Optimizing the Number of WiMAX Antennas

Emergency communications, voice communications, electronic mail and other internet based communications are becoming vital for communities to function in today’s modern world. When these are lost due to natural or man-made disasters, relief efforts face tremendous difficulties in coordinating the lifesaving services that respond to the disaster. Expediting the restoration of these communications is essential to saving lives. For communities in developing nations with have no existing communication infrastructure, low cost wireless based communications are essential to bring these services to those communities. Today, WiMAX, a communication technology invented by Intel Corporation et al, is meeting those challenges. In this paper we discuss the deployment of WiMAX in those situations and we will focus how can we minimize the number of antennas or transceivers (by sector) one WiMAX tower should have while meeting the needed coverage. In this paper, we will discuss the technology, the possibilities of deploying WiMAX in emerging markets and the benefits of its deployment to help restore communications after natural or man-made disasters. The paper will discuss an operational model that can be used to determine how many antennas will be needed for single pole or tower deployment in these areas. The model will take into consideration the number of anticipated users, the range for the signal, the bandwidth requirements