80216m

IEEE 802.16m, also known as Mobile WiMAX Release 2 or WirelessMAN-Advanced, is an amendment to the IEEE 802.16 family of standards intended to extend and enhance WiMAX technology for mobile broadband. It serves as the successor to IEEE 802.16e-2009 and is designed to improve throughput, mobility, spectral efficiency, and network capacity while maintaining backward compatibility with 802.16e devices.

Development and scope

The specification was developed by the IEEE 802.16 Working Group as part of the evolution path for WiMAX networks. 802.16m builds on the foundations of earlier 802.16 releases and aims to provide a more capable air interface and improved network performance to better compete with emerging mobile broadband technologies. The standard was published as IEEE Std 802.16m, with the official release commonly associated with Mobile WiMAX Release 2.

Key features

802.16m introduces enhancements across the physical, medium access control, and network layers. Key elements include improved spectral efficiency, higher potential data rates, and reduced latency. It incorporates advanced antenna techniques such as improved MIMO and multi-user MIMO capabilities, along with revised resource management and scheduling to support richer quality-of-service (QoS) options and more seamless mobility. The design emphasizes scalability to operate across various licensed spectrum bands and both TDD and FDD configurations.

Spectrum, deployment, and status

The standard is intended for licensed bands commonly used by WiMAX, typically in the 2 to 6 GHz range, with support for multiple channel bandwidths and deployment scenarios. 802.16m is designed to be interoperable with existing 802.16e networks, enabling coexistence and gradual migration. While marketed as a significant upgrade to WiMAX, adoption varied, with some operators moving toward LTE and LTE-Advanced approaches.

See also

IEEE 802.16 family, WiMAX, Mobile WiMAX, IEEE 802.16m-2011.