OAS Department of Human Development
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
WiMax Networks Course - IEEE-802.16 Standard
OAS/DHD/CIR. /2007
1.
Study site: E-learning platform of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Center of
Excellence for the Americas Region.
2.
Offered by: Regional Training Center of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission
(CITEL) and ITU Excellence Network Node: Centro Avanzado de Telecomunicaciones
[Center for Advanced Telecommunications] of the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires
[Buenos Aires Technological Institute] (ITBA). National Coordinator: Mr. Rubén Kustra,
Phone: (54-11) 4314-7778, ext. 284, Buenos Aires, Argentina, E-mail: kustra@itba.edu.ar.
3.
Coordinator: Ms. Melba Lucía de Reyes, Director, Center of Excellence for the Americas
Region, Phone: (504) 220-6666, ext: 123, Fax: (504) 220-1197, E-mail:
centrodeexcelencia_uit@cablecolor.hn
4.
Type of instruction:
Distance education
5.
Course dates:
November 5 to December 14
6.
Course length:
Six (6) weeks
7.
Language:
Spanish and English
8.
General objective: To understand the basic functioning of WIMAX broadband wireless
networks based on the IEEE 802.16 standards, in order to be able to make elementary
evaluation of the business model, and understand possibilities for installation of WIMAX
networks in different environments and for their integration with other types of networks.
Specific objectives:
-
9.
To gain an awareness of the basic technologies underlying WIMAX: OFDM, MIMO, and
OFDMA, in order to be able to use knowledge gained to operate not only WIMAX
networks, but also a variety of similar networks.
To gain an awareness of the basic elements of physical layers, access to the medium, and
the WIMAX network to as to be able to understand WIMAX’s complexity and possibilities.
To gain an awareness of the WIMAX business model and possibilities for its
implementation, principally in Latin America.
Program:
Unit 1: Introduction. Broadband networks – cable and wireless. The WIMAX site.
Relationship with WiFi. Business model. Technological principles involved. Spectrum utilized
and transmission capacities.
Unit 2: OFDM. Introduction to wireless communications. Problems of transmission without
cable: shadowing, fading, multipath. Why OFDM? Basic principles of OFDM, with some
mathematical elements. OFDM implementation in WIMAX.
1889 “F” Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel. (202) 458-6166, Fax (202) 458-3897
E-mail: Scholarships@oas.org
Unit 3: MIMO systems. Benefits of multiple transmitting and receiving antennas. Challenges.
Space-time coding. Implementation of MIMO systems in WIMAX.
Unit 4: OFDMA. Different types of access to the medium: FDMA, TDMA, OFDMA.
Advantages and disadvantages of OFDMA. Multi-user diversity. Adaptive modulation.
Implementation of OFDMA in WIMAX.
Unit 5: Details of the WIMAX physical layer. Channel coding. HARQ. Interleaving. Structure
of OFDM symbols. Channel assignment. Frame structure. MIMO. Ranging.
Unit 6: Control of access to the medium. MAC frame format. Requesting and assigning
bandwidth. Service quality. Network association. Hand-off between base stations. Energy
consumption control.
Unit 7: Network architecture. Reference model. Network selection. Obtaining IP address.
Authentication and security. Management of mobility.
10.
Procedure: The distance education course will be given over six (6) weeks via the ITU’s
WebCT e-learning platform. Each week, the tutor will attend to participants, who will enter the
Web to: (a) access the course session; (b) read the support materials (each week participants
will be given a 20-40 page document as study material); (c) download the assigned exercises
or activities; (d) complete or continue the activity or exercise: and (e) post their replies for the
tutor’s review, evaluation, and, if necessary, clarification. In addition, each week, the tutor will
return to the group a consolidated analysis of their answers, as well as such individual
clarifications and explanations as may be necessary.
Forms of evaluation:
A small multiple-choice test on the week’s course material will be given each week. Working
groups will be formed, which will submit bibliographic research on a particular aspect of the
material studied. Although such work need not be original, all references must be properly
cited.
To pass the course, students must pass all weekly tests and submit the final
assignment. To facilitate study, students will be given up to two weeks from the end of
the course to complete any pending tests. They will also have one month from the end
of the course to submit the final assignment.
12.
Requirements:
a) Citizenship or permanent residence of an OAS member state (residents must forward a copy
of their visas), except for Argentina, as this country is hosting the course.
b) Participant profile: Staff of technical areas of regulatory entities and telecommunication
operators and companies with basic knowledge of telecommunications.
c) Two years’ experience working in an area related to the course subject.
d) Applications must include an e-mail address. Applications not containing e-mail addresses
will not be considered.
e) Health certificates are not required.
f) Access to computer equipment and the Internet. The following technical specifications
must be met:

Computer: Must be able to use the latest versions of browsers.

Internet access: Candidates must have access to the Internet from their home or
workplace. Minimum acceptable modem speed is 28.8 kbps.

Browser: The choice of browser is very important. The e-learning platform requires a
browser that can run Java and Javascript. These options must be enabled on your
browser.
1889 “F” Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel. (202) 458-6166, Fax (202) 458-3897
E-mail: Scholarships@oas.org
g) Submission of complete application by the deadline set by the National Liaison Office
(ONE)1. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ascertain the deadline set by the ONE in his
or her country of residence.
13.
Benefits: For successful candidates, CITEL/OAS will cover the total enrolment cost ($200.00).
14.
Responsibility of candidates selected:
 Upon selection, candidates must accept the scholarship by confirming to the Department of
Human Development and CITEL their availability to follow to course during the period
indicated and their acceptance of the duly provided conditions of study.
 Obtaining access to computers and defraying communication costs (Internet access and email).
 Should a candidate accept the scholarship and then, for any reason, be unable to follow the
course, he or she must so inform CITEL and the Department of Human Development
immediately, so that said office may decide what actions to take.
15.
Certification: CITEL/OAS, the ITU Center of Excellence for the Americas Region, and the
Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA) will provide each participant with an on-line
(electronic) certificate upon successful completion of the course
16. Submission of scholarship applications:
OAS scholarship applications must be submitted using form OAS 98 (Fellowship Application form),
including all documentation required. Applications must be forwarded to the Organization of American
States through the official channels established by the government of each country (ONE). This is a
mandatory requirement.
The following is the list of National Liaison Offices (ONEs) in the OAS member states:
http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/becas/ones.aspx?culture=en&tabindex=44&childindex=48
Form OAS 98 may be obtained through the offices of the OAS General Secretariat in the member
states or via the scholarships web page at the following link: Formulario de Solicitud de Becas oficial.
Please note that the official announcement is available via the Scholarships web page at:
http://www.educoea.org.
All questions regarding submission of applications for this course should be directed to:
Scholarships@oas.org
IMPORTANT NOTE: THESE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY
OF THE CORRESPONDING FUNDS IN THE REGULAR BUDGET FOR 2007.
Sincerely yours,
María Levens
Director
Department of Human Development
1
Application submission deadlines vary from country to country and therefore must be confirmed with the corresponding
ONE in the student’s country of origin or permanent residence.
1889 “F” Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel. (202) 458-6166, Fax (202) 458-3897
E-mail: Scholarships@oas.org
cc: Coordination, file
CITEL03217E
1889 “F” Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel. (202) 458-6166, Fax (202) 458-3897
E-mail: Scholarships@oas.org