Metropolitan Area Networks

Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) are intended to cover larger geographical areas that range from several buildings to the areas of whole cities. Such networks can be wired infrastructure or - keeping BWA in mind - be based on radio technologies. If radio technologies are deployed they are generally based on a cellular structure like other well-known radio networks, such as mobile networks, Radio LAN and DVB-T.

For example, Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) can cover a university campus where they act as a radio relay between Local Area Networks or provide broadband connectivity to nomadic terminals used on the campus, e.g. laptops. When covering the footprint of a whole town Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) can act as an alternative access technology for the last mile market (e.g. broadband wireless access to the Internet).

The key work with regard to Metropolitan Area Networks is as follows:

HiperMAN

The HiperMAN specifications are being developed by ETSI Technical Committee Broadband Radio Access Networks (TC BRAN).

High Performance Metropolitan Area Networks (HiperMANs) provide broadband Wireless DSL, while covering a large geographic area. The standardization focuses on frequency bands below 11 GHz (mainly in the 3,5 GHz band) and is optimized for packet switched networks supporting fixed and nomadic applications.

Operating at radio frequencies between 2 GHz and 11 GHz the HiperMAN standard is designed for Fixed Wireless Access using the basic MAC (DLC and CLs) of the IEEE 802.16-2001 standard.

HiperMAN has been developed in very close cooperation with IEEE 802.16, such that the HiperMAN standard and a subset of the IEEE 802.16a-2003 standard will interoperate seamlessly.

ETSI technical committee BRAN is working with the WiMAX Forum, the industry forum that is promoting IEEE 802.16/HiperMAN technology, and contributing expertise to the certification scheme that will assure the interoperability of IEEE 802.16/HiperMAN devices.

Under the umbrella of a co-operation agreement between ETSI and the WiMAX Forum, BRAN is also active in the writing of test specifications for the WiMAX Forum Certified^TM programme.

Harmonized Standards for MAN

ETSI technical committees Broadband Radio Access Networks (BRAN) and Access, Terminals, Transmission and Multiplexing (ATTM) elaborate Harmonized Standards that are applicable under the provisions of the R&TTE Directive.

These Harmonized Standards are applicable for various frequency bands and specify a large amount of technical details like access methods, modulation schemes and antennas that can be used for Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN).