Extending 3G/WiMAX Networks and Services through Residential Access Capacity[Wireless Broadband Access]

The transmit capacity of the access link that connects homes to the Internet is often not fully used, either because of a selected light subscription or because the user is not constantly online, leaving a surplus capacity. Many home networks are equipped with WLAN that can be received outside the walls of the home. This signal can be used to offer access to passing WLAN users who are sufficiently near the homes, potentially realizing a contiguous public radio coverage landscape of WLAN access points in urban areas. This article describes the challenges and solutions when using the surplus capacity available in broadband residential access for offering WLAN access to public subscribers, and how to integrate this solution with access and services offered by 3G and WiMAX.