Interesting update on the LTE front

I just read an article about Verizon and MetroPCS plans for LTE rollout which was pretty interesting, given my recent paper LTE vs. WiMAX . Given the new projected estimates of their rollouts (and factoring in inevitable delays, time for them to deploy service to a market this size, etc), I'm comfortable saying that I'd rather wait for LTE than rush out and sign up for Clear (which, by the way, has a flashy new storefront at the intersections of 2 main highways here in town). I've never been much of an early adopter (except in the case of my HTC MyTouch android phone, which I adore. But even then, I had researched them pretty well before hand, and even bookmarked some references to use for android app development before the phone was even on the market). I like to hear real feedback from real people about the real performance of something before I invest my money and commit to a contract (though Clear does offer a month-to-month rate, the 2 year contract rate is of course cheaper). I'm just not convinced that WiMAX is worth the switch, and I'm content to wait it out.

A late night babysitting XLMiner

It's 2:30 AM, and I'm running data sets through XLMiner's neural network classification.  The first set was for 30 iterations and that took roughly ten minutes.  Now I'm running it for 150 iterations, and after that is 300.  While I dearly love this subject, and under normal conditions I'd be fascinated by what it will eventually return, it's nights like these that I wonder if my lifespan is long enough to justify this.

I'm going to be pretty peeved if the world ends a la 2012 (although if it's anything like the cheesy movie, at least I'd be amused while mankind was coming to an end).  Then again, I wouldn't have to pay back all of my student loans :)

LTE vs. WiMAX paper completed

I finished up my research paper last night, so here's my take on the LTE vs. WiMAX issue (need it in a pdf?).  Be gentle, it's the first paper I've written in 10 years (also, the style is a bit informal, because of the audience I'm gearing it towards, so it's not something I'd dream of shopping around for publication)

Future Implications of the WiMAX vs. LTE Debate

by Jennifer Olomon (November 15, 2009)

Commercials for Clear’s WiMAX service have blanketed the Waco market for months, promising a “fast mobile internet” experience.  There is a definite appeal to having internet access at better-than-broadband speeds from any local area; current WiFi options tether a user to access points that stretch no farther than a few hundred feet.  In this era of smartphones, we have had a taste of what perks might await us with mobile internet access, but until now the relatively slow speeds provided with 3G networks have proven to be more frustrating than freeing ⁽¹⁾.  The newest iteration of network technology has now introduced two 4G options in the forms of WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) and LTE (Long Term Evolution).  At this point in time, the similarities and differences between the two show no clear winner, or if there will even be a true winner-take-all situation in the first place, but examining the two technologies can hint at what we may generally expect to see in the future.

As voice and data communication began to blend together, two approaches to the field emerged.  The development of LTE was born from advancements in voice transmission that first led to the 3G network (essentially, a voice medium that could also convey data).  WiMAX, on the other hand, began as a data network that just happened to also carry voice (with applications like VOIP) ⁽²⁾.  Although Godfrey Chua, the research manager in the wireless and mobile infrastructure group at IDC, said that LTE “was designed with mobility in mind from the get-go, while 802.16 evolved from standards based on fixed wireless networking,” even he admitted that the two technologies were more alike than different.  In fact, the similarities between WiMAX and LTE led another expert to estimate that the two were “80% to 85% the same” ⁽³⁾.  Apart from the basic concept of high-speed mobile internet access and all the conveniences that entails, there are some striking parallels in the bigger picture; however, differing opinions about the finer details remind us of their separate origins.

Both technologies support roaming between existing 2G and 3G networks by using dual mode devices, which seems to be their definition of “backwards compatible” ^{(4; 5)}.  In the strictest sense, it does not appear as though either LTE or WiMAX could directly interface with these older networks, although some sources claim that LTE’s architecture design allows for a smooth handover between 3G and LTE, whereas WiMAX has a hard enough time being backwards compatible between 802.16m and previous standards iterations ⁽⁶⁾.

In terms of performance, there is again a vast array of opinions.  The overwhelming majority of sources indicate that LTE should be the leader, with top download speeds estimated at 100Mbps whereas top download speeds for WiMAX are estimated at 40Mbps (though in practice these rates would be much lower depending on mobile vs. fixed implementations, interference, etc.).  However, since LTE has yet to be deployed in any area, there is no data on its real world speeds ⁽¹⁾.  Some believe that because both technologies use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), the implementation of multiple antennas at the receiver and transmitter sites (MIMO), an “all IP-based” design, and a “flattened” architecture, the difference in speeds should ultimately be negligible ⁽⁷⁾.  It is likely that only time and the final LTE implementation will answer this question.

The eventual coverage for each technology will largely depend on the coverage of existing cell sites, since most carriers will re-use their existing infrastructures to deploy their 4G networks.  Although Clear has a 2-year head start, with current coverage in 9 states and plans for expansion and LTE has no current coverage areas at all, LTE is still estimated to end up with more than 4 times the users of WiMAX. (3; 8)  This is in part due to the fact that 80% of cellular service in use today uses GSM, so the conversion of existing cell sites should favor a GSM-related technology such as LTE.  As one expert said, ^“Whenever two technologies perform the same function, the one with the larger installed base wins. But, you say, LTE has no installed base. Yes, but its parents do.” ⁽⁹⁾  Since it is estimated that WiMAX’s appeal as a DSL substitute gives it an estimated base of 1 billion, while LTE may grow from GSM’s base of 4.6 billion, the greater coverage for LTE may be a deciding factor in its success. ⁽³⁾

Another similar claim between WiMAX and LTE is the promise of more security-conscience transmissions than previous technologies.  WiMAX has learned from the evolution of WiFi, and its adopted standards have reaped the benefits of having been tested in the marketplace ⁽¹⁰⁾.  Although LTE standards are still being debated, an eye has been kept on security from the start and there is strong support at the physical layer for mature protocols as well as at higher levels ^{(11; 12)}.

The issue of standards is just one large difference between WiMAX and LTE.  WiMAX’s current standard version is 802.16-2009; however, ongoing discussion about a newer and faster 802.16m are under way ⁽¹³⁾.  On the other hand, LTE’s standards are not yet ratified and details are still being hammered out ⁽³⁾.  Regarding the belief that WiMAX’s standards were created in a more open environment than LTE, one author stated, “If WiMAX is the hippie, grass-roots parents on ‘Family Ties,’ LTE is closer to Alex P. Keaton.” ⁽¹⁴⁾  It is also interesting to note that neither technology’s standards can be called 4G yet in the technical sense, since they lack the required minimum of 100 Mbps mobile and 1 Gbit/s fixed (in the future, WiMAX’s 802.16m and LTE’s revision 10 should  bring them both within this range) ⁽³⁾.

Pricing is another area where the experts disagree: would WiMAX or LTE be cheaper once both are available on the open market?  Some argue that because WiMAX has been developed openly as its standards were formed, that this should lead to equipment that meets the requirements at a cheaper price point than proprietary hardware. ⁽¹⁴⁾  However, if LTE does indeed have lower associated costs with the necessary network upgrades at the same time as more manufacturers provide LTE compatible handsets in the market, it is possible that LTE could eventually become the more affordable choice overall. ⁽⁴⁾

Ultimately, the availability of the services and equipment may play a large part in which technology becomes popular.  Clear first rolled out its services in September 2008, giving it an estimated 2 year head start on LTE. ⁽¹⁾  Clear also has the backing of some powerful investors, such as Comcast, Google, Intel, Sprint, and Time Warner Cable, which definitely helps when it comes to raising the investment capital and interest needed to blanket the market. ⁽¹⁾  Although LTE may not become available until at least 2010, it’s garnering support from some of the major industry players, such as AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. ⁽⁹⁾  Equipment manufacturers such as Ericsson, Nokia, and Motorola have decided to back LTE as well, which will provide the lion’s share of available devices and will in turn fuel public opinion to favor LTE. ^{(3; 4)}

While some people in the industry have likened the WiMAX vs. LTE debate to Betamax vs. VHS (with WiMAX being the eventual obsolete technology) this may be a gross oversimplification, and there may not even be a case of winner-take-all. ^{(14; 15)}  Because the similarities between each network provide many of the same benefits, they may be able to coexist by servicing different areas (WiMAX is seen as more a more likely winner in rural regions, for instance) instead of fighting for overlapping markets ⁽¹⁾.  Otherwise, LTE seems to have more overall potential in terms of technology, coverage, and availability of devices, despite WiMAX’s 2 year lead time.

Works Cited

1. Kapustka, Paul. Why LTE Vs. WiMax Isn't Your Typical Standards Battle. [Online] December 20, 2008. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212501054 .

2. Pazhyannur, Rajesh. LTE vs. WiMAX: Part 1: Introduction. [Online] October 15, 2009. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] https://www.myciscocommunity.com/community/sp/mobility/blog/2009/10/15/lte-vs-wimax-part-1-introduction;jsessionid=287020518473A5A0BF3458AB22DE6F33.node0.

3. Blackwell, Gerry. The Future of 4G: LTE vs. WiMAX. [Online] October 22, 2009. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/article.php/3845111.

4. Ericcson. LTE – an introduction. [Online] June 2009. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] http://www.ericsson.com/technology/whitepapers/lte_overview.pdf.

5. Yaghoobi, Hassan. Mobile WiMAX Update and IEEE 802.16m. [Online] March 25, 2009. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] ewh.ieee.org/r6/scv/sps/WiMAX_Update_802-16m.pdf.

6. Ghadialy, Zahid. WiMax and LTE backwards compatibility. [Online] June 21, 2008. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] http://3g4g.blogspot.com/2008/06/wimax-and-lte-backwards-compatibility.html.

7. Jenkins, Sam. Implement OFDMA, MIMO for WiMAX, LTE. [Online] March 17, 2008. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] http://www.eetasia.com/ARTICLES/2008MAR/PDF/EEOL_2008MAR17_RFD_NETD_TA.pdf?SOURCES=DOWNLOAD.

8. Clear. Coverage. [Online] [Cited: November 15, 2009.] http://www.clear.com/coverage#cities.

9. Mathias, Craig. LTE vs. WiMAX - A Contest or Not? [Online] April 4, 2008. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] http://www.networkworld.com/community/print/26632.

10. Airspan Networks, Inc. Mobile WiMAX Security. [Online] 2007. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] www.airspan.com/pdfs/WP_Mobile_WiMAX_Security.pdf.

11. LTE Security Principles. [Online] July 18, 2009. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] http://lteworld.org/blog/lte-security-principles.

12. State of the Art of the Wireless Security in OFDM(A)-Based Systems. Prasad, Neeli Rashmi. 2009, 2009 IEEE Mobile WiMAX Symposium, pp. 107-110.

13. IEEE Std 802.16-2009: Publication History. [Online] May 29, 2009. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] http://www.ieee802.org/16/pubs/80216-2009.html.

14. Higginbotham, Stacey. LTE vs WiMAX: A Little 4G Sibling Rivalry. [Online] March 5, 2008. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] http://gigaom.com/2008/03/05/a-little-4g-sibling-rivalry/.

15. Bajwa, Afzal. LTE vs. WiMAX: The 4G Wireless War. [Online] May 20, 2009. [Cited: November 15, 2009.] http://technologizer.com/2009/05/20/lte-vs-wimax-the-4g-wireless-war/.

How do I convert all my MS Word Citations to superscript?

I've long had a battle with the new version of Word; things are never where I feel they logically should be, and I hate wasting time trying to find a feature that I *know* exists...somewhere.

Well, I'm here to say that in the very least, I love the way it manages citations.  I think it's saved me at least an hour or two tonight.

For this particular paper I was using ISO 690 citation format, just because I like the lack of clutter that things like MLA tends to bring.  I was a bit annoyed, however, that the default wasn't to have the numbers show as superscript.  Thankfully, a quick google search brought me to BibWord and I was able to insert a handy macro that converted all my citations with one click.

Now, if only Microsoft would make that feature standard...

Progress is being made...I think

I've been working at a new outline today for my paper on WiMAX vs. LTE (I did the same thing last weekend, but had a flash of organizational mojo and decided to revamp it today).  The professor, when making this assignment, said that this wasn't meant to be a very taxing write-up; as he put it, "More than 3 sources is probably too much." 

I'm up to 11.

I have a lot that I feel needs to be covered, and although I'll try to keep the paper itself as concise as possible, I don't think the elegance of a haiku would do it justice either.  I'll write until I'm done.  Then I'll edit it down.  He needn't feel as though it's too troublesome an assignment--the purpose was to learn something, right?

MS Access Security for Sensitive Data

This week was a fairly quiet workload; we mainly just touched up some security issues in the database project.  Seeing as though this database houses some extremely sensitive data regarding abused women, it's paramount that the information is secure.  Unfortunately, MS Access' built in security features leave much to be desired.

For instance, did you know that just using an input mask for a password field doesn't stop you from just removing the mask to reveal the text?  We clearly need to do more research about how to modify user permissions.

Information Systems Deployment, aka "What NOT To Do", and hopeful publication

Our discussion topics for this week were IS deployment, specifically dealing with the following questions:

• What are the key components of project management? (Answer: Scope (the outcome), Sponsorship and Management (the people), Management Methodology (the process), Reporting (communications), Control (the quality), and Value (business value and technology support)).
• What role does a project's sponsor need to play in the technology implementation process? (Answer: Providers and clients both have responsibilities to fulfill if a project is to succeed.  More than anything, this boils down to an issue of clear communication)
• What are the key managerial authorities a project manager needs to succeed? (Answer: power over who's on the project's team, the power to make assignments, and the power to provide performance consequences)
• What questions does the project sponsor need to ask a project manager?  (I found this chapter in the book to be one I marked as useful in a managerial position of any type.  Again, it all boils down to communication skills)
• Whys is it important to explicitly state the intended business result of an IT project?  How should this be done? (This chapter discussed "MOPS"--measure of performance, as consisting of intended goals and expected constraints.  A book was mentioned, Robert F. Mager's "Goal Analysis: How to Clarify Your Goals So You Can Actually Achieve Them", and it looks as though our university library has it, so I'm going to pick it up on Monday for some leisure reading.  Hey, I have plenty of goals that need to be achieved, so it's worth a shot).

Finally, we discussed a classic What NOT To Do case regarding Maine's failed Medicaid system.  It's a good example of how decisions that seem to make sense at the time, can really snowball and backfire.

We've been assigned a research paper, and I've chosen the topic of Business Intelligence Implications for Nonprofits.  I've seen nonprofits of various sizes use data mining for many different jobs...everything from gathering metrics to justify certain projects, to hone in on donor targets, to refine events and outreach programs.  I'm not sure yet if I'll be crafting a survey to send out to some random nonprofits, but it's an option.  The professor has mentioned that he'd be more than happy to help us with publication, and I'm going to opt for that track as time permits.

RFID data imports in MS Access, and Tableau path tracking

This weekend will be spent completing a take-home exam that covers various analysis methods, and putting the finishing touches on the lab book that's due Thursday.  On Tuesday I'm making a short presentation to show some preliminary data views for our main class project.

The project itself is a pretty interesting concept.  The Junior League has held annual Christmas Bazaars for a couple years now, consisting of booths in the local convention center featuring merchants from the area, a "Breakfast with Santa" event for children, a Mother Daughter Tea, etc.  This year, in partnership with Ohio University's RFID lab, RFID readers were set up at various points around the convention center, and tags were concealed in each ticket.  We were interested in seeing how many people attended which events, what else they visited while there, traffic to certain booths, etc.

After speaking with the professor, I took it upon myself to visit the event prior to its kickoff, and make a note of which merchants were in which booths (perhaps there'd be a correlation between certain traffic patterns and types of wares for sale?  Never know if you don't look).  After we got the data back from the RFID team, I imported the data into an MS Access database, along with the merchant information, and coordinates that mapped to a jpg of the convention center layout.  Then using a basic sql query to join the table data, we could import the data in a useful format to Tableau.  In Tableau, we're experimenting with some path tracking, so we can see the tracks of visitors.  Our class has divided up into 4 teams, each covering 1 days of the event, and we're tasked with examining the data to answer specific questions posed by the professor, as well as any other useful patterns that pop up.  From here until the end of the semester, this is what we'll work on, and I'm looking forward to what we might find.

Our class on Thursday was enjoyable for me, since the professor asked me to teach the rest of the class about how to use the data and basic Access tools, then demo the import process and a quick sample data view.  I wish I had known ahead of time that I'd be asked to do this, since I would have come more prepared, but it was still a fun experience.  I've always enjoyed teaching, and this was a nice break in the usual life as a student.

WiMAX vs. LTE

This week, my big project for Telecommunications is a paper on WiMAX vs. LTE, with a nod to future expectations.  I have the research compiled, and it's just sitting on my desk waiting for the write up. Rajesh Pazhyannur has written part 1 of what promises to be a great series on the debate, but I've contacted him to see if subsequent parts will be available soon and no answer is forthcoming.  So, I'll read it later for my own enjoyment, but it won't be available for use in my paper.  Other research I'm using (either citing it formally, or it's been helpful as a starting point):

LTE vs WiMAX: A Little 4G Sibling Rivalry by Stacey Higginbotham (who wins the Most Humorous Quote contest with "If WiMax is the hippie, grass-roots parents on “Family Ties,” LTE is closer to Alex P. Keaton.")
LTE & WiMAX Myths & Realities
Why LTE Vs. WiMax Isn't Your Typical Standards Battle by Paul Kapustka
LTE vs. WiMAX - A Contest or Not? by Craig Mathias
The Future of 4G: LTE vs. WiMAX by Gerry Blackwell
LTE vs. WiMAX: The 4G Wireless War by Afzal Bajwa

In short, the more I read, the more I see LTE as the clearly superior technology...but as we all know, sometimes that's not enough to win marketshare.  I also find it interesting to see how many authors are referring the topic as a Betamax vs. VHS type "battle", which seems like a gross oversimplification.  Then again, time will tell.

This isn't the first time this semester I've delved into WiMAX; I also presented this topic during my Information Systems for Management class.  My research was just to describe the basic technologies involved, and only superficially mentioned LTE.  Since so much advertising is hitting us (for some reason, the greater Waco area has been chosen as a test market for Clear), it's been something we've all been curious about, so I wanted personally to find out what it involved.  After my presentation was over, I was asked during the Q and A if I would sign up for a WiMAX service myself, and frankly, I'm not sure.  Clear is on record as saying customers can expect the following:

Compare CLEAR^TM Mobile Plans

Plan Name	Unlimited Mobile Internet	2GB Mobile	4G+ Mobile Internet	Mondi 2GB Promo	Mondi Unlimited Promo
Monthly Rate	$30.00 for the first 6 months $45.00	$35.00	$70.00	$25.00 for the first 6 months $35.00	$35.00 for the first 6 months $45.00
Download speeds up to*	6.0 Mbps	6.0 Mbps	Unlimited	4.0 Mbps	Unlimited
Upload speeds up to*	1.0 Mbps	1.0 Mbps	1.0 Mbps	1.0 Mbps	1.0 Mbps
Monthly usage limits	Unlimited	2GB	Unlimited	2GB	Unlimited
Overage charge	None	$10 per 1GB	None	$10 per 1GB	None
Activation Fee	free**	free**	free**	free**	free**

*Typical download speeds are 3-6 Mbps with bursts over 10 Mbps. Actual performance may vary and is not guaranteed. Performance claim based on tests performed on the CLEAR commercial network by CLEAR.
**Free with 2 year sign up

Compare CLEAR^TM Home Plans

Plan Name	Basic Home	Fast Home	Faster Home
Monthly Rate	$25.00	$30.00	$45.00
Download speeds up to*	1.0 Mbps	3.0 Mbps	6 Mbps
Upload speeds up to*	500 Kbps	1.0 Mbps	1 Mbps
Activation Fee	free**	free**	free**

*Typical download speeds are 3-6 Mbps with bursts over 10 Mbps. Actual performance may vary and is not guaranteed. Performance claim based on tests performed on the CLEAR commercial network by CLEAR.
**Free with 2 year sign up

Now, at home we're on the Roadrunner basic service, which says I can expect 5 Mbps download and 384 Kbps, for $34 a month.  For $5 more a month, they'd give us 7 Mbps down and 512 up.  I ran some speed tests on my current service, and on average I'm seeing 2.8 Mb/s download and .47 Mb/s upload.  So that's taking speed and cost into account, but what about the technology?  I'm not sure if Clear includes the WiMAX receiver; let's say they don't, and I have to make that investment on my own.  Now, factor in that Clear wants me to sign a 2 year agreement...in 2 years will LTE be the winner and I'm facing yet another switch?

Quite honestly, I'm not as concerned about speed as I am about price.  With 3 kids, 1 income, and grad school expenses, we're on a razor thin budget, so I'm looking to get the most bang for my buck.  I'll most likely stick with Roadrunner for now, just because I'm about as far from an "early adopter" as you can get, and we've bundled our service with our cable and phone so it seems like a small hassle.  From what I hear in other markets, Clear really isn't living up to its promises, so at the very least, I'm guessing that my family will wait to switch over, if at all.  Plus, if they're asking me to make an initial investment in their technology, I'd rather wait a year or two and see if something better comes along.