The project, dubbed WiMAGIC (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Broadband Access System for Next Generation Wireless Communications), has been accepted by the European Commission within the 7^th Framework Programme for Research. Working with Sequans are 12 partners, six technology companies and six universities, from France, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Greece, and Turkey.

WiMAX2 will be backwards compatible with current Mobile WiMAX™ systems based on the IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard, but is intended to deliver much higher performance. The WiMAGIC project participants will address physical layer (PHY) functions such as MIMO (multiple in/multiple out advanced antenna technologies), high performance synchronization and channel estimation techniques for high vehicular mobility; and media access control layer (MAC) functions such as adaptive radio resource management and cross-layer optimization. The basic algorithms developed by the project will be validated using a system-level simulator and will then be prototyped.

“The WiMAGIC project will yield significant technological advancements in terms of network capacity, throughput, and mobility,” said Hikmet Sari, Sequans’ chief scientist. “WiMAX is one of the most important technologies of our day, providing truly mobile broadband services on a global basis, and we expect WiMAX2 will be established as the leading 4G technology.”

Hikmet Sari is a pioneer in the development of OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access, a central 4G/WiMAX technology) and holder of numerous patents related to WiMAX.