Wireless IPTV over WiMAX: Challenges and Applications

Internet protocol television (IPTV) is gaining recognition as a viable alternative for the delivery of video by telecommunications and cable companies. It features bandwidth efficiencies, and management; therefore, it is ideally suited for broadcast, multicast, unicast interactive and multimedia services (IMS - IP multimedia). Core networks are packet-based, however, access networks are not always packet-based. Furthermore, they are wired as either fiber-coax or fiber-twisted pair topologies. Design, construction, and maintenance costs of such topologies are exorbitant, making the IPTV deployment economically unviable, especially in underdeveloped countries and rural areas. Worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) offers a wireless solution in the access networks that can support IPTV services. WiMAX is capable of very high data rates, longer reach, and operates in non-line of sight (NLOS) modes in licensed and license exempt frequencies. Bandwidth is scalable and managed. Contents are encrypted for secured transmission and mobility is supported at vehicular speeds. Installation and maintenance costs of WiMAX systems are at a fraction of the costs of wired access networks. Taking advantage of these features, IPTV services can be designed, delivered, and managed cost effectively without compromising the video and audio quality. In this paper, the authors present IPTV over WiMAX implementation in such scenarios. The authors identify challenges and discuss ways to overcome them, especially those in medium access control (MAC), physical layer (PHY) and radio sub-systems. Despite of these challenges, it is observed that IPTV over WiMAX is very feasible.