Using WiMAX to improve volcano monitoring during an emergency: a feasibility study of the WEIRD system applied to the Campi Flegrei volcanic area scenario (southern Italy)

IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks (hereafter IEEE 802.16; online at http://standards.ieee.org/getieee802/802.16.html) is one of the most promising mobile and fixed broadband wireless access technologies for next-generation all-IP networks in the 3.5 GHz band (European spectrum profile). Commonly known as Universal WiMAX (worldwide inter-operability for microwave access), this access technology reaches a high bit rate and covers large areas with a single base station, making it possible to offer connectivity to end users in a cost-effective way. A further useful property of the WiMAX technology is that the transmission can be used both in line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments, allowing highly feasible communications (WiMAX Forum 2004). Thanks to these features, IEEE 802.16 opens the way to the use of wireless technologies in the environmental monitoring of areas such as seismic and volcanic zones