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    The technical and cost assessment of some BWA technologies - a case study of KNUST
    (MAY, 2012) Akanbasiam, Apigagua Joshua
    The mobile wireless environment is evolving for new grounds with the emergence of 4G technologies; WiMAX and LTE are competing for supremacy or co-existence. The technologies are emerging from existing technologies with add-ons that give them comparable advantages over their parent technologies 3G and Wi-Fi – thus offer better; speed, data rates , range, security etc. A study of the theoretical strength and weaknesses of the physical and MAC layers of the various technologies under study and a general overview of BWA, its history, benefits and challenges and the current topology on Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) campus is considered in this work. The work continues with a theoretical comparison of the technologies that offer excellent data rates based on modulation techniques, Bit Error rate (BER) and signal constellations and backed with MATLAB simulations. There is an in-depth assessment of the parameters that determine the cost of deploying various technologies - equipment and services and factors like, Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operational (OPEX). These cost parameters were gathered from KNUST network planners, some telecommunication companies, RF planners, and some telecommunication equipment vendors, this was then compared with simulated figures from WIROI 20/20 and LTE calculator. Wi-Fi is cheap and better suited for Educational Institutions with relatively small land area (1 sq. Km). KNUST has a land area of over 10sq Km and is much suited for a cellular technology. The fact that WiMAX deployment has begun and offer low OPEX cost makes it an ideal technology for most Educational Institutions and also it continues their legacy network (Wi-Fi). On the other hand most telecommunication companies are opting for LTE; since it offers low CAPEX cost and continue their legacy network.