Operational Considerations of Deploying Wimax Technology as a Last-Mile Tactical Communication System

With the recent finalization of the IEEE´s 802.16e-2005 standard and the upcoming test and certification of WiMAX products, mobile broadband services are becoming a reality. As an IP-based solution, mobile WiMAX technology will provide converged video, voice, and data services to mobile users. To investigate the capabilities and challenges of deploying a tactical WiMAX network, DISA is developing a live pre-WiMAX demonstration and test network using currently available, unlicensed broadband wireless equipment. Leveraging DISA´s market analysis and demonstration effort, this paper addresses the operational considerations of deploying WiMAX technology in a tactical environment. Examining different network deployment scenarios, this paper addresses the challenges these deployments will face and describes how they will be addressed. Finally, this paper discusses how the WiMAX network will support additional services including locality-based communication and tracking services as well as the backhaul of video, imagery, and sensor data