acquired taste, but data transmission in GSM networks cannot be accelerated to WiMAX values.
Sky Link also now covers much more territory than WiMAX, and the speed provides quite good, 3.6 Mbit/s. Not bad, but not the highest, and in roaming the cost of Sky Link services is higher than in the “home” region.

In real urban conditions, one base station (that is, a complex of antenna and network equipment) WiMAX provides radio coverage around itself for 800 - 1500 m, and sometimes more, so covering even a metropolis like Moscow with “mobile Wimax” is not difficult.

Unlimited Internet– carefree subscriber

Yota subscribers do not know such concepts as “volume of transferred data”, “cost of calls”, “time of watching television and listening to radio”. For a certain subscription fee, they receive unlimited access to the Internet and related multimedia services. Radio and television broadcasting via the Internet are no longer new. But sometimes I had to deal with problems: either the channel capacity was too low and did not allow transmitting video and audio streams, or the speed was high, but the next film shown on TV “gobbled up” the traffic for such an amount that it was cheaper to buy tickets to the cinema, in the VIP box... And to have a high-speed channel, unlimited Internet, and even without wires - that probably doesn’t happen...

It doesn’t happen if you don’t use the Yota network. But once you become its subscriber, forget about any restrictions! There is another series on TV - please open at least the standard Windows Media Player and watch it. If you want to chat via Skype, and even with video transmission, please chat as much as you like. And in the future, when going to another city where the Yota network operates, do not think about how much Internet access will cost. It will be unlimited for you without additional payment.

But Yota is not only about high-speed Internet access. It's also a mass additional services: telephony (including video calls), video conferencing, entertainment (movies, radio, music, terrestrial television channels and radio stations), video sharing (during a conversation you can shoot something interesting with the built-in camera, and the interlocutor will see it on the display of his devices). Yota subscribers get access to a huge catalog of music (more than 50 thousand songs), a collection of video clips, and television channels. Access, of course, is unlimited!

COMSTAR tariffs are slightly different. There are with subscription fee which already includes certain traffic, depending on its size. And without a subscription fee in which the subscriber pays only for the volume of information received and transmitted. Naturally, the higher the subscription fee, the more traffic is included in the tariff and the cheaper 1 MB of excess traffic will cost. So in the M0 tariff plan the subscription fee is only 90 rubles, but the included traffic is 0.3 GB and 1 MB above it will cost 50 kopecks. A tariff plan M3 offers us 10 GB of traffic for 700 rubles and 15 kopecks for an extra megabyte. But in the S tariff there is no subscription fee and one downloaded or received megabyte will cost 50 kopecks. Among the tariffs without a subscription fee, it is worth highlighting the WiMax-Student tariff plan; there is no subscription fee, but 5 GB can be downloaded for free, and everything on top will cost 50 kopecks per megabyte. The disadvantage of this tariff is that only students can connect to it upon presentation of a student “all-terrain vehicle”, that is, a ticket. For those who are friends with the Comstar company and use its services there is special rates with increased traffic and the same subscription fee.

Unscrupulous landlords and providers will get a slap on the wrist

WiMAX will not allow unscrupulous landlords to make office tenants dependent by imposing on them the services of only one Internet provider, whose tariffs, of course, are unreasonably high, and the quality of the channels is nothing but tears. You couldn’t connect to another provider - the landlord wouldn’t allow wires. But the landlord cannot prevent the WiMAX signal from entering the premises being rented. It is also impossible to force a tenant to use the services of an imposed provider. If you decide to change your office, there is no need to reconnect to the Internet - WiMAX will always be with you!

Many district providers connect residential buildings to their local networks, at the same time, it has already become a tradition to compulsorily cut the wires of competing providers, while their subscribers suffer, being left without paid Internet, television, and telephone. It happens that certain houses are served by only one provider, while others are simply not allowed. WiMAX is not afraid of all these “wire wars”; its signal cannot be cut or jammed. Subscribers do not have to wait for specialists to come and install cable into their apartment.

Verdict ION

We are convinced that WiMAX networks are still the leaders in Internet access speed. Network coverage is currently available in Moscow, the Moscow region (partially), St. Petersburg, the Leningrad region (partially), Serpukhov, Vyborg, Ufa, Krasnodar, Sochi, Adler, and this is just the beginning. And the finale will be all of Russia! Providers with bad channels and high prices will either leave the market altogether, having received a kick from WiMAX, or will be forced to start treating their subscribers normally, improving the quality of services and lowering prices. WiMAX will not only give you high-speed and unlimited Internet access, it will shake up the market, forcing stagnant providers to develop!

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Today, WiMAX wireless communication technology is the most advanced of all existing ones. Appearing back in 2003, it was aimed at satisfying the broadcast device market.

Around the world, a large number of operators have begun to create wireless networks. Such networks now exist in the USA, Japan, Korea, Russia and many others. If we take into account the words of leading communications analysts, WiMAX will soon have a total number of network users of more than 100 million people.

Today we can safely say that WiMAX has no alternative technology, which makes it an advanced product. In this article we will take a detailed look at the features of this technology, its advantages and disadvantages.

What it is?

“WiMAX” (“International Interconnection for Microwave Access”) is a technology developed in 2003, the purpose of which is to provide wireless communications for workstations, desktop computers, laptop computers and mobile devices. Based on the IEEE 802.16 communication standard.

What problems does WiMAX solve:

• provision of broadband communications, instead of leased lines and DSL/ADSL;
• provision of remote monitoring systems;
• creating points remote access, which are not tied to a geographic location;
• providing Wi-Fi access points and connecting them to each other, as well as other areas of the Internet network.

I would also like to briefly talk about the main stages of development of this technology:

Scope and feasibility of application

Today, developers around the world are acutely faced with the problem of the “last mile” (the channel that connects the user’s end equipment to the provider’s access node). Fortunately, there are now many varieties of last-mile technology available, so every provider can solve the problem of choosing this technology.

Today, the last mile problem does not have a clear and universal solution. Absolutely every existing technology has its own area of ​​application, pros and cons.

The choice of a particular technology can be influenced by a large number of factors, and here are the main ones:

• way to achieve intended goals, efficient use of resources, target audience,
• allocation of investments that will subsequently be used to develop the network;
• the availability and operability of the existing network infrastructure, as well as certain resources that will be allocated to support the technical operation of the network.

Each of the above factors plays a special role in choosing a technological solution.

I would also like to note, when comparing Wi-Fi and WiMAX, that the latter allows users to access the Internet at a fairly high speed. The coverage of WiMAX networks is much greater than that of Wi-Fi.

video: WiMax technology

Technology options

The entire family of WiMAX technology has a fairly wide range of advantages, which have certain differences from each other. WiMAX technology developers tried to find the most appropriate option for mobile and fixed-line use.

However, it is worth noting the fact that combining requirements within one standard is still not a solved problem. The standard requirements are completely similar to each other, but each technology has a specific focus on different areas of the market. Therefore, this became the impetus for creating two separate versions of the standard.

Photo: technology IEEE standard 802.16 e and d

Each WiMAX specification has its own specifications: radiation powers, frequencies, access and transmission, reuse of radio frequencies. And it is precisely because of these features that WiMAX systems based on the IEEE 802.16 e and d standard have virtually no compatibility.

• 802.16-2004 - was approved in 2004. Frequency multiplexing is used during operation. In addition, there is support for so-called fixed access in those areas where there is no direct visibility. In most cases, frequencies of 3.5 and 5 GHz are used.
• 802.16-2005 - was approved in 2005. A new version is a big step in the evolution of fixed access. The new version received support for mobile subscribers, and its distinctive feature is support for a number of special functions, such as: “Idle mode”, “Handover”.

The distinctive features between the two specifications are that fixed WiMAX (802.16-2004) only works with static subscribers, while 802.16-2005 (mobile WiMAX) works with subscribers who move at speeds of up to 110 kilometers per hour.

I would also like to note that due to mobility, all roaming functions and the so-called “seamless connection” between the main workstations are provided while the subscriber is on the move. There are also exceptional cases when 802.16-2005 can be used quite well when serving static subscribers.

I would also like to note that most companies give their preference to WiMAX when providing high-speed communication services.

And there are reasons for this:

• First of all, 802.16 is effective from an economic point of view in providing its customers with access to the network, as well as expanding services and covering new territories;
• secondly, it is easy to use, unlike wired channels. WiMAX and Wi-Fi are quite easy to use, deploy and, of course, scale. Quite a convenient way to create a fairly large network in the shortest possible time.

WiMAX subscriber equipment

Currently, equipment for using WiMAX networks can be installed indoors (such devices are usually no larger in size than traditional DSL modems) and outdoors (devices the size of a laptop).

Indoor devices are more convenient to use, but can only operate at short distances from the base station.

Because of this, equipment that is installed indoors requires a larger investment, since a large number of access points will be required to ensure high-quality work.

Operating principle and concepts

WiMAX consists of the following elements: stations (base and client), equipment that connects stations, and an Internet network. Frequencies from 2 to 11 GHz are used to connect the base station and the client station.

As a rule, direct visibility is established between base stations and the operating frequency range from 10 to 66 GHz is used. Direct visibility between workstations and frequency range allow data exchange rates of up to 120 Mbit/s. But in this case, it is necessary to connect one of the workstations to the provider’s network using a standard wired connection method.

IEEE 802.16 standards have a GSM network structure. The range of base stations is several kilometers and the construction of any additional towers that amplify the signal is absolutely not required.

Modes

The wimax 802.16e-2005 standard includes all versions that were released earlier:

MAC/link layer

802.16 MAC networks use a so-called scheduling algorithm. The operating principle of this algorithm is based on the following: absolutely any client station can connect to the access point and after connecting, a separate slot will automatically be created for it directly on the access point. In addition, other users cannot influence this, and thus it eliminates the possibility of communication being interrupted.

WiMAX Architecture

At the WiMAX Forum, an architecture specification was created, thanks to which it is possible to determine a huge number of operational nuances. This number includes the distribution of network addresses, interaction with other networks, and authentication.

I would like to note that the network architecture is not strictly tied to one or another individual configuration, so it provides quite high flexibility and scalability.

Advantages and disadvantages

The benefits include:

The disadvantages include I:

• shortage of frequency devices;
• unpreparedness of the legislative framework;
• difficulties in introducing new technology, which is why there is currently no possibility of providing high-quality communication at a low cost.

In this article we looked at WiMAX in detail. It's safe to say that WiMAX is currently the leading wireless technology. Today it has gained quite wide popularity in the modern world.