THE WiMAX PROCESS

1.

DETERMINING TECHNOLOGIES, SETTING REQUIREMENTS

   In order to assure a successful broadband business, a Service Provider must understand its customers’ requirements.  KOHL works with the Service Provider to define what functions, internal applications and/or commercial services are desired, and develops the appropriate performance criteria for each.  WiMAX is one of the access options available to the customer who wishes to be provided high-speed broadband and VoIP.  The final delivery platform choice will depend on the needs of the customer. In some cases it will be feasible to use existing fiber or T1/T3 for the backhaul.  In others, WiMAX could be more cost effective.  The ultimate choice also depends on the availability of previously installed infrastructure, as well as the required information throughput, available bandwidth, and achievable bandwidth efficiency for a given deployment.  Decisions must be made in the following areas:

   Once the service requirements are defined, KOHL will recommend the spectrum to be used.  This is an important step as various technologies use different frequencies.  The preferred frequency band depends on many factors including the local climate, (temperature, rainfall, etc.), competing frequency users, licensed versus unlicensed frequencies, propagation requirements, line-of-site deployment versus non line-of-site deployment, topography and vegetation.

2.

NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

   KOHL will develop or assist the customer in engineering the network architecture for the system.

3.

PRODUCT EVALUATION

   KOHL will perform necessary evaluation of existing products and determine which ones meet the provider’s requirements.  KOHL will pre-qualify sufficient products to have competitive offering of responsive bidders.

4.

RFP GENERATION

   KOHL assists in the production of a Request for Proposal (RFP), which would be sent to the various pre-approved vendors for bid.  KOHL will work with the customer to establish the bid evaluation criteria matrix under which bidders’ products will be evaluated, and assist the customer in that evaluation.  KOHL also provides technical assistance during contract negotiations.

5.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

   KOHL provides project management services during the implementation phase, both on the network application side and for the field installation.  KOHL develops an acceptance test program, through which the equipment will be subjected.

6.

HANDS ON, FIELD IMPLEMENTATION

   Unlike many consulting firms, KOHL has the technical and field experienced resources to assist in the deployment of WiMAX system.  This includes determination of tower locations, design and implementation of fixtures, site assessments; and supervision of equipment deployment, staging and test.

7.

POST TRIAL SERVICES

   KOHL understands that the issues of scalability are of critical concern.  What might be an acceptable solution for a trial program might not be appropriate to a full scale deployment.  KOHL considers this in its design of the network, takes necessary data during the trials with full deployment in mind and sets up goals considering the final full scale deployment.