WiMAX simulator to realise efficient area planning

NEC Corp. has developed a new WiMAX radio propagation simulator, RADIOSCAPE-WiMAX expected to realise the analysis and display of the service area and transmission performance of WiMAX systems after their adoption in Japan next year.

By introducing new space/frequency utilisation concepts, such as MIMO and sub-channelisation, WiMAX systems are expected to realise the transmission of large volumes of data in limited-frequency bands and frequency reuse between base stations. However, existing area-planning tools cannot estimate quantitatively or precisely the effects of these kinds of new technologies, resulting in inefficient area planning. NEC has developed RADIOSCAPE-WiMAX to realise efficient area planning after the future adoption of WiMAX systems.

New functions were added to RADIOSCAPE, a radio propagation simulator developed by NEC for WLAN and 3G mobile phone systems, to allow application to future WiMAX systems. The simulator features accelerated calculation by hierarchised MIMO characteristic simulation technology and highly precise frequency planning by inter-sub-channel interference simulation technology.

NEC has confirmed the precision of RADIOSCAPE-WiMAX through indoor/outdoor radio propagation tests, which show that the new simulator not only maintains a high level of estimation precision similar to that of RADIOSCAPE but also achieves simulation that is 40 times faster than conventional ray-launching methods.

In addition, utilisation of the simulator will enable quantitative evaluation of system capability of specific environments and equipment during the phase of WiMAX equipment planning and system implementation. Consequently, phased equipment planning appropriate to the number of users and the volume of traffic can be achieved.

NEC expects this technology to provide comprehensive support to network operators when WiMAX service commences on a nationwide scale, and to facilitate adjustment of the frequency distribution of high-speed wireless communication services offered to residents in local communities. The company is planning to introduce the new simulator into its total WiMAX solutions offering next year.