Wimax In India, Protiviti Paper

WiMAX: The Quintessential Answer
to Broadband in India

DISCLAIMER

This paper has been prepared by Protiviti Consulting PrivateUU Limited (‘Protiviti’) with input
from the WiMAX Forum®. The data and statements presented are based on information
currently available in the public domain and with the WiMAX Forum. Whilst reasonable
efforts have been made to ensure that the information and content of this paper is
reasonably correct as of the date of first compilation, Protiviti does not warrant that the
information presented herein is complete or without error. Protiviti does not accept any
liability for any errors, omissions or other inaccuracies to anyone whatsoever. Readers
should independently verify any facts and figures as no liability can be accepted in this
regard  readers assume full responsibility and risk accordingly for their use of such
information and content.

This paper contains projections and other forward-looking statements that are based on
assumptions and currently available information/estimates. All such statements are subject
to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual developments and results to differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without
limitation, any technological changes/modifications and other issues in developing and
implementing product specifications and product certification testing and delays/changes
and/or unanticipated developments in the governmental regulatory environment,
unanticipated technological and manufacturing issues among product manufacturers in
designing, building and/or distributing products that implement WiMAX™ technology, market
demand for WiMAX products and/or products built to operate within specified WiMAX Forum
profiles, and environmental, political, social and economic factors beyond the control of the
WiMAX Forum or Protiviti.

A broad range of WiMAX Forum members have had the opportunity to technically review
and critique the material presented herein and an attempt has been made to ensure its
reasonableness. However, no warranties for the accuracy or completeness of the
information is being taken or implied in any circumstances whatsoever.

PROTIVITI • WiMAX IN INDIA • 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Broadband Market and Broadband Wireless Access
The lackluster performance of the broadband (BB) market, primarily attributable to the
technical and economic nonfeasibility of the fixed line infrastructure in India, indicates that
the solution for mass proliferation of broadband in India has to be wireless. Recognising the
strong correlation between broadband proliferation and increased economic activity and
experience of the burgeoning wireless voice market, the government had announced its
Broadband Policy (2004) and most recently the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) auctions
in 2008 to accelerate BB adoption in India. The industry and the country now wait with
bated breath to see which wireless technology will be adopted to provide a cost-effective
and scalable BB solution to the Indian market, which is ripe with pent up demand for
broadband services.

Wireless Broadband – Technology Adoption Parameters
Adoption of any new wireless technology would hinge on affordability, spectral efficiency (on
account of scarcity of available spectrum and its high cost), scalability, robustness, range of
devices available, evolution roadmap over the next 3-4 years and meeting the BWA policy
requirements.

WiMAX – The Quintessential Answer
WiMAX emerges as the quintessential answer to these problems, given its superior
performance and lower costs as compared to the existing 3G technologies and futuristic
Long Term Evolution (LTE) equivalents. WiMAX was developed for high-speed wireless BB
data access and is a 4G technology available today at 3G prices. It presents an ideal choice
to Telcos for providing high-speed wireless BB at affordable rates and for the government to
meet its growth and social objectives.

The Right Choice for Telcos
WiMAX can be a strong platform for mass adoption of BB in India:
 Estimated returns on investment – equity IRR in the range of 25% - 30% with an NPV of
Rs 32 - 37 billion (over a 10 year period) and a subscriber base of 23 million (by 2019);
 Strong coverage and capacity parameters, availability of network elements at
competitive prices and lower Capex per subscriber due to an end-to-end (e2e), all-IP
architecture and better spectral efficiency;
 WiMAX is stable, tested and proven with a robust and flourishing ecosystem in globally
harmonized spectrum bands of 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz;
 Will protect investment in 802.16e (the current version to be deployed) as WiMAX has
low migration costs to upgrade to 802.16m.


Faster BB Deployment: Government – A Key Benefactor
Government would benefit from the expansion in economic activity manifesting into
increased GDP growth rates and revenue generation as has been seen from the
improvement in teledensity through wireless cellular telephony. Highlights:
 Revenues of over Rs 260 billion1 over the decade from auction and taxes etc;
 Employment generation potential of ~ 61 million2;
 Fulfill societal objectives through better diffusion of economic growth:
o Improved education  expected expansion of Rs 1,900 billion3 in national
output over the period 2010-2020, due to ubiquitous broadband deployment
for e-Literacy and e-Education programmes in vocational and secondary
schools
o Improved health facilities

Consumers – The End Benefactors
High-speed Internet connectivity ‘on the go’  anytime, anywhere with a wide array of value-
added services at affordable pricing  will help in improving individual productivity and
effectiveness.

Conclusion
WiMAX is poised to deliver high-speed wireless broadband at lower costs that will aide mass
adoption and thus alleviate problems faced by India’s broadband market. Delays in
implementing BWA policy and WiMAX adoption are not only denying the Indian diaspora of
a cost-effective, high-quality broadband solution but also represent a losing opportunity –
the opportunity for India to leapfrog other developed nations, given the correlation between
broadband proliferation and economic progress of countries.

This paper examines the advantages of WiMAX among other wireless technology choices
available today to espouse the mass proliferation of broadband throughout India and to
meet the BWA policy objectives. No other comparable technology to WiMAX is ready today
to address problems encompassing broadband diffusion in the country, given its existing
infrastructure as well as the needs of the masses.

1
From 3 operators excluding BSNL/MTNL
2
Based on CII’s ‘Broadband Vision 2020’ study
3
Based on CII’s ‘Broadband Vision 2020’ study (present value in 2003 prices)


1. India – Internet Penetration on the Rise
India is projected to become the third largest economy after China and the USA. With
continued GDP growth in the range of 6% to 8% pa, expansion of business, consequent
rising disposable incomes and one of the youngest population profiles (more than 60% of
people are below the age of 30 years4), there is a burgeoning demand for broadband
services by individuals and corporate users that has not been met by the currently deployed
wire-line, cable and wireless technologies such as GSM/EDGE/CDMA/1X EV-DO/3G, etc.

Demand for Internet access, which has shown multifold growth both in urban and rural
areas, across individuals and corporations, is expected to remain robust in the future.
Statistics reflect that there were about 81 million5 Internet users in the country (a growth of
1,520% during the period 2000-2008), making India home to the fourth largest number of
Internet users in the world, after the USA, China and Japan. According to “The ‘I-Cube’
(Internet in India) study”6, the number of PC owners (households) in India grew by 36% in
2008, with 62% of all household PC owners having an Internet subscription. With the DOT7
setting aggressive targets of reaching 500 million Internet users and 100 million broadband
subscribers by 2012, (‘Digital Vision – 2012’), significant price declines in terminal
equipment and monthly subscriptions coupled with the growing use of Internet for education
and commerce means that Internet numbers should dramatically rise over the next 2 to 3
years, a trend that is expected to continue well into the next decade.

1.1 The Burgeoning Demand for Broadband
The Internet is becoming multifarious with rich multimedia. With increasing digitization of
content, Internet access increasingly requires broadband/higher speed connections with
improved QoS8 parameters.

Web pages continue to get ‘heavier’  the average webpage size has tripled in the last 5
years as over 90% of the web pages requested today contain images. Further, videos now
account for 99% of bytes transferred, with the average file size being 10 megabytes. Thus,
Internet today requires multiple Mbps connections with superior QoS - in order to provide an
uninterrupted Internet experience.

4
US Bureau of the Census IPC, International Database
5
Internet Governance Forum
6
Per survey conducted by IMRB in association with IAMAI
7
Department of Telecom
8
Quality of service


Accordingly, the individual Internet access mix has undergone significant transformation in
the past 3-4 years. Instead of the traditional primary usage of Internet for e-mails, there is:

 Increasing proportion of Internet usage for information and content sourcing;
 Growing popularity of e-commerce and e-tailing, which are expanding the size and reach
of the B2C business model;
 With increased digitization of content and the mounting popularity of user-generated
content  YouTube, blogs, reviews and social networking, websites such as
facebook.com and orkut.com  broadband demand from individual users has been
burgeoning.

Per the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), 31 million (in 2007) and 66 million
subscribers (in March 2008) used their GSM and CDMA mobile devices to log onto the
Internet9. As an increasing number of individuals try accessing Internet ‘on the go’ (games,
e-mail, entertainment, music and sports being the most popular categories with such users)
on narrowband connections available through 2G cellular networks, demand for mobile
broadband and the gap in its supply are expected to become more pronounced.

Corporate users, too, are increasingly demanding faster and more geographically spread
broadband solutions. With the expansion of business operations and demands to reduce
operating costs, industries are increasingly focusing on decentralizing operations to lower
cost locations. Moreover, with industrialized countries increasingly outsourcing activities to
Indian companies to cut costs, the size of the Indian outsourcing industry has grown
multifold in the last decade. As reduction in costs is central to the outsourcing concept, a
virtuous circle for low cost and superior broadband connectivity solutions has been set in
motion, creating a Pan India demand for high-speed connectivity solutions.

Further, with the government (both central and state) on a ‘war footing’ to facilitate the
implementation of societal applications such as e-Governance, telemedicine, distance
education, e-commerce and employment generation  particularly in the rural and remote
areas to ensure that growth and development ‘trickles down’ to the masses10  availability of
a cost-effective and reliable broadband solution across the country is key to the success of
such initiatives. This is further widening the gap between the demand and supply of
widespread and cost-effective broadband solutions.

9
Per TRAI from April 2009, there were 101.10 million wireless data subscribers at the end of December 2008 (capable of
accessing data services including Internet through mobile handsets (GSM/CDMA))
10
Recent initiatives by the Department of Telecom and Department of Information Technology include the subsidization of
100,000 common service centers (CSCs), which shall deliver e-governance, entertainment, education, telemedicine, e-
commerce, info-services, etc. ubiquitously to the villages/rural areas across India


1.2 Inadequate Existing Infrastructure
Existing fixed infrastructure (wire-line, cable, etc.) in both urban and rural areas is grossly
inadequate to meet this growing demand for broadband as only 17%11 of the existing wire-
line infrastructure is capable of broadband provisioning through Digital Subscriber Line
(DSL), which would restrict the penetration of broadband. Further, the growing inability of
the existing 2G and 2.5G mobile networks12 to satisfy the broadband hunger due to
spectrum and capacity constraints means deployment of new wireless networks to offload
data-intensive fixed/mobile broadband applications is inevitable.

Thus, there is a crying need for deploying a cost-effective and scalable wireless broadband
technology across the length and breadth of the country to meet the broadband hunger of
the classes as well as the masses while fulfilling policy objectives of the government. While
3G and BWA spectrum auctions in the 2.3 and 2.5 GHz bands announced by the
government in 2008 are a giant step towards enabling mass proliferation of broadband in
India, the larger issue faced by the telcos and policy makers is deciding which technology
should be adopted, given the uniqueness of the Indian market to address diverse sections of
the population while being scalable.

1.3 WiMAX – The Quintessential Answer

WiMAX, with its relatively superior performance and lower cost structure is, perhaps, the
answer to India’s broadband proliferation problem. WiMAX was evolved for high-speed
wireless data access (fixed and mobile) as compared to currently deployed cellular
technologies that were developed for voice. WiMAX:
 Enables a faster wireless broadband service – WiMAX Release 1.0 has a higher
peak rate and two to three times greater down link (DL) sector throughput than
HSPA Release 613, which means higher data transfer capacity in the same quantum
of spectrum allotted
 Has a lower cost structure (CAPEX and operating costs):
– An all IP, flat network architecture;
– With the adoption of globally harmonized spectrum bands14 for BWA in India,
costs of equipment (operator and customer premises) will remain low due to
significant economies of scale achieved through a well-developed global
ecosystem; and
– Has the highest spectral efficiency15 (refer to Table 1)

11
TRAI Broadband Policy 2004 - There are more than 40 million copper loops in the country available with BSNL and MTNL
out of which approximately 7 million loops can be leveraged for providing broadband services
12
While 2G and 2.5G networks continue to enable users to access data on their handsets and laptops, increased digitization
of content and surge in applications will lead to these networks being capacity constrained as usage increases - mobile data
traffic is expected to grow by a factor of 10x between 2010 – 2015
13
Throughput advantage depends on ratio of DL to UL traffic; for a more detailed analysis, see white paper: “Mobile WiMAX –
Part II: A Comparative Analysis”, available on the WiMAX Forum website
14
2.3 and 2.5 GHz
15
As compared to HSPA and HSPA+, Source: WiMAX Forum


 Is scalable by ten times for speed capability and three times for spectral efficiency
improvements, and has a defined evolution path for 802.16m with minimal upgrade
costs, thus protecting investments made for today’s 802.16e.

With superior data delivery performance at a lower cost as compared to 3G technologies
available today, WiMAX provides a cost-effective solution to mass proliferation of high-
speed BB in India.

Further, per the 3G auction guidelines, only 10 MHz of spectrum is to be allotted per
operator, assuming operators dedicate this spectrum to broadband usage; at an
oversubscription rate of 1:3016, and 2 Mbps speed per subscriber, broad computation
reveals that approximately 72 subscribers can use this spectrum for broadband connections
as compared to 264 subscribers for WiMAX with the same specifications17. Another
important consideration is that with no additional 2G spectrum available with the government
 and given the scorching pace of voice subscriber additions across the existing operators 
this 3G spectrum would in all probability be dedicated to sufficing the needs of the
burgeoning voice subscribers. Thus, 3G could be an expensive solution and may not be
used by operators for alleviating India’s broadband hunger.

Initial WiMAX deployments were made in the 3.2 GHz band by select operators due to its
sheer capability and performance. However, WiMAX-based mass adoption of wireless
broadband could not scale up primarily due to nonadoption of a globally harmonized
spectrum band (which led to high infrastructure and device costs as no benefit could be
derived from economies of scale). The BWA policy of the government around 2.3 and 2.5
GHz globally harmonized bands has helped Indian telcos to seriously consider and embrace
WiMAX due to the global level of maturity offered by WiMAX and its ecosystem within these
frequency bands.

Thus, the stage is set for WiMAX adoption in India by Indian telcos and the Indian diaspora
can enjoy wireless broadband at the right QoE18 and QoS levels.

16
TRAI Guidelines for service providers providing Internet/broadband services for ensuring better quality of service (press note
dated March 2, 2009) - maximum oversubscription of 1:50 for home users and 1:30 for business users
17
Refer to Table 1 for details of specifications
18
Quality of Experience


2. Technology Comparison: The WiMAX Edge
Mobile WiMAX is based upon Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), an
access technology that has become commonly accepted as the basis for the evolution of
mobile technology in 4G – thus, matured and proven 4G technology exists today. A single
WiMAX 802.16e-2005 (16e) platform can support fixed, portable and mobile broadband
services. It has the capability to operate in scalable channel bandwidths from 5 to 20 MHz to
comply with various IMT-2000 standards-based spectrum allocations. WiMAX supports the
best-in-class security features through mutual device/user authentication, flexible key
management protocols, strong traffic encryption and security protocol optimizations for fast
handovers. Further, with an all-IP end-to-end network (which will only be incorporated in the
4G version of cellular technologies), currently WiMAX has lower network operating costs as
compared to higher cost circuits switched networks for HSPA/HSPA+.

Spectral Efficiency and Sector Throughput – Key to Lowering Costs

With spectrum being the most critical component of the business model for telcos on
account of its costs and scarcity, BWA technology adoption decisions hinge on spectral
efficiency.

Spectral efficiency has a favourable impact on the business case as it:

 Lowers deployment cost per Megabit, which would be key to dense urban, suburban,
rural and remote area deployments

 Enables higher network capacity to support new value-added services for increased
operator revenues

Further, sector data throughput [DL and Uplink (UL)] performance is also important as it
directly impacts investment in capital equipment.

WiMAX outscores existing 3G technologies on these metrics. Further, with 16m (Release
2.0) of WiMAX reporting twice the spectral efficiency of Release 1.5, WiMAX will be ahead
of the current LTE prototypes/versions of cellular technologies being developed.
Comparisons between Mobile WiMAX 16e (Release 1.0) with 3G enhancements [High
Speed Packet Access (HSPA) Release 6 and Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) Rev B]
reflect that Mobile WiMAX Release 1.0 [TDD, 10 MHz Channel Bandwidth (BW)] has higher
peak rates and two to three times greater DL19 sector throughput than HSPA Release-6.
This translates to higher data transfer capacity in the same quantum of spectrum and lesser
numbers of base stations, thus lowering overall capital investments.

19
Throughput advantage depends on ratio of DL to UL traffic, see white paper: “Mobile WiMAX – Part II: A Comparative
Analysis”, available on the WiMAX Forum website, for a more detailed analysis


Spectral Efficiencies Comparison Net Throughput per Channel/Sector Comparison

2.5 16
14
1.7 1.8 14
2
12 9.4
1.5 10
Bps/HZ

0.9 0.9

Mbps
1 0.75 0.8 DL 8 DL
0.5 0.25 0.25 UL 6 4.2 4 4
UL
4 1.6 1.6 2
0 2
DL/UL=1/1 DL/UL=3/1 0
DL/UL=1/1 DL/UL=3/1
3XEVDO HSPA Rel‐6 Mobile WiMAX Rel 1.0
Rev B 3XEVDO Rev B HSPA Rel‐6 Mobile WiMAX Rel 1.0

Source: WiMAX Forum

Further, comparisons between WiMAX Release 1.5 and the next-generation 3GPP20
technology releases (HSPA and HSPA+), show WiMAX exceeds in the given performance
parameters:

Table 1

Data Network WiMAX HSPA+ HSPA
Total Amount of Spectrum 30Mhz 30Mhz 30Mhz
Spectral Efficiency per BTS *
3.3 bps / Hz 2.0 bps / Hz 1.2 bps / Hz
Base Station Total Throughput (Mbps) 99 59 36
Downlink / Uplink 66.7% 50.0% 50.0%
Network Loading % 80% 80% 80%
Available downlink throughput (Mbps) 52.8 23.4 14.4
QoS requirement per subscriber (Mbps) 2.0 2.0 2.0
Number of simultaneous subs 26.4 11.7 7.2
Total subscribers per BTS 1,000 1,000 1,000
Oversubscription 38 85 139
Average kbps per subscriber 53 23 14

Source: WiMAX Forum

* Based on 2008 IEEE 802.16m SRD specifications defining 802.16e spectral efficiency

To summarise the above table:

• WiMAX demonstrates higher spectral efficiency;
• WiMAX has a higher DL performance for the same Modulation, Coding and Channel
BW as HSPA+;

20
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaboration between groups of telecommunications associations to
make a globally applicable third generation (3G) mobile phone system specification within the scope of the International
Mobile Telecommunications-2000 project of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). 3GPP specifications are based
on evolved Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) specifications. 3GPP standardization encompasses Radio,
Core Network and Service architecture.


• HSPA+ is constrained to 2 x 5 MHz channels in traditional 3G spectrum
assignments;
• WiMAX supports channel BWs up to 20 MHz, Frequency Divisions Duplex (FDD)
and Time Division Duplex (TDD);
• WiMAX has lower CAPEX per subscriber; to support 1,000 subscribers/base
transceiver stations (BTS), the oversubscription factor for WiMAX is 38 versus 85 for
HSPA+, despite a 60% lower average kbps per subscriber data rate for HSPA+.

Another way of viewing this is with 30 MHz of spectrum, constant downlink speed and
oversubscription (1:3021), 2.26x and 3.67x BTSs of HSPA+ and HSPA respectively would be
required to support the same number of subscribers as 1 BTS of WiMAX (refer to
comparative table below).

Data Network WiMAX HSPA+ HSPA
Total Amount of Spectrum 30Mhz 30Mhz 30Mhz
Available downlink throughput (Mbps) 52.8 23.4 14.4
Average kbps per subscriber 50 50 50
Concurrent Users 1,081 479 295

Number of BTS required (keeping WiMAX as a base) 1x 2.26x 3.67x
* Please refer to Table 1 for specifications

Thus, the cost of providing broadband services on the WiMAX platform is expected to be
lower than on 3G technologies. Moreover, migrating from the current 2G and 3G technology
to 4G LTE technology demands increased investment in network-related architecture due to
multiple fresh equipments to be inducted into the existing Radio Access Network (RAN),
Edge, Backhaul and Core network layers, while the transition of WiMAX Release 1.5 (16e)
to WiMAX Release 2.0 (16m), will be more cost-effective (as it is backward compatible with
Release 1.0 and Release 1.5) and has a smoother and lower incremental investment in
RAN as it utilizes the same Edge and Core network.

3. Next Generation – Long Term Evolution (LTE)
The LTE radio air interface and network design standard is still in the standards
development process, with expected freezing of standards only by late 2009/Q1 2010. LTE
is yet to attain a globally harmonized status around a common spectrum band. Additionally,
LTE-based silicon and chipsets ensuring conformance to such standards will launch around
mid-2010 and will start showing the right yield levels only by 2011, post which the device
ecosystem and RAN ecosystem would be economically viable. Also, the silicon and the
devices have to be designed to support backward compatibility for 3G for Voice/HSPA for
Data/HSPA+ for IP DATA/MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) processing, which
increases the device complexity and adds to the cost significantly. Initial prototype
infrastructure solutions for RAN from LTE technology is expected from vendors in late 2010
with initial trial deployments of LTE in 2011 or later.

21
TRAI Guidelines for service providers providing Internet/broadband services for ensuring better quality of service (press note
dated March 2, 2009) - maximum oversubscription of 1:50 for home users and 1:30 for business users


This technology is hence still in its infancy and thus the silicon (chipsets)  BTS as well as
devices  would not get commercially stable status until mid-2012. As any technology takes
at least 2-3 years to become commercially available, particularly in the Indian context given
the price sensitivity for mass adoption, WiMAX has a clear 3-4 year time advantage over
LTE.
Further, with 16m (Release 2.0) of WiMAX reporting twice the spectral efficiency of Release
1.5, WiMAX appears to be far ahead in the war of the technologies for wireless high-speed
data traffic handling capability.

Average Spectral Efficiency
2008 2010 2011 2010

3 2.55
2.5
Bps / Hz / Sector

DL
2 1.55 1.55
1.35 UL
1.25
1.5 1
0.6
1 0.55
0.5
0
Rel 1.0 Rel 1.5 Rel 2.0 LTE

Mobile WiMAX
Source: WiMAX Forum

WiMAX transitional costs are expected to be lower than any other comparable 4G
technology:
• LTE is adopting technology and features like OFDMA already available with Mobile
WiMAX.
• Mobile WiMAX provides a simple, all-IP flat network, with all Internet Engineering Task
Force (IETF) protocols, which will only be available in LTE and LTE advanced and not
in existing cellular technologies such as 3G, which are circuit-switched.
• Further, an LTE network is a more complex multi-layer network burdened with
proprietary 3G cellular protocols that will make it more expensive to operate.
• A major advantage WiMAX offers is lower cost of IP, allowing new entrants to compete
with major telecom vendors and bring innovative and lower cost devices to market
• Further, the Open Patent Alliance (OPA) formed by Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Clearwire,
Intel, Samsung, Sprint, Alvarion and Huwaei22  with the objective of offering an
Intellectual Property Rights solution that will further support competitive development
and widespread adoption of WiMAX worldwide  is another big plus for WiMAX in
lowering the cost of broadband solutions.
Thus, with the release of the WiMAX 16m standard in 2010, WiMAX is expected to maintain
the technological lead as LTE-based 4G technologies become available in the next 3 to 4
years.

22
Huawei and Alvarion joined the OPA in February 2009


4. WiMAX-Enabled Devices and Their Roadmap
Price points and availability of BWA CPEs23 remain key factors in the mass adoption of new
wireless technology in India, as evidenced by the growth of mobile communications.
Accordingly, affordability and availability of BWA CPEs would be key in deciding which
technology would hold the turf.
WiMAX has an already established global ecosystem for device manufacture and support,
which services over 455 commercial WiMAX networks in 135 countries covering 430 million
people. Further, with over 1,700 Global Spectrum Auctions in 140 countries  held since
2006 to date  and expected 133 million customers worldwide (including 19 million in India)
by 2012, there is significant commitment in the growing system to ensure that further
economies of scale will benefit customers through declining prices and greater choice of
devices.

Highlights of this global ecosystem for WiMAX include:
• 25 silicon chip manufacturers; approximately 35 base station vendors;
• More than 40 companies providing PC cards, USB modems, MIDS, WiMAX
Embedded Note Books (WENBs), NetTops and WiMAX Indoor Modem cum Routers;
• Seven of the top eight device manufacturers (Samsung, LG, HTC, Motorola, HP,
etc.) have launched products already and are innovating further;
• More than 40 notebooks from leading PC manufacturers have already been
launched, with another 100+ models expected by 2010; and
• Nearly 200 service providers

4.1 Types of Devices Available
Manufacturing for WiMAX devices has already reached maturity, with over 530 member
companies committed to high-speed, mobile Internet success, and the ecosystem continues
to evolve. WiMAX access devices currently available in the market include:
 Mini PCMCIA24 cards
 USB modules
 WiMAX + GSM/CDMA phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs)
 Dual Mode (HSPA- and WiMAX-enabled) PCM cards, USB dongles, handsets, ultra-
mobile PCs and embedded notebooks
 Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) 25
 Consumer electronic devices: game consoles, MP3 players
 50 PC SKUs certified for various WiMAX networks; over 1000+ devices are expected
by end of 2010 with WiMAX Forum Certification

The integration of Wi-Fi and WiMAX in a single chipset is expected to contribute to an even
deeper cost reduction for devices/subscriber units. The commitment by chipset

23
Customer Premises Equipment
24
Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
25
More popularly called Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and defined as pocketable Internet devices for “in-hand” usage, MIDs
not only offer a superior Internet experience, but are also designed to provide entertainment, information and location-based
services for the consumer ‘on the go’.


manufacturers, such as Intel, to integrate WiMAX interfaces into computer OEM new
products (laptops, NetTOPs, PCs, MIDs, WiMAX Embedded Note Books (WENBs) and Net
books,) should help resolve a perennial ‘chicken and egg problem’ between carriers and
equipment manufacturers  that is, lack of network coverage vs. lack of sufficient numbers of
affordable devices. This argument becomes more pronounced in a cost-conscious market,
such as India.

4.2 Pricing Trends26

According to the WiMAX Forum, a significant price reduction in WiMAX-enabled devices is
expected over the next 3-5 years as the cost of open-standards equipment (upon which
WiMAX is based) tends to decrease rapidly with the increase in volume on mass adoption.
Current pricing trends of WiMAX-enabled devices based on functionality, device type and
features are projected in the table below:

Device Current Price* Expected Price – 2012**
Indoor WiMAX CPE with WiFI & US$ 65 – US$ 851 US$ 541
Router function (Modem)
GSM +WiMAX Phone US$ 309 – US$ 3882 US$ 213 2

NET BooKs & Notebooks with US$ 265‐ US$ 7353 US$ 160 to US$ 640 3
WiMAX/ WiFi
Basic USB with SIM card US$ 644 US$ 32 to US$ 43 4
capability
Mobile Internet Devices (MID’s) US$ 4805 US$ 213 to US$ 425 5

1Depending on features

2Depending on features, battery life, screen size etc

3Depending on the LCD Screen size and HD capacity and type like HDD or Flash
4With additional memory and Over the Air Provisioning (OTA)
5Depending on features, battery life, screen size etc

*WiMAX Forum, primarily based on BSNL tender prices
**WiMAX Forum estimates

Comparative 3G USB modem prices available today range between US$70-7527 and are
expected to decline, as volumes increase.

WiMAX – The Right Choice
As evidenced in the sections above, WiMAX has an edge amongst the BWA technologies
currently available. Delays in WiMAX for BWA adoption are not only denying the Indian
diaspora of a cost-effective and improved broadband solution, but also represent a losing
opportunity – the opportunity for India to leapfrog other developed nations given the
correlation between broadband proliferation and economic progress of countries.

26
1US$ = INR 47
27
BSNL EV-DO USB modem retail price


5. Benefits to Key Stakeholders

5.1 Operators
Operators could look at a 25%28+ IRR on investments in WiMAX technology. Key
assumptions include:

Market Expectations
• Initial roll-out in 100 cities within 3 years
• Approximately 80-90 million WiMAX subscribers by 2019 (Year 10) in India
• Given the four operator models for BWA, operators would aim to secure 25 percent
market share
• Target customer base
o Individuals using PCs, desktops, laptops and mobile Internet devices (MIDs)
o Corporate users

Subscribers and Average Revenue per Unit (ARPU)
• 7-9 million subscribers by 2014 (Year 5) and 20-23 million subscribers by 2019 (Year
10) per operator
o ARPU (assuming speed of 512kbps initially, 1mbps from Year 6 onwards and
2mbps from Year 9 onwards with unlimited usage) Rs 700~1,100/month
currently, declining to Rs 560~880/month by 2019 (Year 10)

CAPEX
• Green field operator – Sites to be leased from infrastructure owning companies. No
CAPEX for site infrastructure is assumed other than electronics and radio equipment
• Spectrum license cost of Rs 15,150 million (1.5 times of auction reserve price for a
Pan India license)
• 10,700 and 32,300 BTS by Year 5 and 10 respectively (including micro and pico
sites)
• Maximum loading of 720~840 subscribers per BTS

28
Based on spectrum license cost of 1.5 times of the auction reserve price – Rs 15,150 million


• CAPEX/subscriber (excluding spectrum license cost) of:
o Rs 1,900 ~ Rs 2,100 by 2014 (Year 5) [net off subsidy towards CPE]
o Rs 2,150 ~ Rs 2,250 by 2014 (Year 5) [gross of subsidy towards CPE]
• CPE device costs29 have been assumed to be a ‘pass through’ to subscribers
starting Year 3 (2012). For the first 2 years a subsidy of 25% (customer to pay for
75% cost) has been assumed for initial promotion. Post that, expected CPE price
declines and computers (laptops and desktops) embedded with WiMAX-enabled
chipsets being available in the market, no additional investment should be required in
CPEs by operators.

Financial Highlights

Snapshot
Year 5 (2014) Year 10 (2019)
Revenue (In Rs bn) 47 ‐ 52 140 ‐ 150
EBITDA 30% ‐ 40% 15% ‐ 20%
PAT 20% ‐ 25% 8% ‐ 10%

• EBITDA and PAT break-even in 3~5 years
• 10 year Equity IRR in the range of 25%-30% (including terminal value assumed at a
growth rate of 3%) at a spectrum license cost of 1.5 times of auction reserve price30
• Net present value (including terminal value assumed at a growth rate of 3%) of Rs 32
billion – Rs 37 billion at a WACC31 of 16.2 % p.a.
• Peak cash requirement of approximately Rs 18 billion in the year of commencement
of operations

5.2 Government
At the macro level, mass proliferation of broadband is expected to spread economic
efficiency and productivity, and assist in diversifying income. Further, it is a vital ingredient to
push government’s initiatives of e-Governance, improved educational opportunities and
health services in rural and remote locations. Over and above, there would be significant
revenue generation from spectrum auctions, taxes on services, and import of equipment.
Thus, broadband connectivity and services can be a key driver for several socio-economic
gains. Studies reflect this:

• Planning Commission’s Vision 2020 visualises ubiquitous broadband as playing a
strategic role
• CII’s ‘India’s Broadband Economy: Vision 2010’ study directs to significant value
creation both in terms of growth in national output and improved education, health
and empowerment

29
CPE is basic USB modem with SIM card capability
30
Increase in spectrum reserve price to 2 times would yield an IRR in the range of 20%-25% (including terminal value at a
growth rate of 3%)
31
Weighted Average Cost of Capital - Debt : Equity of 55:45; cost of debt – 13.5, cost of equity – 25%


This is expected to manifest in increased GDP growth and improved standards of living.

Macro Economic Benefits
Expanding broadband networks to non-metro areas, where a majority of the country’s small-
and medium-sized businesses are run, can spread economic efficiency and productivity,
and help in diversifying income. Further, decentralization of businesses would help reduce
cost of operations thereby improving business efficiency.

Revenues
Time lags will delay sustained contributions to government revenues from:

 Spectrum allocation and usage charges: The government would look to add a
minimum of Rs 30 billion (US$645 million32  reserve price for auction) in its kitty as
a one-time allocation fee through the impending spectrum auction for the three (in
addition to BSNL/MTNL) spectrum licenses in the 2.3 and 2.5 GHz blocks. Further,
spectrum usage charges of 1% of AGR33 would mean an additional Rs 14 billion in
aggregate over the decade (2010–2019) from the three operators34 (excluding
BSNL/MTNL).
 Import duties and taxes: Duties and taxes are applicable on WiMAX base stations
and other equipment. At aggregate CAPEX investments (primarily imported) of
approximately Rs 137 billion35 over the next 10 years across the three operators36,
import duty37 levied by the government is expected to add Rs 13.7 billion to the
government’s cash flows.
 Service tax and others: Aggregate revenues of approximately Rs 1,980 billion (from
three operators38) would translate to Rs 204 billion of service tax39 revenue over the
decade (2010–2019). Further, additional revenue shall accrue to the government
from tax on sale of end user equipment such as CPEs, MIDs, PCMCIA cards, etc.

32
1US$ = INR 47
33
Adjusted gross revenue: Revenues – bandwidth costs
34
Assumed to work on similar revenue model, as the one discussed herein
35
Assumed at US$50/subscriber and an estimated subscriber base of 23 million Pan India with a 75% share for the three operators
other than BSNL
36
Excluding BSNL/MTNL
37
Import duty @ 10%
38
Excluding BSNL/MTNL
39
Assumed at 10.3% of revenues


Social Benefits:
 Employment generation: Potential of approximately 2 million people in direct
employment and approximately 59 million people in indirect employment40.
 Public Policy initiatives: Provision of ubiquitous broadband services would be key
to success and furtherance of e-Governance, e-Literacy, e-Health programmes and
other social services in remote regions across India. It would also ensure
connectivity to 100,000 common service centers (CSCs), a recent initiative by the
Department of Telecom and Department of Information Technology to accelerate
delivery of e-Governance, entertainment, education, telemedicine, e-commerce, info-
services, etc. to villages/rural areas across India.

Thus, government can ill-afford delays in implementing the BWA, which would negatively
impact economic growth, success of social improvements plans and revenue generation
for the government, if the broadband market does not ‘take off’.

5.3 Customers and End Users
 High-speed Internet connectivity ‘on the go’  anytime, anywhere: WiMAX
would ensure high-speed mobile wireless access to broadband, enabling a
‘connected’ community.
 Affordable services: With a wide array of value-added services and applications,
WiMAX is a 4G technology available at affordable prices, thus lending itself to mass
adoption.

6. Successful/Recent Deployments41 – WiMAX Live!
WiMAX is soon becoming the technology of choice for many telecom carriers and end
users in deploying and using next-generation networks. The reason for the widespread
interest is clear enough – if WiMAX lives up to its promise, it will respond to challenges
faced by carriers and users alike. Examples of few successful and recent WiMAX
deployments globally include:

KT, Korea: Post a commercial launch in April 2007, KT  the first company in Korea to
explore wireless broadband services  had deployed approximately 600 base stations
covering 12 million people, and had established itself as the wireless broadband leader
with 106,000 subscribers representing a 43% mobile broadband data market share. As
of June 2008, KT had acquired over 200,000 subscribers by providing an introductory
rate of USD 21 per month for a 30GB monthly download and USD 11 per month for a
1GB monthly download.

Clearwire, U.S.: Clearwire serves markets in the United States (the second largest holder of
spectrum with 100 MHz in the 2.5 GHz band), Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Denmark (with
Danske Telecom) and Mexico (with MVSNet). Branded as ‘Clear’, the company, on January

40
Study by ASSOCHAM & CII
41
Source - WiMAX Forum


6th, unveiled Portland, Oregon as its first 4G WiMAX wireless broadband market. Clear
residential modems offer up to 6 Mbps download speeds while mobile Internet customers
can also expect to receive up to 6 Mbps download speeds. Following up on its Portland
launch, the company, on March 5th 2009, announced that it would expand its 4G WiMAX
network to nine additional markets in 2009. The company targets to acquire 35 million
subscribers in 2009 and 120 million subscribers in 2010 across the globe.

Yota, Russia: The first mobile WiMAX network in Russia (with 30 MHz of spectrum in 2.5
GHz frequency) launched in September 2008, with current services covering a total
population of 20 million people. It offers Internet speeds of up to 10 Mbps per user device.
By the end of 2008, the company had successfully installed 150 base stations in Moscow
and 80 base stations in St. Petersburg with peak data rates of about 180 Gbit per second*.
Yota’s 2009 focus is on regional expansion – deploying mobile WiMAX networks in 40
Russian cities.

BSNL, India: BSNL has 20 MHz of BWA spectrum (in each of the 22 services areas in the
country) in the 2.5 GHz frequency. With a successful launch in Goa in July 2009, BSNL now
targets to launch the service in Kerala and Punjab on August 15, 2009. Having completed
an initial deployment of 1,000 base stations already, the company plans to launch another
1,600 base stations by the end of 2009 (and recently contracted with Huawei and Harris
Stratex at an investment of Rs 5.6 billion for the purchase of network and radio equipment),
with a capacity to service 1.1 million subscribers. To support its upcoming launch, BSNL
has successfully tested the service at speeds of 2 Mbps and 1 Mbps at a distance of 2 km
and 8 km respectively in urban areas, and 2 Mbps and 1 Mbps at a distance of 2.5 km and
15 km respectively in rural areas.

UQ Communications, Japan: The only telecommunications company in Japan that
provides nationwide mobile services based on WiMAX, on February 26, 2009, UQ started its
full mobile WiMAX service in 23 Tokyo wards, Yokohama and Kawasaki  targeting a
download speed of 3+ Mbps. The company has been securing regional spectrum licenses
in the 2.5 GHz band across Japan, and aims to provide WiMAX coverage to 90% of the
country by 2012.

VMAX, Taiwan: A joint venture between 3G mobile carrier Vibo Telecom Inc. and
broadband wireless telecom equipment maker Tecom Co., VMAX is one of six major
WiMAX spectrum holders (30 MHz of spectrum in the 2.5 GHz frequency) in Taiwan.
*In backhaul


VMAX won a 6-year license for 30MHz of spectrum in the 2.5 – 2.69 GHz band to deploy
WiMAX to Taiwan’s northern region. With an initial planned deployment of 200 - 250 base
stations, the company plans to cover 70% of Taipei. In addition, VMAX plans to launch a
wide selection of available devices by the end of 2009.

Packet One Networks (P1), Malaysia: The first operator to launch commercial WiMAX
operations in Malaysia in August 2008. By the end of 2008, P1 had successfully acquired
100,000 subscribers. The Company operates in the 2.3 GHz band and plans to increase its
subscribers by 250% in 2009, and an investment of USD 290 million in the next 5 years. It is
currently offering a 1.2 Mpbs package at USD 44 / month42, with promotional packages
being offered currently at USD 28 / month42, for 1.2 Mbps and USD 64 / month42, for 2.4
Mbps with a 24 month commitment.

Wateen Telecom, Pakistan: Headquartered in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, Wateen
telecom has successfully deployed one of the biggest nationwide WiMAX networks with 42
MHz of Spectrum. With the deployments of more than 842 four sector base stations across
22 cities, the network covers over 20% of Pakistan’s 164 million inhabitants. Since its
commercial launch in December 2007, the operator has signed up 52,000 subscribers.
Monthly tariffs for Internet access begin at USD 6.30, with a onetime connection fee.

With examples such as the above, the wireless broadband telecommunications marketplace
is set to undergo a fundamental shift.

6.1 Select Risk Factors

Certain risks may hamper the mass adoption of WiMAX:

 CPE/equipment pricing: CPE costs play a key role in mass adoption of any technology.
While WiMAX CPEs are available at competitive prices currently, they need to decline
significantly to facilitate mass adoption particularly in Tier 2/3 cities and rural India.
Similarly, decline in landed cost of equipment to ensure lower CAPEX investment by
WiMAX operators is important to ensure a viable business model.

 Availability of adequate spectrum at the right price: The government had announced
20 MHz of BWA spectrum to be made available to four successful bidders with a reserve
price of Rs 1,010 crore (Rs 10 billion) for Pan India licensing  less spectrum per
operator means higher investment in CAPEX (for the number of base stations) to
support the same subscribers. There is still no defined timeline for the BWA auctions to
be held. Further, current news in circulation is that Pan India 3G license costs are
expected to be twice that (Rs 4,040 cr) of the earlier announced reserve price of Rs
2,020 cr. If the BWA spectrum reserve price is revised upwards, it would negatively
impact the business case.

42
1USD= 0.2806 RM


 Availability of passive infrastructure: WiMAX operators will be competing primarily
with new/expanding GSM telecom operators for tower space to install their active
infrastructure. While the passive infrastructure assets are built gradually over time the
aggressive expansion plans of the new four to six operators and incumbents may cause
a situation of demand in that supply for towers in the short/medium run could escalate
operating costs  particularly for greenfield WiMAX operators or those WiMAX operators
that do not own passive infrastructure  thus stressing project returns and negatively
impacting business plans.

These risks would lead to a higher cost of delivery of service and would negatively impact
the business model for WiMAX operators.

Conclusion
With empirical evidence of correlation between broadband penetration and economic
progress of countries manifesting in several ways worldwide, India cannot further delay
adopting WiMAX for accelerated proliferation of broadband. This would both ‘unlock’ value
and meet social objectives of current and future governments by increasing productivity of
assets and improvements in learning/education programmes, healthcare and other social
services, which are critical to bringing social and economic prosperity in rural areas wherein
70% of India’s population resides.

WiMAX provides the quintessential answer to BWA in India and its immediate deployment
presents a golden opportunity to leapfrog other developed nations by providing seamless
connectivity.

WiMAX’s superior performance, lower costs and defined evolutionary path give it an edge
over other cellular technologies. Further, its well developed global ecosystem and
consequent aggressive device pricing will prevent it from suffering from the initial ‘hiccups’ in
mass adoption faced by cellular technologies in the 1990s.

The stage is well set for implementing the BWA policy. WiMAX is what ‘the doctor has
ordered’ to alleviate India’s broadband penetration woes and further delays will only mean
denying both the masses and the classes.


7. Recommendations to the Government and Regulators
A firm governmental commitment with private sector partnerships can go a long way in
helping India achieve the many benefits of mass proliferation of broadband. Following are a
few recommendations:

• Recognize the strong correlation between broadband penetration and
economic prosperity: It is critical to capitalize on low-cost connectivity to improve
India’s global competitiveness. Thus, we can ill-afford further delays in implementing
BWA policy.

• Immediately release spectrum: Releasing spectrum is key to implementing the
BWA policy. While spectrum auctions will generate one-time revenues, sustained
spectrum utilization will generate periodic revenues.

• Supportive measures: Without encouragement and incentives, operators are
unlikely to roll out broadband networks in non-urban areas, where the majority of
citizens live. To make such roll-outs cost-effective, governments can take a number
of actions, such as offering tax and duty benefit incentives for BWA devices, subsidy
from the USO fund to telcos, etc.

• Encourage competition: Promoting a competitive environment can help attract
investment as well as drive down prices – ensuring a cost-effective and affordable
roll out of large-scale, wireless broadband services.

8. Q&A

Is WiMAX ready?
WiMAX is ready. The technology is stable, time-tested and proven with an already
established ecosystem that is strong, robust and flourishing among more than 455
commercial WiMAX networks in 135 countries covering 430 million people. Further, over
1,700 Global Spectrum Auctions in 140 countries have been held since 2006, and 25 silicon
chip manufacturers, approximately 35 base station vendors and more than 40 companies
currently offer/support various WiMAX-related devices. Clearly, a global level of maturity has
already been achieved, making costs of deployment cheap and end user accessibility,
affordable.

Why do we need wireless broadband?
Given the current state of fixed infrastructure in India, only 17% of the 40 million copper lines
are capable of broadband provisioning through DSL. Further cost of deploying fixed wire-line
infrastructure in urban, rural and remote areas would not provide a cost-effective solution to
enable mass proliferation of broadband. Hence, wireless is the way to go as has been
historically proven in the case of voice.


Why would deployment costs of WiMAX in India be lower than those in the U.S.?

The macroeconomic factors/deployment costs in India are different from those in the U.S.:

 Higher density of population and subsequently lower number of coverage sites to be
built in India compared with the U.S. In order to reach 200 million people in the U.S., an
area of approximately 300K sq km needs to be covered, whereas in India, only about
17k sq km needs to be covered. Accordingly, investment in CAPEX in India is bound to
be lower.
 Lower CAPEX due to APAC-based vendors (especially Chinese) offering RAN at much
affordable rates as compared to European/American vendor rates for RAN. Lower costs
of network commissioning due to lower manpower costs.
 Lower cost of fiber as well as lower cost of laying fiber.
 Lower site costs. With increased tower population and regulatory approval for sharing of
towers, investment in CAPEX for tower roll-out and rentals in India have reduced
significantly. In the U.S., not only is tower access difficult but rental costs are almost six
times as high as those in India.

With 3G already present, why do we need WiMAX?
With spectrum being scarce in India, technology-adoption decisions hinge on spectral
efficiency. Spectral efficiency has a favourable impact on the business case as it:
 Lowers deployment cost per Megabit, which is key to rural and remote area deployments
 Offers increased network capacity to support new value-added services for increased
operator revenues

Mobile WiMAX Release 1.0 (TDD, 10 MHz Channel BW) has higher peak rates and two to
three times greater DL43 sector throughput than HSPA Release 6 available today. With
10MHz of 3G spectrum, assuming an oversubscription rate of 1:30, and 2 Mbps speed per
subscriber, only 72 subscribers can be supported per base station as compared to 264 for
WiMAX. This would mean that 3G will need three times the number of base stations to cover
the same number of subscribers as WiMAX. Another key factor is that with no additional 2G
spectrum available and given the scorching pace of voice subscriber additions across the
existing operators, 3G spectrum allotted to existing operators would in all probability be
dedicated for sufficing the needs of the burgeoning voice subscribers. Thus, 3G would
neither be a cost-effective solution nor would it be used by operators for alleviating India’s
broadband hunger.

43
Throughput advantage depends on ratio of DL to UL traffic. For a more detailed analysis, see the white paper: “Mobile
WiMAX – Part II: A Comparative Analysis”, available on the WiMAX Forum website:
http://www.wimaxforum.org/technology/downloads/Mobile_WiMAX_Part2_Comparative_Analysis.pdf


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