The WiMAX Forum has established a Regulatory Working Group (RWG) with the aim of ensuring the availability and global harmonization of “WiMAX friendly” spectrum worldwide. The group will lobby for the uniform adoption of specific frequency bands for Broadband Wireless Access (BWA). Additionally, the RWG will work with regulators to develop flexible and technology neutral regulatory frameworks, allowing usage models to evolve as the BWA market matures and enabling service providers to deploy the most appropriate solutions for their markets.
Initially, the WiMAX Forum believes global harmonization for broadband wireless access can be achieved in the following spectrum bands:
- License-Exempt 5 GHz: Because license-exempt spectrum is free to use, this band is a key to enabling grassroots deployments in underserved, low population density rural and remote markets. The WiMAX Forum will commit additional resources — notably in Europe — to promote wider release of this band in a harmonized and timely manner.
- Licensed 3.5 GHz: In these bands, the focus of the WiMAX Forum will be to minimize unnecessary technical and regulatory requirements that might constrain BWA usage models and overall market development.
- Licensed 2.5 GHz: Though already allocated in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil and some Southeast Asian countries, the WiMAX Forum is participating in ongoing global efforts to make this band available in other countries on a technology neutral basis.
In addition to these efforts, the WiMAX Forum will work with world standards and regulatory bodies to advance the allocation of licensed and license-exempt spectrum in lower frequency bands. The propagation of radio waves is better at lower frequencies, such as the 700 MHz frequency range which is expected to become available as television stations transition from analog to digital broadcasting. In the U.S., the FCC is considering both licensed and license-exempt allocations in this band. http://www.WiMAXForum.org