By Telecom
Lead Team: BSNL Chennai Telephones has launched WiMAX, the fourth generation
technology for wireless broadband, in 15 mofussil areas around Chennai as part
of delivering its DataOne services to locations which are difficult to network
with the conventional cables.
Each of the
15 BTS towers set up in these locations will provide wireless broadband
services within a radius of 10-15 km and have capacity to network about 1,000
subscribers with a little back-end scaling up of bandwidth.
BSNL can
offer wireless connectivity for a 15-km line of sight range in rural areas at
speeds ranging between 256 Kbps and 2 Mbps. Unlike the limited access area that
a Wi-Fi hotspot serves, WiMAX represents 4G wireless broadband technology that
can link up larger areas.
The new
WiMAX spots are Uthiramerur, Chengalpattu, Anna Nagar, Maraimalainagar,
Gummidipoondi SIPCOT, Kelambakkam, Thiruvallur M/W, Oragadam, Sriperumbudur,
Manali New Town, Melmaruvathur, Maduranthagam, Thirukazhukundram, Thatchur,
Medavakkam and Kancheepuram.
Apart from
several attractive user friendly plans, BSNL has also extended promotional
schemes for outright purchase or renting the customer premises equipment (CPE)
for receiving WiMAX services. While users within a 1 km radius of a WiMAX BTS
can access the Internet with just a USB dongle, those within a 2-5 km radius
would require an indoor CPE while subscribers farther away would need to hook
up with outdoor equipment.
Though the
current technology deployed does not provide for access to other WiMAX cell
sites while roaming it could be possible in the conceivable future,” said
Chennai Telephones Chief General Manager A. Subramanian.
Pinging on speedtest.net during a demo at
the Maraimalainagar BTS area showed a download speed of 2.17 Mbps and upload
speed of 1.79 on the USB dongle, 1.97 Mbps (download) and 0.51 (upload) with an
indoor CPE and 2.02 Mbps (download) and 1.57 Mbps (upload) with an outdoor CPE.
